PAINTED DESERT SKIES PART 1: A COMPANY-DEFINING VENTURE
In October 2019, we got a call from James Tate inquiring about Monos for a new resort in the heart of the southern Utah desert.
We didn’t know it then, but that call marked the beginning of a sea of change at DROP Structures.
In fact, it was such a fundamental shift that, internally, we refer to ourselves now as ‘DROP Structures 2.0’.
Over the course of that job, we went through a significant shift in leadership, solidified our hold on the production process from design to delivery, and reimagined our company ethos, reframing how we saw ourselves and our product.
That’s a lot to come from just one phone call.
20 + 1 Monos
The difference between James and our other clients wasn’t what he wanted, but how many.
He wasn’t looking for a private cabin, an artist’s escape or a home office for himself. He was in the middle of drawing up a plan for redeveloping a campsite near Escalante, Utah into a full-service, luxury resort.
The plan called for a pool, a drive-in theatre and 20 Monos, each positioned to make the most of the vast desert landscape. To say it was our biggest order to date is an understatement. It was our first multi-unit order and it required an enormous commitment from our, then, three-man team.
“We saw this project and knew it would be a challenge that required rapid, sustainable growth to meet,” Ryan Abernathy, CEO said. “It took a lot of faith in ourselves and in our systems to say yes.”
Knowing this project would eclipse our lives for months to follow, we signed a deal for 21 units that December.
Stretching our boundaries
Our old shop with a few of James’ Mono units under construction
Just before the call from James, we were averaging building about a unit per month, or just over 10 units a year. We were two years old, just barely past the toddler stage as a business, and still struggling with where and how we wanted to grow… which was also causing a major rift in the company.
“In the middle of this difficult time, in between disagreements with my then-business partners, this huge opportunity became a reality,” Ryan said. “Sometimes I didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.”
Despite the difficulties, in January 2020, we began our largest procurement ever and hit the ground running, (mostly) confident that we could fulfill a contract requiring almost two years’ worth of Monos in just six months.
A luxury resort in red, twisted rocks of southern Utah
The resort’s accommodations, kitted Airstreams in the front, Monos in the back.
From the very beginning, James had big plans for the resort, dubbing it Yonder, Escalante.
It was designed to evoke a mid-century sense of adventure with stationary Airstreams available to rent, a drive-in theatre with classic cars for seating, and beautiful views of the dramatic desert landscape.
However, to match the aesthetic and luxurious feel he wanted, James needed more than classic log cabins to complete the picture. When James saw that Mono on our home page, he knew he’d found the answer.
When DIY doesn’t make sense
At first, James decided to tackle the project on his own, pulling inspiration from our home page to build the cabins on-site. But, after months of frustration with the contractor, and the tiny talent pool in the area, he turned to us for help.
Together, we configured his Monos to highlight his beautiful property, including a full-glass front and back, and a four-foot extension to ensure guests could stretch out just a little more.
Once James placed the order for 20 units, he made one more request: an ADA unit.
What’s an ADA?
One of the first things we learned as we started this project was that any recreational development over five units required an accessible unit, otherwise known as an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
This would require certification that we didn’t have yet, and the inclusion of an ADA-compliant bathroom – one of the first bathrooms we ever included in a unit.
It was just one more challenge to add to the list.
Another DROP Structures’ first
With help from strategic partners, we completed construction of the Monos in May 2020, almost a month ahead of time.
For every project before Yonder, this would have been when we all let out a long sigh of relief. After all, we were a construction company, and when the building was done, so were we.
But with the Yonder project, trucking 21 units south for over 1000 miles across international borders, we decided it was the perfect time to institute our white glove delivery service by delivering and placing each unit ourselves.
But, that’s another story for another time, aka Part 2.
Introducing Yonder, Escalante
Desert night lights
Before we go, we want to take a moment and introduce Yonder, Escalante.
A combination of RV sites, stationary Airstream trailers and 21 DROP Structures, Yonder, Escalante is a luxury campsite offering luxe desert dwellings.
The resort features a gorgeous shared bathroom with outdoor showers, a pool/hot tub area, a drive-in theatre with classic car seating and a central store offering everything from meal and drink kits to rentals for every outdoor activity in the area.
Lost in a sea of undulating red rocks and canyons of the Utah desert, Yonder, Escalante is ground zero for out-of-this-world panoramic views — all of which can be viewed through the full-front and back glass Monos on site.
Together, DROP Structures and James were able to create a resort we are both proud of. And that led us to collaborate on new projects that we’ll reveal shortly.
Check out part 2 for even more photos.
Our StructuresOctober 13, 2022