Thunder Mountain Harley Davidson

Submitted by Thorp Associates PC

The new Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson superstore, just east of Loveland, is one of the largest retail outlets of its kind in the country. It was designed to incorporate a themed entertainment retail experience while providing state-of-the-art service and diagnostic departments. The owners - Todd and Shelly Erdmann - raised the bar in the competitive world of motorcycle marketing.

To meet the challenges of developing this advanced retailing concept, the Erdmanns commissioned the design-build team of R.C. Heath Construction Co. and Thorp Associates PC. The team was asked to integrate their program requirements into an innovative design that could be constructed on a tight budget and a short construction schedule.

Innovation and cooperation were the watchwords as the project design got under way. Based on the dealership name, the program requirements foresaw a design character that would recall the quality of a rustic Rocky Mountain lodge. One of the initial challenges met by the team was to envision a structural system that could adequately and economically enclose the large, flexible space required to house the facility while projecting an age-old image, originally accomplished primarily with log and stone materials.

Structural log construction - although in character with the project's aesthetics - was not feasible, based on cost and the structure's clear span requirements. At a time of rapidly escalating steel costs, however, it was also clear to the team that if a steel building superstructure was required to meet the span requirements, tremendous cooperation was necessary among the architects, steel detailers and the erectors in order to save the design integrity while meeting the budget and construction schedule.

Well-coordinated design documents assured timely implementation of resources, allowing the project to remain on schedule and within budget.

Project Team

Owner: Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson
Architect: Thorp Associates PC
General Contractor: R.C. Heath Construction Co.
Engineers: Nicol Associates Inc. and North Star Design Inc.
Major Subs: Poudre Valley Air-Blue Dot, Corporate Plumbing and Northwest United Electric Inc.

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