Kissing Bridge Partners with University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning to Reimagine the Future of the Resort

Glenwood, NY — February 5, 2026 — Kissing Bridge today announced a new academic partnership with the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, launching a multi-semester collaboration that brings imagination, academic rigor, and real-world execution together at one of Western New York’s most iconic destinations.

Under new management, Kissing Bridge is entering a period of reinvention focused on expanding year-round activities, services, and guest experiences. Through this partnership, UB students and faculty will play an active role in shaping that vision—connecting design thinking, technical methods, and hands-on building to a dynamic, evolving site.

The partnership is structured as a three-semester initiative supported by a donation from Kissing Bridge through its dedicated charity, Beyond the Bridge, to the School of Architecture and Planning. UB will provide mapping, conceptual design, and a physical build project at the resort, allowing students to see ideas move from concept to execution in a real-world environment.

Beginning this spring semester, students at UB’s School of Architecture and Planning may enroll in two Kissing Bridge–focused courses:

• A design studio centered on reimagining Kissing Bridge Ski Resort as a place for new activities, services, and experiences across seasons
  
• A technical methods course that dives deeper into the study, detailing, and execution of selected designs, bridging theory and practice
  
  

Together, the courses emphasize meaningful collaboration; where imagination intersects with academics, and where students engage directly with a real client, real site conditions, and real constraints.

“This partnership is about bringing a truly unique experience to university students; one they likely wouldn’t get at most schools,” said Rhett McNulty, Chairman of Kissing Bridge. “It’s also about Buffalo. We educate incredible talent here, and too often we lose it to larger cities. Buffalo is a great community and a great place to live, and we all share a responsibility to help attract and retain the people who will shape its future.”

Speaking to the mission behind the partnership, Mark Doumani, Executive Director of Beyond the Bridge, underscored the value of real-world learning, saying, “Education and Learning has great purpose once it steps outside its walls and impacts something beyond it.”

“Kissing Bridge offers an extraordinary setting for architectural education—complex, seasonal, environmental, and deeply connected to community,” said Greg Delaney, clinical associate at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning and instructor for both courses. “Students will be challenged to think broadly about experience and place, while also grappling with the technical realities of building in a working resort environment. That combination is rare and incredibly valuable.”

“This collaboration reflects our school’s commitment to engaged scholarship and community-centered design,” said Julia Czerniak, Dean of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. “By working with Kissing Bridge, our students gain an opportunity to test ideas at full scale, contribute to a regional institution, and see how design can meaningfully shape economic, cultural, and environmental futures.”

The partnership reinforces Kissing Bridge’s broader mission under new leadership: to connect more deeply with the greater Buffalo community through both business and recreational partnerships as the resort continues to evolve into a vibrant, year-round destination.

Contact:

Madison MitchellBeyondtheBridge@KissingBridge.com