Sleeping Under the Stars:

A West Texas Astronomer’s Lodge   

The McDonald Observatory, managed by the University of Texas, is home to the fifth largest telescope in the world and a major player in the advancement of astronomical studies. Scientists from around the globe travel thousands of miles to this remote mountain top to scan the skies in search of clues for understanding the origin of the universe.

These researchers need special lodgings that will accommodate their nocturnal schedule. While incredibly remote and isolated, the mountaintop perch offers spectacular vistas of the rugged landscape and has become something of a regional tourist attraction for those making the pilgrimage to West Texas. This project investigates opportunities for the creation of a mountaintop lodge that would accommodate visiting scientists but also function as a conference and retreat center.

The design draws its inspiration from an architecturalization of the ridgeline. The structure wraps the promontory  creating a sheltered interior plaza offering protection from buffeting winds and visual relief from the endless panoramas. Guestrooms oriented to catch cooling summer breezes modulate light with folding corten screens. Public functions are clustered around a sunken courtyard offer expansive north facing views to the mountains beyond.