Lake Wilderness Lodge
Lake Wilderness Lodge
Best Rehabilitation Project Award
Lake Wilderness Lodge before rehabilitation / Photo: SHKS Architects
Address: 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley
Supporting Partners: City of Maple Valley; SHKS Architects (exterior renovation); MAKERS architecture + urban design (interior renovation); Peter A. Opsahl Structural Engineering Inc.; Briere & Associates, Inc. (general contractor); Bartholomew Lighting; Saxon Paint Consulting; Wetherholt Associates; Haley Consulting
Since its completion in 1952, Lake Wilderness Lodge, originally designed by the architectural firm of Young Richardson Carleton & Detlie , has been a popular site for events and an important building in regional social life and architecture. For years, the Lodge was the site of dances and banquets. The building received a national AIA design award in 1954. It is a designated King County Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lake Wilderness Lodge_After South Façade / Lake Wilderness Lodge after rehabilitation / Photo: Benjamin Benschneider.
With grants from the State of Washington Community , Trade and Economic Development, and 4Culture, Maple Valley Parks and Recreation undertook a major renovation of the Lodge. In late 2006, SHKS Architects documented the building’s exterior conditions and made recommendations for repairs. Renovation began in 2008 including restoration of the wide, riven (split) cedar siding, stucco, metal, and concrete surfaces. The cantilevered concrete deck was repaired and retrofitted with an appropriately detailed guardrail. Seismic upgrades comprised of roof-to-wall anchors and floor-to-wall anchors. Insulated glazing and new roof insulation have improved energy performance and comfort year round. For the building’s interior, the overall goal by MAKERS architecture + urban design was to remove inappropriate alterations to the original interior in historically-designated areas. An example of a major improvement was the removal of three large air-handling boxes in the Great Room. New high-efficiency air-handling units were installed flush in the 3'-thick sidewalls as the original architects designed for the building.
Lake Wilderness Lodge reopened to the public in the spring of 2009 and continues to serve as an important special event destination and cultural landmark for the communities of Maple Valley and King County.
The project team for Lake Wilderness Lodge received a 2011 Best Rehabilitation Projectsaward for its exemplary approach to renovating a significant Modern building by providing needed upgrades while respecting the integrity of the original design.
