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US firm CCY Architects has built a house on a hillside clad in rusted copper panels with a sloping roof to conform to the topography of the Colorado site.
Dubbed DNA Alpine, the 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) home, when completed in 2022, is designed to “disappear or somehow become” the 75-acre site in San Miguel County.
“Our DNA Alpine home was inspired by the stunning natural landscape,” Todd Kennedy, principal at CCY Architects, told Dezeen. “Our aim was to respect the site’s surroundings and provide ample indoor and outdoor space for gathering and reflection. “
The two-bedroom, rectangular house sits on the edge of a meadow surrounded by spruce trees. Its volume follows the natural slope and never rises more than 15 feet (4.5 meters) above the ground.
As the site slopes upward, so does the roofline, sloping toward the sky and shading the upstairs bedrooms.
Jenny Trumble, a partner at CCY Architects, said the house, as well as the detached sauna and garage, are clad in copper panels from four metal profiles, “which are arranged in a non-repeating pattern. The pattern was derived from the DNA sequence of the Engelmann spruce trees surrounding the site.” .
Inspired by the site’s landscape and contemporary artists Jeppe Hein and Zander Olsen, the team named the angles of each copper profile to create semi-reflections of the surrounding environment.
“The moving pattern of the siding creates an interactive experience on site – creating a dynamic camouflage in the changing daylight that will continue to patina as the seasons pass,” explains Trumbull.
“This DNA sequence is always present and invisible, emphasizing the subtlety of the landscape and the beauty that surrenders to it.”
The 30% recycled copper façade was chosen for its low maintenance, fire resistance and ability to withstand the high altitude and extreme weather of the alpine site.
Over time, the material turns dark gray but sometimes takes on a purple hue, highlighting the color of the surrounding Rocky Mountains.
Residents enter from the center of the northwest facade through a full-height door that is hinged on the sloping roof to frame the entrance or to provide protection from heavy snowfall.
To contrast with the cool tones of the exterior, the team chose warm oak paneling for the interior walls and durable concrete floors to provide thermal qualities to the home in addition to recessed radiant heating.
The common areas are at the center of the floor plan, with the dining and living spaces wrapped by floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of the wraparound porch and the mountains beyond.
Deep overhangs provide optimal sun exposure, minimize summer heat gain and provide indoor and outdoor living space.
“To the north and east, vertical strips of windows frame views of the surrounding environment and mimic views out into the forest,” said the team.
Located within a compact buildable area that retains existing trees, the house is designed with multiple flexible spaces.
The office can double as a sleeping space, and an internal staircase can be climbed up a change of grade to reach a sleeping loft hidden under the sloping roof.
In addition to permeable paving and on-site stormwater management, the team selected all native landscaping to require irrigation only during the early growth period, reducing water usage.
“Two water tanks are buried beneath the motor court and are supplied by seasonal surface water to which the property owners are entitled,” Trumbull said. “The water is filtered for domestic use and the tanks serve as reserve water in the event of a fire.”
Other recently completed Colorado homes by CCY Architects include a house built underground and clad in black wood siding; and an extension to a Victorian house with a music-inspired exterior, both in Aspen.
Photography is by Jeremy Bittman.
Project credits:
architect: CCY Architects | Todd Kennedy, Janet Rumble, John Cottle
contractor: Dave Gerber Architecture
Mechanical Engineers: Resource Engineering Group
structural engineer: Resource Engineering Group
civil engineer: Dave Balold
Lighting consultant: Drew Vallone, LD8
landscape: Christine Njem
Interior decoration: Arnel Keys
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