Colorado Ranch / info >

The site for this house is part of a working ranch, set on a spectacular plateau at eight thousand feet, with stands of aspen and distant views to Steamboat Springs. The project is divided into three small buildings, each sited to tuck into the edge of the aspen grove and form a loosely arranged compound.

The clients requested modestly sized living spaces for both philosophical and practical reasons: they wanted to use each space on a daily basis and minimize energy consumption. Large roofs, scaled in response to the vast landscape, shelter the compact house and create generous protected outdoor areas that look across the plateau to the mountains beyond.