National Winter Activity Center

National Winter Activity Center

A reimagining of the former Hidden Valley Ski resort into a new campus to support Winter4Kid’s mission of providing space for its participants to experience wellness through the outdoors.

Work included master planning of the 81-acre facility, renovation of the existing Lodge (15,695 SF), as well as new construction of a Nordic Center (5,000 SF), Ski Patrol, Administration (3,000 SF), Operations Buildings (12,000 SF), and the 27,000 SF New Lodge Addition that will more than double the capacity of the Programs is under construction.

The National Winter Activity Center (NWAC) only serves children – all of whom arrive as part of a large group with their school or a social service agency like the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club – and their experience is what drove the design.

The entire campus is carefully considered to help support the easy flow of large groups on their journey from arrival, through equipment fitting, eating, instruction, outdoor participation, and departure. Along the way, every opportunity is taken to have the physical environment reinforce Winter4Kids’ core values of Welcoming, Empathy, Embracing, and Belonging. Friendly and fully accessible, the project provides ample space to maximize positive social interactions while minimizing bottlenecks and opportunities for potential conflict.