Logjam House
for Miriam, Chuck, and Franny
Rio Blanco, Colorado

Located at the remote northeastern end of the Rio Blanco River Basin, a high mountain area traditionally occupied by farms and ranches, the site is defined by surrounding peaks and alpine vegetation. The house is sited within a grove of mature Ponderosa Pine trees whose trunks form a sheltered space and provide the impetus for the design. Projecting into the future, we envisioned the grove as fallen, forming an entwined, sheltering accumulation of logs. The house is thus formed from a symbolic warping of time in which the decomposed grove produces new life.

Intended as a retreat for the client, the house manifests the shelter of the grove in the realm of the senses. The texture of the ground cover, dappled sunlight, the liquid sound of the Rio Blanco and the vanilla scent of the pine trees weave through the house. Large planes of glass allow for constantly changing views of pines, an aspen grove and natural ground cover as one moves through the house. The trees of the grove frame distant views of mountain peaks, creating vignettes of the alpine surroundings.

Defined outdoor spaces line the southern and eastern sides of the house, allowing outdoor activities to follow the path of the sun. The kitchen, dining and living spaces are one continuous high space. Lofted above, a guest bedroom and workroom look down into the kitchen, dining and living spaces. Circulation between zones of the house is through a two-sided glass entry foyer elevated above the forest floor. As one walks, moves along a glazed catwalk, the house dematerializes briefly between the public and private volumes. The master bedroom is high and close to the pine trees, as though it were a tree house. Downstairs, the child's room is playful and open, with a private play/camp deck that steps down to one of the largest trees in the grove.

In association with Jon Anderson Architect

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