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9,000-foot-tall residence / MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
Text description provided by the architect. This house is located in the American mountains, perched on a mountaintop at an altitude of 9,000 feet. The project was developed in response 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. The arid, high-altitude desert climate poses challenges for increased heat, especially in winter, when the reflectivity of sunlight striking snow is low. The location also has one of the highest wind loads in the United States.
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 can see the mountains in the distance over the roof. Both pedestrians and vehicles enter the house via 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 on the 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.”
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