Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Lodge

Truckee, CA

An exceptional place for families and learning to ski, the Downhill Ski Resort at Tahoe Donner replaced their 50-year-old facility with a modern three-story lodge that meets the needs of 21st century users.

The new 25,000 SF ski lodge uses architecturally exposed steel and heavy timber framing that spans across both interior and exterior spaces, providing a unified design that connects guests with their surroundings. New guest amenities were designed to support year-round usage and include greatly expanded indoor/outdoor dining and bar areas, a large outdoor deck with firepits and fire tables, panoramic mountain views, level access to chair lifts, and a dedicated ski school for kids.

The facility features the latest advancements in seismically resilient design. A heavy timber roof system is supported by the architecturally exposed structural steel frame with DuraFuse moment frame connections and CoreBrace buckling-restrained braced frames, creating a high-performance facility able to withstand earthquakes and the region’s heavy snow loads. Also incorporated in the design are structural thermal-break connections thoughtfully integrated into the exterior envelope, ensuring guests stay warm in winter. The result is an elevated experience equal parts architecturally expressive and structurally resilient, ready to serve the growing Truckee community.