The Lone Rock Retreat project is a winner in ENR’s Best of the Best Projects competition, selected the best Residential/Hospitality construction project nationwide!

The competition began last March with a call for entries, which resulted in more than 600 project teams submitting their best work to regional Best Projects competitions, with Lone Rock Retreat being submitted to ENR Mountain States. In each of the 10 regions, editors assembled a panel of judges to select winners in 18 categories—from airport/transit to sports/entertainment—in that region. The Lone Rock Retreat was selected as the winner in the Resort/Hospitality category on the reginal level.

Once regional winners were chosen, top winners in each category from each region moved up to the national competition – around 180 projects in total. A new group of 15 judges from across the country and industry sectors examined each project to select the best of the best in terms of teamwork, safety, overcoming challenges, innovation and quality.

Congratulations to the entire team for their years of hard work!

Lone Rock Retreat is now the recipient of three construction awards:

  • 2022 AGC ACE Awards, $40-$70 Million – General Contractor, ACE Winner
  • 2022 ENR Mountain States Best Projects, Residential/Hospitality, Winner | Project of the Year, Finalist
  • 2022 ENR National’s Best of the Best Projects, Residential/Hospitality, Winner

Owner: Lone Rock Foundation
ArchitectOZ Architecture.

For more photos of the Lone Rock Retreat, see our website profile.

Learn More About The Lone Rock Retreat

The Lone Rock Retreat is an incredibly special, once-in-a-lifetime project. This retreat destination is for leaders in the educational community. It is a philanthropic development operated by an education foundation that looks to better teachers and the education system. It is located on a 2,000-acre Ponderosa pine covered mountain site with abundant wildlife in Bailey, Colorado. Before this 24-month project, this remote location, set back a mile down a dirt road off U.S. 285, had no utilities or services.

The village campus is nestled into the hillside with connecting trails and footpaths. The facility hosts groups of 15-60 leaders from the education sector who attend multi-day retreats to develop their skills, inspire ideas, and reignite their passion. Leaders enjoy team-building exercises, circular learning classrooms, amphitheater spaces, expansive trails, and an on-site Wellness building. The 20 campus buildings all utilize different construction techniques, are spread out on 7 acres, and include the Welcome Center, Lodge, Seminar, Cabins, Wellness, and the Engineering Warehouse, all totaling 60,000 square feet.

The Lodge is the main gathering place and is the centerpiece of this project with its distinctive clam-shell silhouette and extensive rammed earth wall. The building features curved steel, a zinc roof, unique high-end finishes, a commercial kitchen, and secluded vignettes (three dining areas, a lounge, a “tree house”, swings, and plenty of cozy nooks). The Seminar building is a steel and wood structure with three circular meeting rooms with high acoustical standards, large breakout spaces, and an outdoor amphitheater. The fifteen four-plex Cabin buildings contain 60 units total and are airy with light wood panels, individual decks, and excellent views. The Welcome Center features Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) framing, a stamped concrete drive, and a steeply-pitched roof. The Wellness building has polished concrete floors, a green roof, and multiple cascading outdoor spas. The Engineering Warehouse is the maintenance building.