Mountain home with modern interior, cedar siding, zinc pitched roof, feature ceiling and stained concrete floors

Buying into a resort-style enclave, owners may be swayed by the setting and amenities, but less compelled by building guidelines that ensure each house is in keeping with the rest.

That was the scenario for the owners of this mountain getaway by architect Stephen Dynia. The challenge was to accommodate the roof form and materials prescribed by the development while achieving the modern sensibility that the owners wanted, says Dynia.

"The exterior is in cedar and board-formed concrete, with a steeply pitched zinc roof. We chose to use metal rather than shingles for the sake of longevity and crisp lines; and concrete was chosen for its strength and textural appeal, which fits with the rugged terrain."

The house is laid out as a central pavilion that is elevated to gain views up and over neighboring houses, with one wing on either side. There are also two low shed-roof structures located at diagonally opposite corners. These one-story volumes help to break down the overall mass in visual terms.

In line with the rules for this mountain home, cedar siding runs horizontally on the main volume and vertically on the wings.

However, upon entering the front door, set in one of these volumes, and stepping up into the main living spaces, everything changes.

The interior of the home is as contemporary as the exterior is rustic. The eye-catching central feature is the dramatic, angled ceiling. Instead of echoing the form of the gabled roof, the shape has been inverted.

"The contiguous ceiling reaches down into the center of the open-plan space, much like a geometric form made from folded paper," says Dynia. "The ceiling does not quite meet the wall planes, which gives it a floating appearance an ethereal effect enhanced by lighting concealed within the small gap.

"The angles have a practical purpose, too. At one corner, the ceiling plane rises to accentuate views up the mountain to the ski slopes as if the house is inviting the landscape in. At the corner diagonally opposite, it rises to optimize natural light to the kitchen."

Hidden away in the large space above the ceiling are all the various high-tech systems and plant that keep the house running. For example, the boiler for the hydronic fluid that supplies the in-floor heating is located there.

"The floor is in stained concrete, a material favored by the owners, and the walls are mainly in unfinished concrete we gave this a more refined surface than the board-formed concrete on the exterior," says Dynia. "In a house with no internal supports and a floating ceiling, these concrete walls bear most of the structural load, allowing the generous expanses of windows."

A substantial cabinet form bisects the central open interior, with the living spaces on one side and a long, gallery-like passage on the other. The cabinet helps bring a human scale to the soaring, 14ft-high space.

"Together, the walnut cabinet and angled ceilings give the interior spatial complexity, offering multiple readings depending on where you are standing," the architect says.

Bedrooms, a movie room and a three-car garage are located in the two double-story wings of the house.

"The stairs to the wings also punctuate the main volume these have been given different treatments for interest," says Dynia.

"While the exterior of this vacation home is a picture of pragmatic alpine charm, the interior is more like an abstract sculptural composition."

Story by: Charles Moxham