Living in the mountains can be peaceful and magical. Mountains provide some of the most scenic landscapes and diverse ecosystems in the world. There’s fresh air and water, an abundance of plants and animals, and a peaceful simplistic way of life. But with these wonders also comeinherentchallenges in living in the remote mountains.
When you thinkabout designing of a house in the mountains, you need to consider extreme weather patterns, uneven and sloping topography, limited site access and a variety of other constraints. For this reason, it is both difficult and inspiring to see so many amazing modern mountain homes around the world.
Clean lines, simplicity in forms and details, industrial materials, and an expressive, honest structure typically define modern homes. Modern mountainhouses are no exception. These houses do however, have other distinguishing features that set them apart and exude a mountain home feel.
[Linear House in Aspen, Colorado by Studio B Architects. Photo byDerek Skalko.]
[Piedmont Residence in the Blue Ridge Mountainsby Carlton Architecture. Image source: Carlton Architecture]
[Piedmont Residence in the Blue Ridge Mountainsby Decks and patio provide exterior access from almost any room of the house.
[House in Yatsugatake Mountains in Nagano, JapanbyKidosaki Architects Studio. Image source: Kidosaki Architects Studio]
[House in Yatsugatake Mountains in Nagano, JapanbySite-Specific Design to Preserve Nature
Another characteristic of many mountain housesistheir strong emphasis on site-specific design for the preservation of nature. Architects typically perform a site analysis for any newproject, but for those located in mountain regions, more emphasis is placed on preserving the natural surroundings, resources, and topographic features of the land. It’s important to the homeowners and its a large part of the reason they choose mountain living in the first place.
Thoughtfulfoundation designsaccommodate uneven, hilly and rugged terrain.
[Encuentro Guadalupe Antiresort in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California by Gracia Studio. Photo by Luís García.]
[Encuentro Guadalupe Antiresort in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California by Small building footprint touches lightly on the land to preservetopographicfeatures.
[Sonoma Mountain Guest House in the Sonoma Mountains, California by Nielsen Schuh Architects. Image source: Nielsen Schuh Architects]
[Sonoma Mountain Guest House in the Sonoma Mountains, California by Fitting snugly within the trees and minimizing disturbance shows a respect for the natural surroundings.
[Cabin at Lake Flathead in Polson, Montana by Andersson Wise Architects. Photo by Art Gray.]
[Cabin at Lake Flathead in Polson, Montana by Prefab houses can nestle amongst the trees with little site disturbance.
[Gambier Island House in British Columbia by Turkel Design. Photo by Patrick Barta.]
Simple, Durable Material Selections
The materials of many modern mountain housesare simple, durable, and low-maintenance.Material palettes oftentimes consist of stone, wood, copper, and weathered steel. These materials hold up to the extreme climate and require very little maintenance. They are thoughtfully chosen to integrate into the surrounding environment and have long life spans. For some projects materials can beharvested from the site itself or locally sourced, making the limited site access a little less daunting.
Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials canweather the elements and last longer.
[Aspen Creek Residence in Park City, Utah by Carney Logan Burke Architects. Image source: Carney Logan Burke Architects]
[Aspen Creek Residence in Park City, Utah by [Lake Tahoe Residence at Lake Tahoe, Nevada by Lake Flato Architects. Image source: Lake Flato Architects]
[Lake Tahoe Residence at Lake Tahoe, Nevada by Materials commonly take cues from the surrounding landscape.
[JH Modern in Jackson Hole, Wyoming by Pearson Design Group. Image source: Pearson Design Group.]
[JH Modern in Jackson Hole, Wyoming by Pearson Design Group. Image source: Pearson Design Group.]An Eye Towards Sustainability
Because most mountain housesare in remote locations, the responsible design approach is to take advantage of the positive features inherent to the site and geographic location in order to reduce the demand on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing building systems. Thoughtful design considerations relating to building orientation, sun angles, locations of glazing, roof geometries, and construction type can lead to passive design strategies that create the opportunity for smaller equipment and lower energy bills. For remote sites with little or no utility hookup, this is a necessity. Designing an energy efficient and even off-the-grid house that provides itsown source of power and potable water are possible as long as the users are educated in any behavioral adjustments that might be necessary to conserve resources.
PV panels and solar and solar hot water collectors provide electricity, domestic hot water, and space heating.
[Chalk Bluff Cabin in Nevada City, California by Arkin Tilt Architects. Image source: Arkin Tilt Architects]
[Chalk Bluff Cabin in Nevada City, California by Simple modern roofs can be sustainable. Green roofs are good insulators, improving thethermal performance of the roof and reduce the demand on the mechanical system. They alsohelp with water retention, reducing storm water run off, and encourage biodiversity.
[House Ocho in the Santa Lucia Mountains, California by Feldman Architecture. Photo byClaudio Santini.]
[House Ocho in the Santa Lucia Mountains, California by The projects above demonstrate that thoughtful, responsibledesign thinking can lead toamazing modern mountain houses. That these houses show a sensitivity and respect to the environment show that good architecture and ecologicaldesign are not mutually exclusive, but are in fact one and the same.
[Featured image: Private residence in Vega, Norwayby Kolman Boye.Photo by Lindman Photography.]
