Cloward H2O, an expert in aquatic design, recently worked on a project for Homestead Resort in Utah, which reimagined the historical site to offer modern luxury.
Since reopening last year, Homestead Resort has gained global recognition for its blend of history, adventure, and luxury. Minutes from skiing at Deer Valley and Park City, it offers year-round activities, from scuba diving in its geothermal crater to relaxing in new luxury pools. The resort will be fully open by late spring, welcoming guests to enjoy its enhanced amenities.
The resort’s redesigned pool area, created by landscape architects FFKR, introduces various new aquatic spaces. It includes year-round geothermal mineral pools, hot tubs, an adult relaxation pool, and a family-friendly area featuring a large cascading waterfall.
Preserving the site’s history
The design seeks to blend the natural environment with historic architecture. Limestone, honouring the ancient Homestead Crater shaped by mineral-rich spring water, along with vibrant landscaping, fosters an inviting ambiance.
“But the penultimate treasure is the views! While relaxing in the amenity space, guests get to take in spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valley, with very little development clutter, it feels like you stepped into the wild 100 years ago when the land was raw,” says Dan Aldred, associate principal at Cloward H2O.
“Kudos to the design team that created and preserved these impressive views.”
The resort features the Homestead Crater, a 10,000-year-old geothermal spring in a 55-foot limestone dome. It offers warm-water scuba diving and paddleboard yoga. Guests can also enjoy self-guided tours daily, exploring its history and geology.
Lloyd Architects’ design keeps the Crater as the resort’s focal point, preserving its historical essence. The firm’s expertise ensured the Crater’s integrity and improved accessibility with subtle updates.
Upgraded facilities
The resort’s upgraded amenities appeal to a wide range of guests.
Wellness seekers can enjoy the geothermal pools and hot tubs, which offer therapeutic benefits with mineral-rich waters. Three spas at the crater’s base provide premium soaking experiences with views of the valley and mountains, all while enjoying the peaceful sounds of trickling water.
Meanwhile, the family pool area and lifejacket rentals make the resort ideal for families. It features recreational activities like basketball, volleyball, and jumping through the waterfall grotto, plus zero-entry access for toddlers with laminar jets and bubblers.
The poolside experience is enhanced with premium seating, specially designed platforms for easy pool access, and a seasonal outdoor grill, 1886 Grill & Smokehouse.
The pools feature cutting-edge systems designed by Cloward H2O for water treatment and temperature control. This includes geothermal heat pumps that harness and recycle natural heat, alongside natural gas boilers to meet heating requirements.
The main pool aims to maintain a temperature of 85-90 °F, while the spa water is set to approximately 98-104 °F. However, the geothermal source, providing 100 gpm at 95 °F, proved insufficient to deliver the necessary geothermal heat for the pool systems to sustain these temperatures.
To maximise nature’s available heat, Cloward H2O developed a system that harvests warmth from geothermal sources via heat pumps, using the water in the hot springs crater as a pre-heater. Natural gas boilers were added as a supplementary heat source to help maintain the desired temperatures in pools and spas.
The simple yet elegant heat recovery system designed by Cloward H2O efficiently warms the spas and pools while also capturing excess heat to sustain a passive snow-melt system beneath the walkways.
A thoughtful design
Preserving the resort’s historical charm was a key challenge. Lloyd Architects, with Shakespeare Engineering and Evco Development, integrated new features into the original aesthetic. Natural materials like limestone and wood make the new structures feel like organic extensions of the historic site.
Thoughtful design decisions include blending local stone and timber to match existing structures, preserving the resort’s historic look. Also, the pools and hot tubs are designed to mimic natural springs, harmonising with the landscape.
Cloward H2O worked alongside the owner, Slate Canyon Investments, as well as Lloyd Architects and Shakespeare Engineering. The general contractor was Evco Development with landscape architect services provided by FFKR and aquatic structural engineering from James Williams. Rocky Mountain Consulting Engineers did the electrical engineering, and the pool builder was Infinity Pools. The project manager for Cloward H2O was Dan Aldred, associate principal.
Earlier this year, Cloward H2O shared a four-part series called Depths of Design, collaborating with Life Floor, to take a deep dive into the industry’s most pressing issues of optimisation, safety, budgeting, sustainability and accessibility.
