JVA, Inc. was awarded a National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) 2021 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award for the Sperry Chalet Reconstruction. The Sperry Chalet Reconstruction project in Glacier National Park, Montana was the winner of Category 6: Forensic/Renovation/Retrofit/Rehabilitation Structures under $20 Million and was awarded February 2022 at the Structural Engineering Summit in New York City.
The Sperry Chalet, originally constructed in 1914 and sited within Glacier National Park’s backcountry, was ravaged by the Sprague Fire in 2017. Only the four stone masonry walls of the two-story dormitory remained standing. JVA was privileged with designing the structural systems necessary to rebuild the Sperry Chalet to its former grandeur and charm, while bringing the gravity and lateral load resisting systems into compliance with current-day code requirements. Adding to the complexity of the project was the remoteness of the location – a 6.7-mile, 3360 elevation gain hike in and delivery of construction materials via helicopter and pack mule. In July 2020, the Sperry Chalet welcomed its first guests since the fire.
JVA is an employee owned structural, civil, and environmental consulting engineering firm headquartered in Boulder with offices in Fort Collins, Winter Park, Glenwood Springs, and Denver. JVA has a 66-year history as a consulting engineering firm providing services to municipalities, owners, and architects on projects throughout the Rocky Mountain region and nationwide.