Alpine Village McCall, Idaho Approx. $15 million Owner: Alpine Village Co. Contractor: Russell Corp. Architect: Epicos Land Planning and Architecture, CTA Architects Start: July 2009 Finish: Ongoing McCall’s first mixed-use downtown development is designed around a vibrant plaza. The project offers a variety of retail opportunities and comfortably appointed condominiums with resort amenities.   Alpine Village Diamond City Montana Green Meadow Country Club The Club at Spanish Peaks Big Sky, Mont. Cost: $100 million Owner: Spanish Peaks Holding LLC Contractor: Dick Corp. Design Firm: CTA Architects Engineers Start: 2009 Finish: Ongoing The Club at Spanish Peaks is located on 5,500

The 33-year-old William H. Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center in Moscow, Idaho (aka the Kibbie Dome) is undergoing a $12-million renovation that will make the northern Idaho icon safer, more functional and pleasing to the eye, inside and out. Slide Show Photo courtesy of the University of Idaho Related Links: Growth Spurt Located on the campus of the University of Idaho at the edge of the Palouse in northern Idaho, and the home of the Vandals of the Western Athletic Conference, the facility is used primarily for football, basketball, tennis and indoor track and field. Portland, Ore., contracting, engineering and architecture firms

What was once an asphalt parking lot for the Peak 8 base area of Breckenridge Ski Resort is now a premier residential property. Nearly two years after construction crews began excavating the site and shoring up the hillside, One Ski Hill Place is preparing to open its doors, and owners of the luxury ski-in, ski-out units will be given authorization to take occupancy. Photo: Terry Shapiro Photo: Terry Shapiro The lodge’s design includes steep roofs, large overhangs, heavy stone base and timber elements throughout, drawing inspiration from the grand mountain lodges found in national parks. Related Links: Vail Resorts’ Master

Q&A with Heather Lafferty, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Mountain States: How has the recession impacted Habitat for Humanity Denver’s resources and processes? Are you seeing a greater need for your services than two years ago? Photo: HFHMD Workers install a 60-in. pipe prior to foundation work at Habitat’s first multifamily development in Denver. The 17,000-sq-ft former Teamsters building in Denver received a new tenant finish and donated time, resources and materials by local contractors to become Habitat Denver’s new local headquarters. Related Links: Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver Builds First TOD Project Heather Lafferty, Executive Director

Nevada-based Ameristar Casinos Inc. acquired far more than a single-story casino when it purchased the Mountain High Casino in Black Hawk, Colo., from Windsor Woodmont Black Hawk Resort Corp. for $114 million in mid-2004. Photo: Terry Shapiro Photo: Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Excavation for the structure required the blasting and removal of 860,000 cu yd of rock and took nearly 18 months to complete. Excavated rock was recycled as backfill within the excavation and as base material for parking areas. Related Links: A Grand Lodge Vail Resorts’ Master Plan Photo: Terry Shapiro The swimming pool and hot tubs are located

The American Institute of Architects Utah chapter recognized its 2009 Achievements in Architecture award recipients during a ceremony in November. Photo: John McCarthy Kenneth J. Naylor, second from the right, won AIA Utah’s Bronze Medal. He is pictured with previous Bronze Medal recipients: Michael Stransky, left; William Miller; and David Brems. Thomas B. Kass received an Honorary AIA Utah Award. Kass, professor emeritus of the College of Architecture and Planning, has presented to students a clear and concise approach to the art of design, inspiring the growth and development of many architects who are now leading the design profession in

The Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City is currently in the midst of more than $1.15-billion worth of construction on five major projects along the Wasatch Front. Photo: Wayne Gillman Crews install rail spacers along 2700 West for the West Valley light rail line. The UTA projects include the $485-million FrontRunner South from Salt Lake City to Provo, the $186-million Salt Lake International Airport TRAX line, the $205-million Mid-Jordan TRAX line, the $189-million West Valley City TRAX line and the $87-million Draper TRAX line. These ambitious, multifaceted projects will greatly expand mass transit service for the more than 1.5

Explaining biomimicry—much less getting people to buy into the concept, framework or philosophy—can be difficult. On the one hand, it is intuitive and simplistic. On the other, it is radical compared to current design and building practices, and it has no objective standards of measurement, which makes its lofty, sustainability goals seem unattainable. Image: HOK The simple, core principle of biomimicry, a term popularized in science writer Janine Benyus’ 1997 book of the same name, is that in order to be more sustainable, designers should mimic nature. But more than a decade later, many in the industry are still unfamiliar

The 11-story, 460,000-sq-ft St. Regis Deercrest hotel/condominium project in Park City, Utah, is a five-star property that offers luxury amenities, amazing views and a year-round pool that dazzles the senses. St. Regis Deercrest is nestled in the heart of the Deercrest development, just east of the main Snow Park lodge at Deer Valley Resort. Photo: Martin van Hemert Photography Photo: Martin van Hemert Photography The tiered, stone pool at the St. Regis Deercrest is one of the hotel’s many high-end amenities. Related Links: Montage Deer Valley Resort Photo: Martin van Hemert Photography The 11-story, 460,000-sq-ft St. Regis Deercrest is located

After three years of declines, the construction market may be eyeing a rebound in 2010 thanks to a much-improved residential market, but for designers and contractors in other building sectors, it could be too soon to celebrate. Bob Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction, speaking at the Outlook 2010 Executive Conference, told participants that the 2010 market will experience a slow upward climb. Slide Show McGraw-Hill Construction is forecasting that total construction starts will climb 11% to $466.2 billion in 2010, following an estimated 25% decline in 2009. After a 39% drop in construction between 2006 and