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.

Evening Alpenglow
2026Residential
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
2024Residential
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
2023Commercial & 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
2023Residential
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
2022Additions & 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
2019Commercial & 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
2019Residential
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
2019Additions & 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
2019Residential
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
2018Commercial & 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
2018Civic
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
2018Residential
A refined single-family residence in the Girdwood valley — cedar cladding, passive solar orientation, and a sheltered arctic entry sequence.

Pease Residence Addition
2018Additions & 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
2018Residential
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
2018Commercial & 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
2017Civic
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
2017Residential
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
2017Residential
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
2016Aviation
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
2016Residential
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
2016Multi-Family Residential
An 18-unit condominium development in the Girdwood resort village — contemporary mountain architecture with structured parking below grade.

Hanson Residence
2016Residential
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
2016Civic
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
2016Master 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
2015Commercial & 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
2015Civic
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
2015Residential
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
2015Multi-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
2015Civic
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
2015Commercial & 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
2014Commercial & 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
2014Residential
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
2014Multi-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
2014Commercial & 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
2013Master 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
2013Civic
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
2012Civic
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
2011Civic
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.
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