The historic Mammoth Hotel is an iconic destination for visitors of Yellowstone National Park. Constructed in 1936, the building was built before modern seismic requirements. To ensure preservation of the building’s integrity and to protect guests, the National Park Service (NPS) needed to complete numerous modern safety and infrastructure upgrades on the hotel.

In Phase I of the Mammoth Hotel project, DJ&A was tasked with developing a range of alternatives to repurpose space at the Mammoth Hotel. The primary objectives of the design project were to seismically retrofit the hotel and redesign the interior spaces to accommodate the needs of hotel employees. DJ&A led a design charrette with more than 25 people in attendance, including Yellowstone NP Staff and various department heads for Xanterra, the concessioner responsible for operating the hotel. This exercise was a true test of DJ&A’s ability to build consensus around a concept that would meet the needs of both the concessioner and the NPS. There were many competing interests between the NPS and Xanterra, which were able to align during this charrette. The outcome was three possible alternatives.

Phase II of the project focused on the guest wing. A second Value Analysis study was conducted, and a conceptual design that was well supported by the primary stakeholders (the NPS and the concessionaire) was agreed upon. Several offices for the concessionaire were repurposed to provide meeting space for hotel guests and conferences. This included the removal of several structural columns and a redesign of structural roof elements. Because the project is located in the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District, DJ&A teamed with an architecture firm to complete the Historic Structures Report (HSR) to obtain SHPO concurrence on the design.

Key Services

• Designed new parking lots, new pedestrian sidewalks, storm water management solutions, building entry pad, and new water and sewer services
• Evaluated and redesigned ingress and egress to meet ADA requirements
• Coordinated with Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for approval
• Facilitated design of charrette and Value Analysis study
• Performed construction administration and inspection

Value Added

One of the best values that DJ&A provides during VA workshops is the sense of understanding that is established across different stakeholder groups.  During this project, the entire project team was convened on at least three separate occasions for design charrettes and Value Analysis studies. This study included multiple people from the NPS and from the concessionaire representing operational, sustainability, historic preservation, financial and other interests.  Over the course of the two-day study, these representatives came to better understand the interests and perspectives of other participants, who happen to be people they will continue to work with on this project over the course of the next several years not to mention on multiple other projects.  This enhanced inter-group understanding is incredibly valuable in terms of ultimately identifying improved alternatives (the explicit purpose of the VA study) as well as creating buy-in across these diverse groups.