A simple, rectangular box is place on a hillside with its open face toward the south. The open side is to be a wood-clad, free façade, with a a large amount of non-bearing, open wall to allow low winter sun to penetrate the structure. The other three sides–north, east and west–are clad in heavy stone with few openings, to protect the building from both extreme temperature, as well as the significant snow accumulation. The roof is pitched back to the north, to allow sun to penetrate from the south, as well as to provide for a simple plane to most easily shed the snow. Because of this architectural arrangement, as well as the snow load requirements, additional structure is added inside the house through the use of architectural "tree" elements, which span from grade to the roof.
The large, south-facing atrium window alludes to the altered programmatic arrangement inside the house–with the public spaces occupying the top floor–to take advantage of the volumetric roof condition, as well as to raise the public spaces of the standard 12'0" snow depth. As well, the atrium and window allow for the additional space at the lower level to be provided with natural light, well below standard snow depth.
The plan is arranged so that all served spaces are along the south wall, with the service spaces occupying a six-foot-wide band along the north wall of the house. This arrangement provides a psychological insulating band at the cold side of the house and allows the public spaces to be one, continuous, uninterrupted space along the south side.
The materiality of the house expresses its western American lineage, with the deeply profiled Alaskan yellow cedar siding resembling abstracted horizontal log construction, the stone walls of native Sierra granite recalling local construction, and the black zinc roof protecting the structure from the abstracted opposite of the snow load. At the interior, an attempt is made to soften the modern aesthetic through the material palette of southern yellow pine, Australian karri wood floors, and exposed concrete.
