Landscape Architect Articles

Elk Mountain Retreat01-03-11 | News

Elk Mountain Retreat

Landscape Architecture by Design Workshop

A folded plate roof and large expanses of glass are key architectural features to this home positioned on a 200-acre ridge, 9,200 feet up in the mountains of west-central Colorado. The planting scheme links the residential landscape to its larger surroundings. Perennials such as purple coneflower serve as a contrasting foreground against the region?EUR??,,????'?????<

This Colorado mountain residence with panoramic views of the Elk Mountain Range stands in perfect harmony with its spectacular environment?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sweeping masses of Rudbeckia (aka black-eyed Susans) and more aspens appear to be on fire as they reflect the warm colors of the architecture, provide striking, seasonal interest while complementing the fa?????ade of the garage and parking court.

Role of the Landscape Architect
The building site, excavated for a discontinued residential project, required the landscape architect develop a program of rehabilitation and reforesting of the uprooted site.

The success of the project rested with the ability of the architect and landscape architect to craft the client?EUR??,,????'?????<

A linear concrete path extends perpendicular from the residence, terminating at a private seating terrace on a promontory overlooking the valley, offering panoramic views to the Elk Mountain Range

Because the landscape is so dominant, spectacular and immediate, the architect established the scale of the interior to match the exterior. This was accomplished by incorporating three elements that mirror the spectacular site: a folded plate roof, a moss rock wall 12-ft. tall and 200-ft. long, and large expanses of glass. The landscape design therefore becomes an extension of the residence, bridging the contemporary vernacular of the architecture to its mountainous environment. The large glass windows create a transparent and near seamless transition to the outdoors.

Clusters of quaking aspens transition to a native meadows.

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The home?EUR??,,????'?????< The entrance drive leads guests to a circular arrival court that terminates under the residence?EUR??,,????'?????<

Layers of perennials provide seasonal interest upon entering the front door.

A subtle entrance driveway of polished bands of the concrete, oriented to Mt. Sopris to the west, meanders through a field of preserved sage and a rehabilitated native grass meadow, nestling the residence into the natural surroundings.

The residence was sited to follow the longitudinal parallel of the ridgeline of the mountain range backdrop. An impressionable stone wall runs the length of the 200-ft. long residence, marking a division between living and utilitarian service spaces. The west wing, containing the majority of the active living spaces with a fa?????ade of floor to ceiling windows, creates a strong relationship between interior and exterior spaces. The landscape responds accordingly, providing unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains.

Along the east wing of the house, meandering plantings define the edge of the landscape, creating a series of outdoor rooms such as a circular children?EUR??,,????'?????<

Perennial layers offer colorful foreground interest, linking the planting scheme to its natural surroundings. The 40-ft. cantilevered porte coch???????oere frames a distant peak.

The client requested a design to accommodate both small and large gatherings of family and friends. A stone-lined outdoor dining terrace is used as the primary gathering space for smaller groups, while an expansive lawn offers the opportunity to accommodate larger crowds. Minimal intervention to the front lawn makes available one of the most dramatic Rocky Mountain views in central Colorado. Extending west from the terrace, a linear path leads guests to a promontory, where a seating area is elevated above the adjacent valley to celebrate the dramatic vistas.

The planting design was envisioned to maximize the transparency of the residence and create a landscape that appears endless. This was achieved through artistic forms and bold, colorful plantings that preserve views and correlate to the scale of the residence and its larger context. Native plants, including sagebrush, red-twig dogwood (Cornus), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), purple coneflower (Echinacea), alpine lupine (Lupinus) and periwinkle (Vinca) transition the contained landscape to the natural surroundings. The lawn, which immediately surrounds the residence, is also layered through a series of mowing heights. Strategically-placed quaking aspens appear as natural sculptures set into the landscape, framing views to distant points of interest.

The hand-seeded, exposed-aggregate arrival court driveway is accented with polished concrete bands. Native stone outcroppings, softened with creeping groundcover, provide a contrasting edge.

Special Factors and Significance
The residence proves that an innovative, colorful and memorable planting design need not be restricted by the lofty elevation the region?EUR??,,????'?????<

The estate is heated and cooled by 60 geothermal wells, which have been integrated to draw heat from 350 feet below the ground. The wells provide 100 percent of the energy to heat the driveway, spa and house during the winter months, and 95 percent of the energy needed to cool during the summer, virtually allowing the residence to function independent of fossil fuels.

The landscape design successfully integrates modern architecture in a spectacular natural setting. The site plan and its execution create a place of artistic beauty and elegance, employing seamless connections, preserved vistas and bold planting gestures. The collaborative effort between all disciplines successfully achieved the client?EUR??,,????'?????<

Preserved meadows of sagebrush, native grasses and wildflowers soften the contemporary lines of the residence and accommodate the client?EUR??,,????'?????<

About the Firm
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with offices in Aspen, Austin, Denver, Salt Lake City, Lake Tahoe and Ashville, N.C. At the ASLA Colorado Chapter Awards, Oct. 14, 2010 in Denver, Design Workshop received 10 Professional Awards, including the President?EUR??,,????'?????<