Yellowstone Lodges Helped Pave Way For Modular Construction in Hospitality

If you are one of the more than 4 million visitors estimated to enter Yellowstone National Park this year, you may pass by or even stay at a piece of modular construction history.

Just 4 summers ago, Guerdon began production of the Canyon Lodges, the largest sustainable lodging development in the national park service. The 5 building, 410 room project was constructed in two phases, completing the first 3 buildings in 2015 and the final 2 opening for guests in 2016.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts (the park’s concessionaire) called on Guerdon to build accommodations that would complement the rustic architectural styles of the area, be long-lasting and reduce the environmental impacts during construction and later in their operation. Construction speed was also a major factor as the remote location and extreme winters drastically reduced the build window.

Successfully meeting these goals paved the way for the rise of modular construction in the hospitality industry. The quality of finishes and reduced timeline helped prove to the major hotel flags that modular construction is a viable option, and in many cases, a superior alternative to traditional site-built methods.

Since constructing the Canyon Lodges, Guerdon has constructed modules for 10 hotels and currently has a robust pipeline which includes 25+ hotel projects. We still construct a good mix of multifamily projects but the demand for hospitality work has proven to be a very significant part of our portfolio.

It is a major point of pride for all of us here at Guerdon to think that over the next 100 years, we’ll have a small part in Yellowstone National Park and that people from all over the world will be spending a night in a product that we helped build.

Facts about the Canyon Lodges in Yellowstone National Park:

• The largest sustainable lodging project in the National Park Service
• Named one of the New York Times’ Top Hotels for Eco-Conscious Travelers
• All five buildings are LEED Certified
• Constructed in a modular process off-site in Boise, Idaho due to the extreme winters in the park
• Each module was transported to Yellowstone with paint, carpet, tile, lighting, and fixtures installed
• Once delivered, final assembly and finishing took place on-site at Canyon
• Rooms feature high-performance windows
• Countertops are made of recycled glass and recycled fly ash
• Recycled wood fixtures are from regional pine beetle-kill
• Resource Savings:
  • 3.5m gallons of water
  • 224,000 kwh energy
  • 220,000 therms of propane
  • 85% construction waste diversion
  • 30% of materials sourced within 500 miles
  • 12% of materials with recycled content