The low-lying presence and seemingly modest scale invite views into, through, and around the building from all angles as the house recedes, leaving the surrounding beauty undisturbed. The transition from the urban sphere into nature is filtered through a central living room, conceived as a bridge with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides that connects visually to a woodland garden of Aspen trees and a lawn that rims the edge of the bluff. The linear footprint of public spaces, primary bedroom suite, and office is unified by west-facing full-length windows that cultivates an intimate visual connection to the immediate landscape and the distant mountains.

Concrete blade walls intersect the glass, their horizontal striations reminiscent of sedimentary rock abundant in the surroundings. Outside, the back lawn meanders to a downward flight of stone steps that cascade underneath a planted roof to the secluded spa and cloistered courtyard, where a firepit invites intimate gatherings. The soaring verticality of the retaining wall – canvas for a future artwork – is bookended by the translucent stair tower, which offers a visual connection to people and activity inside the house and shares its light in the evenings.

Architecture: Walker Warner Architects Interiors: Durkin Design Landscape: Land Design 39 Builder: Schlumberger Scherer Construction Renderings: 3dq.studio Walker Warner Team: Lead Principal: Kathy Scott Principal: Greg Warner Project Managers: Chris Wagner, Helen Tsang Architectural Staff: Katherine Tedesco, Conrad Johnson, Vivi Lowery, Marshall Gifford