Design Solution: The house is both embedded within and hovers above the landscape. A two-story layout strategically positions the main living areas on the upper floor to maximize views, while the lower level is where practical spaces, such as a garage, mudroom, and gym, are located. The upper level features an open plan living, dining, and kitchen area along with four bedrooms. A perforated stainless steel floating staircase serves as both a functional and sculptural element, visually connecting the two levels and allowing light to filter through it. A bedroom wing supported by slender columns touches the hillside lightly, preserving the integrity of the terrain. Outdoor spaces, including a rear metal grate deck that encircles a pair of aspen trees and a front deck that extends from the kitchen to offer valley views, further enhance the house’s integration with its environment.

Photo © Matthew Millman

Structure and Materials: Materiality is at the core of the project’s identity, with a palette restricted to steel, wood, and concrete. The house’s name—Caju—is borrowed from a Brazilian fruit with an orange shell, echoing the house’s weathering steel exterior. Carved out sections, clad in larch, provide a warm contrast and continue inside to walls and ceilings, creating a cohesive look. Concrete floors and stainless steel accents round out the palette.

The structural system for the two-story volume primarily consists of traditional wood and steel framing on concrete foundation walls. Prefabricated wood trusses support the asymmetrical gable roof and integrated gutters. A series of micro-channels that hold up the southeast end of the building provide texture and rhythm in lieu of a singular column.

Additional Information
Completion date: July 2024
Site size: .51 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

Photos © Matthew Millman

Drawings courtesy CLB Architects; click to enlarge