Architect in Girdwood, AK · Alyeska Resort

Girdwood's architect of record since 2003.

Z Architects has designed more buildings in Girdwood than any other architectural firm — from single-family residences in the old-growth Sitka spruce forest to commercial projects at Alyeska Resort, civic buildings at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and multi-family housing in the resort village core.

38 projects · Girdwood, AlaskaView all 57 projects →
Evening Alpenglow — Girdwood, AK
01 / 38
Under Construction

Evening Alpenglow

2026

Residential

A current Z Architects project in Girdwood — a contemporary residence designed to capture the iconic alpenglow light that bathes the Chugach peaks in warm color at dawn and dusk.

Mountain Modern Home — Girdwood — Girdwood, AK
02 / 38
Built

Mountain Modern Home — Girdwood

2024

Residential

A contemporary mountain modern residence in Girdwood — clean geometry, exposed timber structure, and a material palette rooted in Alaska's landscape: spruce, stone, and weathered steel.

Alyeska Nordic Spa — Girdwood, AK
03 / 38
Built

Alyeska Nordic Spa

2023

Commercial & Hospitality

A geothermal-fed Nordic spa complex at the base of Alyeska Resort — a sequence of hot pools, cold plunges, saunas, and steam rooms engineered for year-round subarctic use.

Girdwood Cabin — 891 Vail Drive — Girdwood, AK
04 / 38
Built

Girdwood Cabin — 891 Vail Drive

2023

Residential

A precision-built single-family cabin in the Girdwood rainforest — mono-pitch roof, cedar and steel materiality, and a living green roof over the carport that disappears into the hillside.

Award-Winning Addition — Girdwood, AK
05 / 38
Built

Award-Winning Addition

2022

Additions & Remodels

An AIA Alaska award-recognized residential addition in Girdwood — a contemporary volume addition connecting to an existing timber-frame home with matching materials and a continuous roofline.

Jack Sprat Restaurant & Solarium — Girdwood, AK
06 / 38
Built

Jack Sprat Restaurant & Solarium

2019

Commercial & Hospitality

A glass solarium dining addition for Girdwood's beloved Jack Sprat restaurant — passive solar design maximizing mountain views with steel structure and full-height glazing.

Hildreth Residence — Girdwood, AK
07 / 38
Built

Hildreth Residence

2019

Residential

A timber-frame mountain home on a Girdwood hillside with commanding Turnagain Arm views — engineered for extreme snow loads and coastal wind with triple-glazed wall systems.

Demain Addition — Girdwood, AK
08 / 38
Built

Demain Addition

2019

Additions & Remodels

A contemporary addition expanding an existing Girdwood residence — new covered outdoor living space, updated envelope, and a studio-garage volume with south-facing clerestory.

Girdwood A-Frame Cabins — Girdwood, AK
09 / 38
Built

Girdwood A-Frame Cabins

2019

Residential

Compact A-frame cabins in Girdwood — the classic A-frame typology updated with modern insulation, triple-pane glazing, and radiant floor heat for subarctic performance.

Sakura Restaurant at Alyeska — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
10 / 38
Built

Sakura Restaurant at Alyeska

2018

Commercial & Hospitality

Japanese-inspired fine dining within the Hotel Alyeska — custom millwork, glass art panels, and a serene interior that contrasts the dramatic mountain exterior.

Girdwood United Methodist Church — Girdwood, AK
11 / 38
Built

Girdwood United Methodist Church

2018

Civic

A new timber-frame community church in Girdwood — built primarily by volunteer labor, drawing on Pacific Northwest vernacular timber traditions with a dramatically lit sanctuary volume.

Hostetler Residence — Girdwood, AK
12 / 38
Built

Hostetler Residence

2018

Residential

A refined single-family residence in the Girdwood valley — cedar cladding, passive solar orientation, and a sheltered arctic entry sequence.

Pease Residence Addition — Girdwood, AK
13 / 38
Built

Pease Residence Addition

2018

Additions & Remodels

A substantial addition to an existing Girdwood residence — heavy timber framing connecting the new volume to the original structure with matching cedar cladding.

Mountain Meadows — Girdwood, AK
14 / 38
Built

Mountain Meadows

2018

Residential

A meadow-sited Girdwood residence at the valley's upper bench — long low massing following the site contour, cedar and cor-ten steel cladding, sheltered entry courtyard.

Sakura Restaurant Glass Art & Signage — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
15 / 38
Built

Sakura Restaurant Glass Art & Signage

2018

Commercial & Hospitality

Custom glass art and entry signage for Sakura Restaurant at Hotel Alyeska — fused and slumped glass panels by a local Alaskan artist, integrated into the entry sequence and interior divider walls.

AWCC Bison Education Hall — Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage, AK
16 / 38
Built

AWCC Bison Education Hall

2017

Civic

Public interpretive education hall at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center — heavy timber arches, exposed wood trusses, and a visitor experience designed around Alaska's bison herd.

Day Residence — Girdwood, AK
17 / 38
Built

Day Residence

2017

Residential

A double-gabled Girdwood residence — exposed timber structure, warm interior palette of spruce and stone, and a south-facing great room that opens to a covered deck.

Weits Annex & Bell Tower — Girdwood, AK
18 / 38
Built

Weits Annex & Bell Tower

2017

Residential

A residential annex with an iconic timber bell tower in Girdwood — the tower serves as a site landmark and a structural expression of the craftsmanship that defines Z Architects' residential work.

Chugach Powder Guides Heli-ski Base — Girdwood, AK
19 / 38
Built

Chugach Powder Guides Heli-ski Base

2016

Aviation

Clear-span steel hangar and operations base for Chugach Powder Guides heli-ski operations — engineered for heavy snow loads, aircraft storage, and year-round mountain guide logistics.

Randich Residence — Girdwood, AK
20 / 38
Built

Randich Residence

2016

Residential

A refined Girdwood mountain home with exposed timber structure and a material palette of local stone and cedar — oriented to maximize passive solar gain through the Alaskan winter.

Alpenglow Residences — Girdwood, AK
21 / 38
Built

Alpenglow Residences

2016

Multi-Family Residential

An 18-unit condominium development in the Girdwood resort village — contemporary mountain architecture with structured parking below grade.

Hanson Residence — Girdwood, AK
22 / 38
Built

Hanson Residence

2016

Residential

A compact Girdwood valley residence — lap cedar siding, a covered entry porch, and an open living plan oriented toward south mountain views.

AWCC Bears III Restroom Facility — Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage, AK
23 / 38
Built

AWCC Bears III Restroom Facility

2016

Civic

Public restroom facility at AWCC's bears exhibit — timber-frame construction matched to campus material language, composting toilets, minimal utility connections.

Tract D — Glacier City Mixed Use — Girdwood, AK
24 / 38
Built

Tract D — Glacier City Mixed Use

2016

Master Planning & Development

A master-planned mixed-use development node in the Girdwood resort village core — hotel, restaurant, and retail pads arranged around a central pedestrian plaza with views to the Chugach Range.

Seven Glaciers Restaurant — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
25 / 38
Built

Seven Glaciers Restaurant

2015

Commercial & Hospitality

Fine dining at 2,200 feet elevation accessible only by aerial tram — dramatic mountain panorama with floor-to-ceiling glazing and custom timber ceiling structure.

Bears Interpretive Center — Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage, AK
26 / 38
Built

Bears Interpretive Center

2015

Civic

Outdoor interpretive boardwalk and covered viewing structures at AWCC — designed for year-round wildlife observation with timber framing and minimal site impact.

Girdwood Ski Cabin — Girdwood, AK
27 / 38
Built

Girdwood Ski Cabin

2015

Residential

A compact ski-in/ski-out cabin at the base of Alyeska's lower mountain — efficient floor plan with integrated boot room, gear storage, and a south-facing loft with mountain views.

Zellmer Townhouses — Girdwood, AK
28 / 38
Built

Zellmer Townhouses

2015

Multi-Family Residential

A six-unit townhouse row in Girdwood — individual entries, covered ski and gear storage, and a mountain community material language.

Alyeska Resort Micro-Turbine — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
29 / 38
Built

Alyeska Resort Micro-Turbine

2015

Civic

Micro-hydro turbine installation and mechanical housing for Alyeska Resort's on-site renewable energy program — engineered for year-round freeze-thaw operation.

Seven Glaciers Restaurant Signage — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
30 / 38
Built

Seven Glaciers Restaurant Signage

2015

Commercial & Hospitality

Custom exterior and interior signage for Seven Glaciers Restaurant at elevation 2,200 feet — weathering steel letterforms designed for extreme wind, ice, and UV exposure of the upper mountain.

Alyeska Summit Room — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
31 / 38
Built

Alyeska Summit Room

2014

Commercial & Hospitality

Private event and meeting suite at the Hotel Alyeska — custom Alaskan cherry and mahogany door joinery, engineered for high-volume seasonal resort use.

Wingard-Hatch Cabin — Girdwood, AK
32 / 38
Built

Wingard-Hatch Cabin

2014

Residential

A compact rainforest cabin at the edge of the Girdwood tree line — board-and-batten cedar cladding, standing seam metal roof, and a deeply sheltered porch for year-round outdoor living.

Girdwood Townhouse — Girdwood, AK
33 / 38
Built

Girdwood Townhouse

2014

Multi-Family Residential

Attached townhouse units in the Girdwood resort village — individual covered entries, ski storage, and south-facing glazing for passive solar gain.

Kaladi Brothers Roastery — Girdwood — Girdwood, AK
34 / 38
Built

Kaladi Brothers Roastery — Girdwood

2014

Commercial & Hospitality

Purpose-built roastery and retail cafe for Kaladi Brothers Coffee in Girdwood — glazed corner entry, neutral wood and glass material palette, and a covered outdoor seating deck.

Glacier City Center — Girdwood, AK
35 / 38
Built

Glacier City Center

2013

Master Planning & Development

Commercial mixed-use strip development in the Girdwood resort village core — retail storefronts, covered walkways, and a mountain vernacular facade.

Alyeska Gun Mount Rehabilitation — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
36 / 38
Built

Alyeska Gun Mount Rehabilitation

2013

Civic

Structural rehabilitation of Alyeska Resort's avalanche control artillery mount — reengineered concrete pad, new anchor system, weathering steel housing for upper mountain conditions.

Alyeska Chair 6 Barn — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
37 / 38
Built

Alyeska Chair 6 Barn

2012

Civic

Ski lift operations and maintenance barn for Alyeska Resort's Chair 6 terminal — engineered for heavy equipment access, extreme snow loads, and year-round mountain operations.

Alyeska Equipment Storage — Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, AK
38 / 38
Built

Alyeska Equipment Storage

2011

Civic

Mountain operations equipment storage for Alyeska Resort — clear-span steel structure engineered for 175 psf snow loads with oversized doors for groomer and snowcat access.

Working in Girdwood, Alaska

Planning a project
in Girdwood?

Z Architects has deep familiarity with Girdwood's building codes, climate conditions, and local contractors. We begin every commission with a site visit.

Begin a project →