Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center

Cascade, CO

Details
Exhibits, visitor orientation, dining, gift shop
Rooftop terrace with 180 degree unobstructed views
Designed to achieve both LEED Silver and Living Building Challenge Certifications
Design Architect: GWWO Architects; Managing Firm: RTA Architects
Owner
Pikes Peak America's Mountain
Services
Site Analysis, Fundraising Materials, Community Involvement, Sustainable Design, Interior Design, Full Design Services, Building Information Modeling

Striking the perfect balance between a dynamic building that presents a clear destination to visitors, and a minimalist structure deferential to Pikes Peak and its majestic views, was critical to the design of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center.

Pikes Peak, the most visited of Colorado’s great mountains, has long claimed a powerful hold on the public imagination. More than one million people each year ascend to the summit, where they are rewarded with the view that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write the lyrics of “America the Beautiful.” For visitors today, the perspective from 14,115 feet still evokes the awe and optimism of a seemingly limitless vista across the continent.

The “design concept is no less than brilliant.”

—Advocates for the Pikes Peak Summit House

Embedded into the mountainside, the low-rise structure is seemingly carved from the southeast side of the peak. Its form and materials, with stone inspired by Pikes Peak granite, evoke the crags and rock formations found above the tree line. Seen from below, the building appears as a building of the mountain rather than one on the mountain, yet as visitors arrive at the summit it emerges into view as a clear destination.

Captivating but also functional, the building is sited to take advantage of the unique environmental conditions. Nestled into the mountain, exposure to the harsh winds is minimized, while the mass of the building provides sheltered outdoor areas to enjoy the views. The building’s southern orientation maximizes daylighting and reduces energy needs. A highly insulated concrete shell and in-floor radiant heating, together with the thermal mass of the stone cladding, help to retain heat. These strategies equip the building for an extreme climate, where winter temperatures can reach as low as negative 40 degrees.
Captivating but also functional, the building is sited to take advantage of the unique environmental conditions. Nestled into the mountain, exposure to the harsh winds is minimized, while the mass of the building provides sheltered outdoor areas to enjoy the views. The building’s southern orientation maximizes daylighting and reduces energy needs. A highly insulated concrete shell and in-floor radiant heating, together with the thermal mass of the stone cladding, help to retain heat. These strategies equip the building for an extreme climate, where winter temperatures can reach as low as negative 40 degrees.

Entering the pavilion lobby from the peak, visitors are taken aback by the perfectly framed view of Mount Rosa, the summit that Zebulon Pike climbed on his 1806 expedition to survey the territory that had been recently acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The architecture of the pavilion highlights the relationship between the two landforms; the viewing angle from the top of the lobby steps to Mt. Rosa slopes down 3.5-degrees, with the same angle echoed by the roof’s upward slope.

Inside, visitors are taken aback by the boundless sky and perfectly framed views of Mt. Rosa. Stairs to the main level appear to fold down out of the mountain, as visitors descend to the main floor to access exhibits, dining, a gift shop, and restrooms. Exhibits highlight the mountain’s history, climate, geography, recreational opportunities, conservation initiatives, and more. Warm, rustic colors and natural materials, such as locally sourced timber, further connect the interior to the landscape.

Environmental stewardship is central to the design, and the team embraced the challenge to create a highly sustainable building in one of the most difficult settings imaginable. The visitor center is designed to meet the Living Building Challenge and LEED Silver and aiming to achieve net zero energy and waste.

Passive design strategies contribute to a 45% energy reduction over the previous facility, starting with the building’s southern orientation to take advantage of daylight. A highly insulated concrete shell and in-floor radiant heating, together with the thermal mass of reclaimed fill below the floor slabs and of the stone cladding, help to retain heat. These strategies equip the building for an extreme climate where temperatures can drop to negative 40 degrees. Additional strategies include a vacuum system for toilets and blackwater to greywater conversion saving 350,000 gallons yearly; building zones that vary in temperature; biophilic principles; and building materials that are free of toxic red-list chemicals and materials. New site pathways help control foot traffic and protect the newly restored delicate tundra vegetation while frit-patterned curtain wall glazing minimizes strikes from migratory birds. Should rainwater harvesting receive state approval in the future, a rainwater collection-ready design is in place.

With its terraced design, the building itself serves as an ideal platform from which to survey the views. It features two accessible roof decks: one poised above an outdoor dining terrace, the other an overhang that shelters the lower-level entrance. Together with a third elevated viewing platform, the North Overlook, and a network of protected walkways, the new visitor center stages a series of opportunities to experience the drama of the landscape.
With its terraced design, the building itself serves as an ideal platform from which to survey the views. It features two accessible roof decks: one poised above an outdoor dining terrace, the other an overhang that shelters the lower-level entrance. Together with a third elevated viewing platform, the North Overlook, and a network of protected walkways, the new visitor center stages a series of opportunities to experience the drama of the landscape.

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