circle window front elevation no moustache.jpg
 
 
 
 

Base Camp

A 34-dwelling hotel for the adventure-seeker in Canmore, Alberta

 
 

Location Canmore, AB

Size 34 Dwellings

Status Completed

 
ELEVATION-min.jpg
 
BASECAMP CORNER 1-min.jpg
 

A home base for mountain exploration

In the mountain town of Canmore, Base Camp is a refuge for intrepid travelers exploring the charms of downtown and the splendours of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. The 34-unit hotel is both an architectural homage to the bygone days of the former mining community and a forward-thinking development for the future of the town as an outdoor adventure hub.

The Base Camp buildings are an interpretation of the traditional mountain cabin. The two linear building masses are composed of archetypal ‘cabins’ that reference historical building typologies seen during the early days of settlement in Canmore. Each accommodation is unique from the exterior, allowing guests to identify their ‘cabin’ during their stay at Base Camp. The exterior materials, including the whitewashed and stained cedar cladding and rundle stone masonry, are locally sourced and are consistent with Canmore’s architectural mountain vernacular.

Base Camp promotes an active lifestyle and is tailored to outdoor enthusiasts and mountaineers looking for a cozy place to relax after a day spent exploring. Upon arriving at the hotel, guests are presented with a range of communal gathering areas to enjoy. The open-air courtyard, which gives access to all of the accommodations, meanders between lodgepole pines and trembling aspens. At either end of the courtyard, outdoor kitchens and eating areas give guests a place to prepare and enjoy a meal while taking in the views.

Ranging from compact studios to large three bedroom dwellings, Base Camp is suited to every type of traveler. The windows frame the mountains in memorable ways, ensuring that the surrounding landscape has a strong presence from within.

 
BASECAMP LOGO-min.jpg
170131_BASE CAMP-min.jpg
IMG_1476-min.JPG
 

 

The open-air courtyard, which gives access to all of the accommodations, does away with the redundant spaces of traditional hotels such as expansive lobbies and long corridors. From the shared central courtyard, a series of stairs leads to elevated patios with dedicated spaces for storing skis, snowboards, and mountain bikes.

 
courtyard elevation1-min.jpg
hottub terrace 2-min.jpg
 
 
TABLE COURTYARD-min.jpg

On the rooftop, an exposed structural steel and timber canopy shelters a large hot tub and frames a dramatic view of the mountains beyond. The space is the perfect place for visitors to gather, relax, and tell stories after a day of experiencing the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.

At either end of the courtyard, outdoor kitchens and eating areas give guests a place to prepare and enjoy a meal while taking in the views.

 
hottub terrace-min.jpg
CIRCLE WINDOW2-min.jpg
 

 

 
INTERIOR KITCHEN-min.jpg

Small custom details play throughout the architecture and interior furnishings, such as the highlight round window and the Base Camp camping mugs. In the two and three bedrooms, a full kitchen is accompanied by a large farm table allows for an extended cooking space and large groups to come together around a shared meal. The windows frame the mountains in memorable ways, ensuring that the surrounding landscape has a strong presence from throughout the interior.

 
BASECAMP MUG.jpg
 
circle window front elevation2-min.jpg
 

Design Mark Erickson, Matthew Kennedy, Damon Hayes Couture, Brighton Parks

Client Big Moose Developments

Architect of Record Systemic Architecture Inc.

Builders Shape Construction and Metrik Developments

Status Completed September 2017