Skip to main content

Steamboat Magazine

North Routt Retreat

02/28/2014 02:42PM ● By Christina Freeman

Photo by Tim Stone

Situated in an aspen glade within a 1,500-acre working cattle ranch, this the first completed home among 12 new home sites that have 50-plus acre lots. Five-acre building envelopes were designed on the landscape so that none of the home sites are visible from the valley floor. Keeping with the secluded feel of a Western ranch, this North Routt home’s architecture was crafted to commune with the area’s historic traditions. Capturing a feel of having a main house, barn and outbuildings, the architects designed a silhouette that reflects a gathering of relaxed broken forms. It feels like a collection of structures versus one large building. 

The house is divided into three pods with a great room at the center and corridors that lead off to bedroom suites. A gentle curve in the great room’s south façade adds an unexpected twist to the design, while the choice of construction materials offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional homebuilding materials from the area. The roof is a bonderized steel that is akin to terne metals seen on many agricultural buildings. The siding includes a stone veneer an reclaimed Wyoming snow fence from Laramie, Wyo. Steel panels used as siding have a natural rust patina that suggest an aging, weathered agricultural building. 

Inside, a locally-procured highlight is the beetle-kill pine decking on all of the ceilings. Floors and cabinets are white oak, and the main entry includes a reclaimed oak door. The counter tops are synthetic quartz.

Keeping the style contemporary, the home’s shape is relatively low slung. Heavy timber and steel jack trusses support the kitchen and dining areas, giving the home a lot of expressed structure. All of the doors on the south façade open together and pin to the patio so air can move freely through the house, but the doors won’t swing in the wind. This also opens the path to outdoor living and engaging views toward the Mount Zirkel Wilderness and of the expansive Elk River Valley.

Architect
Tim Stone, KS|a, Kelly & Stone Architects

General Contractor
Fox Construction

Phototography
Tim Stone

Lighting & Kitchen Design
KSa, Kelly & Stone Architects

Cabinets, Vanities & Casework
Thurston Kitchen and Bath

Structural Steel
Native Soon Precision Welding

Insulation/Vapor Barrier
Northwest Insulation

Metal Roof
Wilson Company

Metal & Wood Doors, Hardware, Frames
Northwestern Supply 

Glass & Glazing
Johnson Glass

Drywall
Huyser Drywall

Tile
Masters Tile

Wood Floors
Avanced Hardwod Floors

Carpet
The Carpet Shoppe 

Fireplaces
Mountain Home Stove & Fireplace

Blinds & Drapes
JK Wall Designers

Plumbing
Action Mechanical

HVAC
Abacus Mechanical

Fire & Security Sytem
Western Security

Stereo/Audio System
Ponderosa Audio/Visual Systems