The program for the Hillside Lodge consolidates trail cabins into one central lodge to reduce the area of disturbance to the site and forest. The lodge borrows formal characteristics from vernacular resort lodges, cabins, barns, and the treehouse to create a formal language that connects visitors Maine’s wooded landscape.

Primary public programs are located at the west end where they have views out through the high tree canopies to landmarks to the east such as Caribou Pond, Sugarloaf Mountain, Spaulding Mountain, and Mount Abraham. The interior space of the lodge grows as the roof expands to the east to take advantage of the remarkable vistas of the site in central west Maine and along the Appalachian Trail. The building is sited to anchor the west end of the long lodge into the grade at the approach from the walking trail while the east end cantilevers off of the foundation to position visitors among the tree canopy.

Sourcing for CLT, Gluelam columns and beams, wood windows, and exterior cladding are intended to draw on local resources and Maine’s sustainable timber industry to help reduce the carbon impact of the lodge construction.  Managed timber practices of local wood species such as White Pine and Fir are tapped for sources of new wood as well as recycled or reclaimed dimensional materials from salvage sources to create CLT panels, Gluelam members, and charred wood siding.