SAN FRANCISCO, California (July 2003) -- International design firm, Sasaki Associates Inc., announced today that the South Fork Lodge earned an honorary mention in Mountain Living Magazinešs first annual Responsible Development Awards. The award is recognition for sustainable design and environmental responsibility.
Tucked away on the Snake River, outside of Swan Valley, Idaho, South Fork Lodge is considered one of the premier destinations for fly fishing, hiking and outdoor activities. The Lodge is a winning combination of sophisticated architecture and sustainable design, surrounded by the intermountain Westšs unique and valuable ecosystem.
Owned by Mark Rockefeller, an avid angler and conservationist, the 12,500-square foot lodge is a destination retreat of "rustic-elegance" that mingles easily with the river valley setting. The Lodge employs natural materials of the region and borrows on the forms of buildings that dot the agricultural landscape along the River: the traditional farmhouse and its barns, elongated storage sheds, and round, galvanized steel grain silos. Sasakišs N. Scott Smith is the Principal Designer for the Lodge.
Careful consideration is given to every aspect of the design at the lodge to ensure sensitivity to the environment. Such considerations include: the use of local, renewable materials for building; energy efficient heating and cooling systems; riverbank erosion prevention strategies in landscaping; use of a unique wetlands sewage treatment system; the creation of environmental education programs that included local schools.
Since the Lodge is located on a remote site, regionally harvested heavy timber logs and stone were selected. The sandstone was quarried in central Idaho and Southwest Wyoming.
Energy Conservation is a high priority in the lodgešs development. Guest rooms are designed to provide maximum natural daylighting, via operable windows, double-doors that open to the terraces, and motorized clerestory windows that provide natural cross-ventilation. Underfloor radiant heat (created through high efficiency boilers) is used in the guest room corridor in conjunction with variable volume heating and cooling with individual room / space controls.
Landscaping includes the building of a stone spur in front of the Lodge, to control riverbank erosion. A wetlands sewage treatment system was implemented, where water is treated through a natural wetland and returns outflow back into the subsurface water system as treated water.
The Lodge sponsors several environmental education programs, such as the "Shadow-A-Swan" project-an outreach project in conjunction with the Swan Valley Elementary School and Idaho Fish and Game. Using satellite technology, students are able to track Tundra and Trumpeter Swans as they migrate between their winter range and local nesting areas. Students can graph migration paths and compare the two species of swans, predict their location, investigate swan habitat needs and can speak firsthand with scientists as they learn about migration behavior.
With offices in San Francisco, California and Watertown, Massachusetts, Sasaki Associates Inc. enjoys a reputation for landmark projects in the United States and abroad. Sasaki provides interdisciplinary design services including architecture, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design, civil engineering, and graphic design. For more information, please visit our website at www.sasaki.com
Located in Southeastern Idaho, South Fork Lodge is a hidden treasure to be enjoyed by those lucky enough to discover this unique blend of elegant sophistication and natural untouched beauty. For more information about the lodge, please visit www.southforklodge.com or call 877.FISH SFL (1.877.347.4735).
