Developers of luxury residences in ski resort towns want to avoid delays, finish building premium homes, and sell. Because challenges inevitably arise, including limited construction seasons, so many of those homebuilders are partnering with prefab-savvy architects like Alexander Zilberman, AIA, to find solutions for translating luxury residential and hospitality brands into high-quality architecture, on a timetable that works. 

According to Zilberman, the founder and principal of Alexander Zilberman Architecture, P.C. (AZA) in New York, prefab technologies are ideal for resort areas, like Park City, Utah for example. The market there is ripe for new high-end homes, but they also face limited construction and labor pools. Then there’s the “mud season” – a reference to spring beginning after the ski lifts shut down — when the resort town becomes more like a ghost town. 

“The success of ultra-luxury design hinges on delivering the highest possible quality for a segment of consumers with exquisite tastes and demanding natures,” says Zilberman, who has spent 20 years as an architect specializing in luxury retail, hospitality and residential designs. “Delivering that level of quality depends on predictability of schedule.” 

Zilberman speaks from deep experience. The flagship retail venues he regularly designs for major luxury brands like Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, and Aston Martin typically have opening dates announced weeks in advance. Having every detail in place on time is essential, and of course the brands and store operators demand peerless quality.

“We frequently incorporating precision-engineered pre-fabricated technology into our designs, precisely because of the levels of quality and control,” he adds.

According to Zilberman, that Park City “mud season” represents several months out of the year when construction is next to impossible, thanks to poor ground conditions and the towns practically shutting down. So he and his team have been developing solutions for shortening the construction period on luxury homes, using a mix of prefabricated and site-constructed systems. 

The hybrid approach is catching on. And Zilberman is also helping turn the resulting new homes into turnkey properties. 

A Park City Hybrid 

For a home AZA is currently designing for Sky Ridge, a luxury community outside of Park City, Zilberman employs his “hybrid construction approach” that benefits both the developer and the future homeowner. By combining traditional methods with panelized, premanufactured pieces shipped to Sky Ridge to be installed, the architects create high-end homes indistinguishable from conventional construction that conform to all local codes and housing association rules. The results are as handsome as they are well-built and perfectly engineered.

Just as important, assembling pieces that are shipped from off-site reduces construction times, and supports general contractors with smaller teams.

“These architectural solutions offer predictability, ease of quality control, and considerable economy, with spectacular results for the homeowner,” adds Zilberman, noting that AZA’s solutions are also being applied to new hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. “With this high quality of design and craftsmanship, prefabricated and hybrid construction can speed up dream building projects in places like Tahoe, Aspen, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, and Whistler.” 

Also a skier himself, Zilberman points to the possible return of the Winter Olympics to Park City just 10 years away. Developers will be looking into every option for fast, high-quality homebuilding solutions, and hybrid prefab will be a key to meeting demand.