The North Slope Ski Hotel
Michael Jantzen © 2009
www.michaeljantzen.com
The North Slope Ski Hotel is a conceptual design proposal (in search of a client) for an eco-friendly ninety five room luxury hotel, which is powered primarily by the wind and by the sun. Eight large vertical axis wind turbines are mounted on the top of the hotel, and a very large array of flexible photovoltaic cells cover the lower south facing curved portion of the structure. These wind turbines and solar cells are used to supply most of the hotels electrical needs. The entire hotel is built from the most appropriate and sustainable building products available on the market. Large south facing insulated windows mounted in front of a large amount of thermal mass in the floor of the lobby, is used to help passively solar heat the hotel, along with deeply buried earth pipes. The windows are shaded in the summer by a large overhang projecting from the south face of the structure. These large controllable windows are also used to provide natural light and ventilation for the hotel. In addition, each of the ninety five rooms in the North Slope Ski Hotel are fitted with two large windows. Each of these windows are designed to function like valves that can manipulate the appropriate amount of light, heat, and or fresh air that enters each room. In addition to these and many other eco-friendly elements designed into the hotel, its signature statement is its shape, which incorporates a four hundred foot ski slope. Guests can take an elevator to the top of the hotel, and ski down the side of the structure, into the surrounding landscape. They are able to also ski down the hotel’s built in ski slope during the summer, since it is fitted with a special skiable surface that will not require snow. The ski slope is also designed to collect summer rainwater, and winter melting snow, as it is channeled into large storage containers buried at the base of the slope. This water is recycled and used in and around the hotel. There are many other unusual amenities in and around the hotel, like a special eco-spa, and a gym, in which guests can help to power the hotels electrical needs whenever they use the specially designed electrical generating exercise equipment. There are various unusual places to shop and to eat, and a specially designed bar, located at the top of the hotel. Conceptually, the design for the North Slope Ski Hotel came from a symbolic image of a large snow covered mountain, on which a small grove of trees grows at its peak. My hope with this design is to once again demonstrate how even the most luxurious places on earth can, and should be built in an earth friendly way.
Status: Unbuilt
Location: Unknown
