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American mountains
The “9,000-foot-tall house” designed by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects sits atop a mountain overlooking breathtaking views.
Located in the American Mountains (the area between Utah, Nevada, western Wyoming, and southern Idaho), the house sits on a mountaintop at an altitude of 9,000 feet.
The house’s unique design consists of multiple volumes merged into one building, creating a unique mountain architectural style.
The five-bedroom ski house consists of 4,400 square feet of living space plus garage and mechanical space.
People reach the house from the road and look at the mountains in the distance through the roof. Pedestrians and vehicles enter the house through a perforated steel bridge.
Upon entering, one descends a transparent staircase illuminated by a skylight. Enter from the low foyer into the grand great room with high coved cedar ceilings. The south side of the house features an 88-foot-long continuous window seat that passively controls solar heat gain and frames spectacular southern views.
At the west end of the house, a covered deck offers sunset views of the valley below.
The best bedrooms and media room are located on the east end of the house. A concrete “core” in the form of single panels contains four guest rooms on two levels. Ski-in/ski-out facilities are available at ground level.
Formally, the house is a 100-foot-long extruded oval, clad in red cedar (lining and rainscreen) both inside and out. In addition to the concrete “core”, this is a steel bridge structure supported by steel columns. The amount of concrete was kept to a minimum given the site access restrictions.
A 24-foot-long soapstone fireplace kitchen island anchors the great room. Flooring and woodwork throughout the house are clear ash.
The environmental ethic driving this minimalist project is to “touch the land lightly.”
The architect developed the house according to its extreme site conditions and climate.
The entire site has a 30% slope, combined with 40 feet of annual snowfall, so a strategy was adopted to “float” the building on stilts and access via a bridge.
South-facing light provides stunning views of the valley below and nearby mountaintops, as well as a passive solar strategy.
Dry, high-altitude desert climates pose challenges for increased heat, especially in the winter when the amount of sunlight reflected from snow is low. The location also has one of the highest wind loads in the United States.
Project: 9,000-foot-tall house
Architect: MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
Principal Architect: Brian Mackay-Lyons
Design Team: Matthew Bishop, Izak Bridgman, Alastair Bird, Isaac Fresia, Ben Fuglevand, Sawa Rostkowska, Diana Carl, Jesse Martyn, Lucas McDowell, Jennifer Esposito, Colby Rice, Ryan DeWolde, Reid Joslin
Structural Engineer: Blackwell Structural Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Harris Dudley Co
Electrical Engineer: BNA Consulting
Civil Engineer: Talisman Civil Consultants
Geotechnical Consultant: Intermountain Geoenvironmental Services Inc
Builder: Edge Builder
Photographer: Nick LeHoux
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