Conceived as a pair of pavilions rising from the sloping landscape, the energy and life of this Utah home happens in the connective courtyard space between the two central forms. Framing this central courtyard, the home becomes a lightbox as daylight spills inside from all angles over the course of the day, celebrating views and the changing microclimate atop the home’s ridgeline setting. Designed to evolve with the family’s needs as a multigenerational retreat, the home is a hub for their blended family and extended relatives.
The clients, a couple who split their time between Utah and Alaska, sought a vacation home to help them grow their deep ties to the region and share it with family and friends. With a keen eye for design and a growing contemporary art collection, the clients emphasized simplicity, functionality, and a close connection between architecture, interiors, and the natural landscape.
Within the 4.95-acre site, a natural clearing framed by mature trees and steep contours offered an ideal setting for the home with its panoramic views of the valley and mountains. The complex contours of the site shaped the home’s architectural expression, with the home tracing the edge of a dramatic slope. The design strategically prioritizes privacy through the placement of the paired pavilions in a slight V-shape with an inward focus on the central courtyard.
The design challenge lay in balancing the program requirements with strict height restrictions and the need for minimal ecological disturbance. The paired pavilion form offered an ideal solution for organizing the program—one houses public spaces including the kitchen, living, and dining areas, and the other is dedicated to private functions including bedrooms and a gym. A glass-lined gallery bridges the two, creating a porous threshold that doubles as a space for showcasing art. Below-grade and integrated into the hillside, the lower level includes a recreation room, additional bedrooms, and a specialized gear garage. The heart of the home is the generous courtyard between the two volumes, which functions as a protected outdoor living space for year-round engagement with the landscape.
Materiality is central to the home’s restrained yet refined aesthetic. The exterior is clad in weathered copper and board-formed concrete, establishing a tactile connection to the environment while ensuring durability against the region’s harsh winters. Inside, a warm palette of white oak floors, hemlock ceilings, and custom oak millwork establishes continuity and calm throughout the home. The consistent material language extends to the furnishings, which favor neutral tones and subtle textures, allowing the clients’ art collection to take center stage. Key artworks are integrated into the design, reinforcing the home’s dual role as a living space and gallery.
The design emphasizes transparency and fluidity between indoor and outdoor spaces with expansive steel-framed windows and many full-height sliding glass doors. The courtyard, with its sunken seating area and fire pit, is a focal point for gathering. The restrained approach to design—limiting the material palette to a few key elements—underscores the project’s commitment to harmony, simplicity, and functionality.