Architecture that Celebrates its Environment

Mountain Resort Architecture

With its mountains, rivers, lakes, and wide, open spaces, beautiful resort areas like Bend or Whitefish are meant to be seen and enjoyed, and its architecture is built to showcase and complement all these breathtaking vistas.

Homes, especially those in the Mountain West like Big Sky, Park City, or Sun Valley, need to withstand immense snowfall and cold winters, as well as welcome sunny skies and encourage outdoor recreation. Sloped roofs and sturdy walls are as iconic as the peaks and valleys in these stunning communities.

Heavy stonework and thick wood elements nod to a classic Western feel. Split-level and multi-story homes nestle into a highly dimensional terrain and pay homage to the nearby mountaintop outlines. While those design elements are still primarily the foundation of building in mountain or high desert communities, there exists an ever-present evolution of these design cues.

The familiar, sloped rooflines necessary to manage snow build-up are more multi-level than ever. An array of roof sections at differing sizes and heights adds topographical interest from any angle. With better technological tricks of the trade, there is also more movement toward the contemporary-looking flat roof with a sharp silhouette.

The clean, laser-straight lines are of growing in popularity, lending a modern bent to the otherwise traditional materials that reflect the landscape.

Warm, earthy materials, like wood and stone, make for timeless facades and are inset with big swaths of glass to celebrate the surrounding panoramas. Classically overhanging rooflines still protect from the sun, and inclement weather, so cozy occupants can enjoy the views no matter the season in Vancouver – Whistler.

Those expansive windows also allow for another beautiful view – one of the inside of the home. Warm lighting, grand staircases, and fine woodwork are on display, as seen from the outside, as Mother Nature is viewed from the inside. After all, these homes integrate with and accent their exceptional territory.

Monoliths of stacked stone, whether as massive chimneys, anchor walls or pillar bases, remain a keystone feature of mountain architecture – albeit with crisper edges than in days of yore.

Tidy rows of exposed beams and architectural components executed in substantial proportions emanate a distinctive presence. Sweeping driveways that culminate in striking entrances complete the welcoming experience of a resort home in the beautiful Jackson Hole or the Okanagan, where the inside is just as lovely as the outside.