mountain village estate
Mountain Village, Colorado (telluride)
A mountain retreat designed to bring generations together beneath one extraordinary landscape.
overview
Perched above Telluride with uninterrupted views of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, Mountain Village Estate was conceived as far more than a vacation home. It was envisioned as a place where generations of family could gather, reconnect, and establish traditions that would endure for decades to come.
Rather than designing a residence around occasional visits, the project was planned as a complete family compound. A generous main residence is accompanied by a separate guest house and private accommodations for domestic staff, allowing the home to comfortably support extended family, friends, and multiple generations without sacrificing privacy or intimacy.
The remarkable setting demanded an architectural response rooted in restraint. With one of the most dramatic mountain panoramas in North America unfolding beyond the property, the design avoids competing with the landscape. Instead, it frames, celebrates, and quietly recedes before it, allowing the surrounding peaks to become the defining experience of the home.
the architecture
The architecture draws inspiration from the enduring character of the great mountain retreat. Low rooflines, expansive terraces, exposed heavy timber, and substantial stone foundations establish a sense of permanence that feels inseparable from the Colorado landscape.
The home unfolds horizontally across the site, carefully following the natural topography while maximizing southern exposure and uninterrupted mountain views. Rather than concentrating activity within a single great room, the residence is organized as a sequence of gathering spaces, each encouraging conversation, shared meals, recreation, and quiet moments of reflection. The architecture supports both the energy of large family celebrations and the solitude often sought in the mountains.
A defining feature of the design is its structural expression. Inspired by the surrounding forests, exposed timber framing becomes an integral architectural element throughout the home. Within the vaulted living spaces, specially detailed tension cables replace portions of traditional timber trusses, reducing visual weight while preserving structural performance. This approach allows the architecture to frame the landscape with exceptional clarity, creating interiors that feel both expansive and intimately connected to their surroundings.
Wellness and restoration were equally important to the clients' vision. Spa-like amenities, carefully protected outdoor living areas, and a deliberate separation between public and private spaces create an environment that encourages rest as naturally as gathering. Every decision was guided by a single ambition: to create a home that becomes more meaningful with each generation that inhabits it.
material & Place
Material selection reflects both the rugged permanence of the Rocky Mountains and the refined comfort expected of a family retreat.
A foundation of substantial natural stone anchors the residence to the site, while exposed heavy timber introduces warmth and rhythm throughout the architecture. Broad roof overhangs provide shelter from the alpine climate, framing terraces that dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors during every season.
Landscape architecture was considered inseparable from the building itself. Native planting, carefully placed stone walls, and reflecting pools extend the architecture into the site without competing with the surrounding terrain. Every terrace, window, and outdoor room was positioned to engage the extraordinary mountain panorama while preserving a sense of privacy and enclosure.
The result is a residence that feels less placed upon the landscape than quietly discovered within it.
project information
2021
15,000 Square Feet
Services Provided: Architecture, Planning, Entitlement/Variance, Construction Documents, Consultant Coordination
New Single-Family Residence & Guest House
Seven Bedrooms, Ten ½ Bathrooms, Guest House, Staff Apartments