Nature-Infused Living: Contemporary Family Home Design Embracing the Outdoors

The design team was tasked with creating a spirited yet tranquil private home that connects to the natural surroundings for an active Colorado family. Design objectives included: flexibility to entertain, distinctive spaces to experience, gather, and connect to nature using materials that reflect their mountain lifestyle. The sloped site presented several challenges and opportunities. Great effort was put into integrating the home into the topography, to connect interior spaces to the outdoor landscape and existing grade while preserving the site’s natural character. Utilizing the site’s sloping topography, the project orients to expansive mountain views. The arrival sequence begins from an access road above the home exposing ballasted roofs and PV panels. A new entry drive aligned on a mountain peak descends through layered stone and boulder retaining walls set within native landscaping. Upon arrival at the auto court, strong stone elements embedded in the land rest beneath a low-slung floating pavilion roof. This driveway alignment and procession invites views over the home to the Elk Mountain Range beyond, allowing the home to quietly reveal itself within its natural setting. These strong, quiet single-story stone masses are purposefully placed on the north side to retain the natural grade as the topography falls to the south towards a large open meadow. By carving into the land, these heavy elements anchor the project and create interior volumes on the south side...