Set in a stretch of wilderness in Big Sky, Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park, Ulery’s Lake is a new neighborhood within Moonlight Basin, a residential club affiliated with the Big Sky ski resort. Looking to create an unparalleled family-oriented experience combining recreation and luxury, the developers of Ulery’s Lake hired CCY to design a guest lodge with 16 private residences as well as a collection of contemporary cabins.

Situated around its namesake body of water, the site offers spectacular views of Lone Mountain and has ecological diversity on par with Yellowstone National Park. The Lake Lodge at Ulery’s serves as a new hub of experience for residents of Moonlight Basin. Facing the lake, yet hidden from its view, the 60,000-square-foot facility includes a restaurant, workout center, basketball court, gear outfitters, ski lockers, pool, rock climbing wall, indoor kids facility, and a bar. On the upper floors, 16 condos provide additional residential opportunities.

To minimize the visual impact of the lodge, CCY broke up the massing into component parts. Seen from outside, the series of “cabanas” – residential scale building-blocks –give it a more approachable feel, and, from inside, spaces are more intimately scaled by breaking up long hallways through a variety of architectural strategies. Clad in stone, fiber cement panels, and brown cedar, the lodge’s materials reference the building’s wilderness setting.

CCY helped to create a warm, residential environment that would support the outdoors-oriented program with the highest standards of hospitality and comfort. CCY oversaw the fixtures, furniture, and equipment (FF&E) deliverables, creating a package that complements the architecture, as well as the exterior and interior of the Lodge, resulting in a comfortable residential environment. With a backdrop of natural materials, the interior design strategy turned to texture and patterns to create distinct areas. Moveable and modular furniture optimizes flexibility, allowing spaces to function for different activities and numbers of people. As part of CCY’s initiative to source local materials, they worked with local furniture artisans as well as Big Sky Arts Council to integrate locally made art throughout the interiors. In 2022 Ulery's Lake Lodge received LEED Certification.