In May 2023, Black Butte Ranch in Sisters, Oregon, opened a new lodge to replace its 50-year-old building. The new 27,000-square-foot facility—a $20 million investment—adds a restaurant and bar, a second-floor lounge, a fireside room, a private dining area, a large dressing room and meeting space, plus a state-of-the-art kitchen with expanded catering capabilities. The lodge serves as a prominent addition to the Lakeside area of Black Butte Ranch, joining the recently opened Lakeside Recreation Complex.
The Lodge at Black Butte Ranch increases access to the resort’s 1,800 acres, offering sweeping views of nearby peaks including the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, Black Butte, Broken Top, Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson. Its siting and design are intended to highlight the surrounding landscape and frame those views for visitors.
© Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce
Hacker Architects, with offices in Portland and Bend, led the architecture and interior design, creating a building that echoes the character of the ranch’s original structures while elevating the guest experience. The design emphasizes careful framing of views and a thoughtful use of regional materials and forms to connect the lodge with its setting.
The exterior features Shou Sugi Ban, a charred cedar siding technique that preserves a weathered appearance reminiscent of the previous lodge while offering greater durability and a visual link to the region’s fire-prone landscape. The surrounding landscape design reinforces this regional approach by prioritizing drought-tolerant native plants that foster habitat and reflect the high-desert environment.
Inside, materials and finishes draw on local timber and regional traditions. Spaces are clad in a balanced palette of dark- and light-finished Douglas fir, slate and ceramic tile. Fabrics and textiles reference woven Pendleton blankets, adding a layered, regional aesthetic. Open timber construction showcases massive glue-laminated beams supported by large louvered screening elements, arranged to sit in harmony with the trunks of the Ponderosa and aspen trees on the site.
A prominent central fireplace constructed of stone evokes the patterns of volcanic rock found throughout Central Oregon. The design preserved most of the mature trees on the property; one large Ponderosa was removed and milled to provide wood for the restaurant’s bar tables and benches, creating a tangible link between the building and the land.
© Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce
Since opening in 1970, Black Butte Ranch has offered a broad range of outdoor recreation across its roughly 1,900-acre resort. The family-friendly destination provides multiple lodging options, two championship golf courses, a putting course, five swimming pools, award-winning restaurants and a full-service spa. The ranch’s history and long-standing connection to the Sisters region continue to shape its evolution as a destination that celebrates the natural landscape and local materials.