Independence Pass Residence | Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

At the edge of a nature preserve, the Independence Pass Residence has sweeping views across an alpine meadow to the Roaring Fork River and the Rocky Mountains beyond.

At the end of a forested drive one discovers the house stretched between two knolls. A series of textured Vals quartzite walls extend into the landscape on either side and give weight to the lower level. The upper volume is a glass and wood pavilion with a roof that floats on slender stainless steel columns.

A wall of black-stained cedar and a horizontal light slot mark the main entry and extend through the house. A cantilevered wood stair leads to the upper-level living room, dining room, and kitchen that occupy the center of the linear floor plan. An intimate reading alcove that runs along the length of the living room is lined with Douglas fir panels and stainless steel shelves for display of the owners’ photography collection. Opposite the linear alcove, sliding panels of glass blur the boundary between interior and exterior and open to an outdoor deck facing the nature preserve that extends to the foothills of the Rockies.

The master bedroom suite is on the west side of the second story, and at the other end is a family room and stone courtyard with an outdoor fireplace where the family gathers. A tapered roof overhang extends the length of the house, shielding the living spaces from the arc of the sun. A sky-lit fireplace clad in Vals quartzite anchors the house.

Ground-level spaces include three bedrooms with individual baths, a guest suite, mudroom, and exercise room. In contrast to the delicate formality of the entry stair, a bold red zigzag steel stair slips along the outside stone edge of the family room and connects all levels of the house for everyday use.

Its position on the site, linear shape, and the way glass, steel, and quartzite are used give great strength to this mountain home.