Portland-based architectural firm Skylab Architecture has designed this amazing residence with panoramic views of the Rocky Mountain. The exterior is engineered to combat the mass of snow while the entire retreat is based on a concept of connections between friends, families and the natural world. Welcome to the Owl Creek residence!
Family mountain retreat
Owl Creek Residence is located near the town of Snowmass, a popular winter sports destination in Colorado. The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-metre) two-family home was built as a place for the client’s family and friends to gather. “The Owl Creek Residence was built on the idea that a physical place can deepen the connections between friends, families and the natural world,” says Skylab Architecture.
Check out: The Dry Creek Poolhouse
Panoramic views of the Rocky Mountain
Perched on the hillside, the Owl Creek Residence was built to allow optimum views of the region’s mountainous landscape. Timber, concrete, metal, and glass comprise the living areas of the home, which are built in an intentional open layout. The triangular steel frame of the residence was built with car decking to minimize costs, and the design team even added a sloped roof to combat the mass of water and snow the house endures during the winter months.
Design features
Initial site challenges and slope constraints were solved by anchoring the structures directly into the landforms. Natural light was constantly considered with every effort made to minimize visual separation from the outdoors.
See also: The Lost Whiskey Concrete Cabin
The lower level contains the home’s five bedrooms as well as a steam room and hot tub, which are laid out along a corridor that follows the V-shaped outline.
Compact and efficient private sleeping wings open up to expansive outdoor views at the lower level. Skylab Architecture explains:
“Exterior spaces open interior activity to the outdoors, including a triangular spa with an elevated deck and an expansive outdoor terrace right off of the kitchen”.
The spaces on the upper level are meant for entertaining, and include an open-concept living and dining room, a den, and kitchen.
An expansive faceted roof extends out to the south of the home, next to the kitchen, and forms a sheltered outdoor seating area. Here, residents and their guests can grill food or gather around the exterior fireplace.
About Skylab Architecture
Established almost two decades ago in Portland, Oregon, Skylab Architecture describes themselves as ‘a band of makers — curious, industrious and experimental’. As architects, designers, creators and entrepreneurs, Skylab works together across a wide range of landscapes and locations. Their designers are futurists, making today what they believe will inspire and connect people tomorrow.
