Project Details
Project Description
We executed this contemporary Colorado mountain home as an architect-led design/build project on one of historic Gold Hill’s original homesteads. We wove history as a re-occuring thread throughout the project. Gunung Mas means "Gold Hill" in Indonesian and was named so for the family's long history of travels in that country. The wrought iron gate suspended in a giant wood frame by the entry was a souvenir from one of those trips. We incorporated this idea of framing views into several aspects of the project. The original homestead had a series of western ranch log gates as party of the arrival sequence. We continued that onto and into the house. The house extends into the landscape through a series of wooden frames and ultimately dissolves in the site. We carefully designed the house to maximize the sweeping views of the mountain meadows and the Indian Peaks mountain range (South and West), while simultaneously optimizing passive solar design (South). The open floor plan brings natural light and passive cooling into every part of the house; the vaulted ceilings create an airy, sunny feeling. Every room opens to generous patios and decks to facilitate easy indoor/outdoor living. White Oak floors, granite counters and local flagstone finishes lend a warm modern texture to the home. The house is at 9000 ft elevation and is subject to 130 mph winds, regular blizzards and extremely harsh sun. We designed it to be exceptionally robust, with the intention that the home will last as a family heirloom. The homeowners had intended the house as a seasonal family retreat, but after seeing the house finished, they decided to move cross country and relocate permanently to Gunung Mas. "We absolutely love the house. We love how our family's history was woven into the new home and how the house feels 100% a part of the land. We feel like we're outside all the time. It's built so solidly that we barely hear the wind even when it's raging outside. And it was a great bonus that we have almost no energy bills." - Doug and Toni Shaller, Owners
