|
Mountain Architecture
Written April 19, 2009 by John Hendricks, Architect AIA • Filed Under Architecture, Mountain Architecture What is Mountain Architecture? The mountain architecture vernacular consists of bold, natural and textured buildings and materials. These buildings should functionally and aesthetically withstand rugged mountainous environments, as well as blend into the topography.
Mountain homes should take advantage of nature by bringing the outdoors in through ample amounts of glazing and natural materials, and by extending indoor living spaces to the outside (outdoor living rooms) with decks, terraces and other exterior areas. A home exterior should look like it has grown out of the site rather than being lowered down from a helicopter. It can take advantage of the surrounding trees, boulders and other landforms by incorporating them into the home and the outdoor living rooms, and designing around them. Interiors should have a good range of natural materials and forms. These are often more rustic than the typical home, and sometimes have an “old world” appearance. Designed tastefully, this will often give the home a “rustic elegance”.
Mountain architecture is organically massed to taper down into the site. Multiple volumes conform to the existing terrain and are in scale with the existing landscape. Large, symmetrical, obtrusive building forms are often avoided. Some single story elements help keep a mountain home residential in scale.
Broad sheltering roofs appear to cascade down in steps or multi-level designs, and protect against winter snow, spring rain and summer sun. Roofs generally have a 4:12 to 12:12 pitch. Depending on the locality, there is little ornamentation. For instance, the rugged, bold architecture of Big Sky and Whitefish in Montana, Telluride, Colorado and Jackson Hole, Wyoming may often have less ornamentation and detail than buildings in Vail, Colorado and Lake Tahoe.
Architects who design mountain architecture most often utilize natural materials and warm, earthy colors. Roofs may consist of cedar shakes or slate, sometimes with copper accents. Siding is frequently cedar (boards, shake shingles or logs) and stone. Recycled barn wood is sometimes used for a more rustic look. If wood is to be stained it should let the natural grains show through. The stone should be bigger at the base to give it an anchored and structural appearance. Large mortar joints should be avoided in the mountain style.
In the mountains, columns, beams, rafters and other structural elements are bigger and bolder for protection against heavy snow loads. These are typically douglas fir and/or reclaimed wood, and can be built in timber frame or timber post and beam construction. Windows are typically kept to a minimum on the front elevation, while opening up to broad views on the back or view elevations, which many times have daylight basements to take advantage of the steep slopes. Windows typically have wood or metal clad (aluminum, copper or bronze) frames. These frames can have an aged patina for an older appearance. Garage doors are wood, many times in the carriage style.
Landscaping is also an important element in quality mountain architecture. Home sites should be designed for maximum privacy, minimal visibility, minimized grading and disruption of natural drainage. Sites are kept natural by containing water runoff, and enhancing the natural landforms and vegetation. Smart design should keep retaining walls to a minimum, both to preserve a natural look as well as save on costs. These retaining walls are most often natural stone. Vegetation will help these walls blend into the site.
Other landscape elements include native hardscaping (patios, walkways), and minimal walls, fences and gates. When these are incorporated they should look open and natural, and relate to the building. A good architect or landscape architect should know of some good tricks here for the benefits of privacy and the homeowner’s personal tastes. Driveways are often natural materials such as stone, but are more cost effective with concrete (colored, stamped, aggregate), pre-cast pavers, or asphalt.
Mountain style architecture has similar elements to other vernaculars. These include Montana ranch, rustic western style, Adirondack, and historic logging and mining styles. Craftsman/Arts & Crafts, Chalet, Prairie, Japanese and even Tuscan elements can be incorporated into the mountain style if done tastefully.
Mountain Architecture generally occurs in the mountains of the West, and in pockets of the Northeast and Southeast. In the West, besides the previously mentioned Vail, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Whitefish, Telluride and Lake Tahoe, other areas with mountain style homes include Sun Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint and Priest Lake in Idaho, Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Durango and Crested Butte in Colorado, and Park City in Utah. In Southwestern Canada, Whistler is by far the most popular mountain resort area, and will host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Canmore in Alberta is popular with it’s close proximity to Banff, and was the site of the nordic events when Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.
For further information, please also see our blog post Origins of Mountain Architecture in America.
Feel free to peruse more mountain architecture photos and renderings. Hendricks Architecture specializes in the design of luxury mountain style homes and cabins, and is listed among Mountain Living’s top mountain architects. Most of the homes we’ve completed are in mountain resort areas throughout the West.
John Hendricks, AIA Architect
Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects located in Sandpoint, Idaho.
.
Subscribe to Hendricks Architecture Blog.
Previous Post: Mountain Vacation in Southern British Columbia and Alberta
16 Comments
|
John,
Your mountain architecture homes are exquisite and you are such a talented architect! Sandpoint, Idaho is lucky to have you!
It is still our dream to have you design our home one day!
Thanks Carin! Sandpoint is a great background to design mountain resort homes. You guys need to move here!
John
Mountain architecture is a favorite of mine. Has that “lived-in” feel. What do you think are the key items to give a mountain home that “lived in” feel?
Hi Marie,
That is a great question. Mountain home architecture leads to the lived-in feel because of the natural and textured materials. Many of the materials are rusticated or distressed to give the used appearance. Materials such as doors, windows, cabinets, floors and trim are wirebrushed, distressed, are given worn edges, and character marks such as worm holes and scratches. Finishes can also be hand-hewn or hand planed. Plank doors and floors are common.
Some of my favorite materials that give the lived in look are mesquite, hickory, chestnut, incense cedar, and old growth heart pine. Knotty alder is one of the most popular these days. Knotty pine has always been popular and is about as cost effective as you can get. Wood from trees at the bottom of lakes can also be used and have a beautiful, rustic appearance. Reclaimed timbers from old barns and other buildings can be used for posts and beams, as well as flooring, siding, doors, trim work, and just about anything else including stand-alone decorative pieces.
Door and cabinet hardware is often given a rustic look. Oil-rubbed bronze is a beautiful finish that has become very popular. Lighting can be craftsman, decorative iron, antlers, etc.
Those are just some of the many ways to give the lived-in look. A few great references for mountain home architects and homeowners are Carlisle Flooring, and Hammerton, Naytura and Arroyo Craftsman lighting. Architectural Traditions has some good doors, cabinets and other accessories. Rocky Mountain Hardware and Sun Valley Bronze are good examples of rustic hardware.
Would you consider resort towns like Whistler to be mountain architecture? What about the national park lodges?
Arnold,
Whistler has some great mountain architecture, from luxurious at the village to smaller rustic cabins elsewhere. It’s going to be really showcased at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Most ski resorts have mountain style architecture because of the nature of the climate and the heavy snow loads.
The National Park Lodges are among the originals of the mountain style. The giant timbers and logs, as well as the rock bases are staples of the style. Many of these lodges have luxury accommodations in rustic surroundings. Glacier National Park has three of these lodges, all built in the 1910′s. My favorite is the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite. It looks as if it has grown out of the ground, and blends in with the surrounding granite cliffs.
[...] for this home though, more so than what it traditionally in the area. There are some aspects of mountain architecture, such as the gnarled wood columns and timbered ceilings. The owners also supplied me with several [...]
[...] right fit will vary. There are currently 65+ builders listed in the Sandpoint area, a hot bed for mountain home construction. Following are builders in Sandpoint who I believe have the minimum standards to do [...]
[...] of a feature article in the January 2009 issue of Cowboys & Indians Magazine. This Idaho mountain home is a great example of the nature themed mountain style designs of Hendricks Architecture and a [...]
[...] wonder surrounded by mountains. Luxury at it’s best! Maybe not the best example of the Mountain Architecture [...]
[...] are several mountain home developments in British Columbia that specify mountain architecture. More than I could possibly mention. I’ll name a few that I know of in Southern and [...]
[...] At Hendricks Architecture, we specialize in designing luxury mountain style homes and cabins. While it is not the only type of work we design, most of the homes we’ve completed are in mountain resort areas, and most of our clients are looking for mountain style homes, often fairly rustic. Mountain Architecture is a broad term used to describe a rustic style of building found throughout the western United States and Canada, and in some of the mountainous areas of New York, New England, and the Southeast. For a detailed description of the current style, see Mountain Architecture. [...]
[...] architecture at Priest Lake is generally the rustic rocky mountain style, though it ranges from log cabins to modern mountain contemporary. Mike Sandau of Sandau Builders [...]
[...] also wanted to be more centrally located in a mountain community as I specialize in more rugged mountain style architecture than most Seattleites care [...]
[...] A Log Accent Mountain Home, one of many different types of Mountain Home Architecture. [...]
[...] specialize in luxury mountain homes, although we do just about everything from Tuscan style to beach house style, from small [...]