Mountain Lodge Redefines Family Ski Retreats

Anna Muller • July 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Mountain lodge redefines family ski retreats with modern design and authentic materials in Big Sky, Montana.

Mountain Lodge Redefines Family Ski Retreats - mountain lodge — Mountain Lodge Redefines Family Ski Retreats

Vista, a ski-in, ski-out family lodge in Big Sky, Montana, is a finalist in the 8th annual GRAY Awards. The design, created by CLB Architects, aims to push the boundaries of modern mountain living by incorporating authentic materials and a high degree of craft.

The home’s location on a rocky scree field required complex geoengineering, including a series of micro-piles to anchor the structure to the site. This allowed the home to be built with expansive vistas over the surrounding area.

Geothermal wells were installed to offset heating and cooling costs, bringing the building’s systems into synchronicity with its natural surroundings.

The home’s design optimizes the family’s privacy and access to natural light through its orientation around the building’s central courtyard. The east wing of the home appears buried on the slopeside elevation, with the sedimentary layers of the Hermosa Limestone base extruding the site’s geology.

The upper level is clad in Japanese shou sugi ban cedar, eroding into slatted privacy screens and sheltered by a monumental, folded mass timber roof. The roof’s slope manifests in a dynamic array of spatial qualities within the interior.

It is a processional unearthing, as visitors ascend through the limestone-ensconced courtyard on the lower level, into the primary living space on the upper level, surrounded by whitewashed spruce, where views are finally revealed through to Lone Peak.

Design and Layout

The two broken bars of the lower level house a family room, bunk room, wine cellar, bedroom, laundry, garage, and specialized ski room with attached spa and entry plaza for those approaching from the slopes. On the upper level, the architectonic bifurcation is sealed into a ring, enabling occupants to circumnavigate the carved out courtyard space as they move through their day.

Three suites, a great room, and a deck are located on the east wing, while a generous living and dining room, kitchen, deck, and primary bedroom suite are oriented toward views of Lone Peak to the northwest. The home’s interior is experienced as a series of cohesive, connective moments, with custom millwork and a minimalist lighting scheme, creating a sense of warmth and comfort.

In the great room, the hearth—composed of a five-inch thick, monolithic, split-face slab of Hermosa limestone—grounds the structure and provides a central gathering point.