• The house appears to grow out of the granite boulders that dot the landscape. Here the veranda continues along side the great room and into the covered terrace on the end.

  • The house bathed in early morning light, just after sunrise. The sun rises below the house.

  • The massive stone columns and beams boldly frame dramatic vistas of mountains and valley.

  • The rugged stonework, courtyards anchored with towers, and clay tiled hipped roofs (reinterpreted here as rusted corrugated steel) are some of the hill town influences.

  • The entryway became a glassed-in gap between two stone structures. As one moves inward from the courtyard, views across the ravine open up as the steep hillside falls away.

  • Inside the kitchen, the views are a natural part of the ambiance of food preparation, while the tall windows let in plenty of natural light.

  • The massive stone walls are inside as well as outside. They divide the kitchen from the entryway and stair hall beyond.

  • The backyard garden is a little slice of Italy in Colorado.

  • Each end of the house has a partially covered outdoor room for protection from the high altitude sun and for easy access to the steep and rugged landscape.

  • This view looking out from inside the southern terrace room shows the grilling kitchen and the partial roof and shade trellis overhead.

  • The master and children's bedroom wings sit above the garage wings. They look out over the roof of the main living and entertaining spaces toward the valley beyond.

  • The courtyard has balconies overlooking it. Its edge has a planted moat, complete with a stone bridge connecting to the front door, which is just beneath the stair tower. Atop the tower is an observation room.

 Before
Back Forth

Before

Hilltown House

Two renewable energy systems heat and cool this well-insulated home to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The house is inspired by Italian hill towns, which the owners love. It appears to grow out of the granite boulders that dot the landscape. The rugged stonework, courtyards anchored with towers, and clay tiled hipped roofs done here in rusted corrugated metal echo some of the common elements found in Italy. Massive stone columns and beams boldly frame dramatic vistas, as if a modern home was built in and around an old stone ruin in the hills. These stone walls are inside as well as outside.

A veranda on the view side connects the great room and into the covered terrace on the end. By locating these outdoor spaces on the ends, they don’t interfere with the dramatic views. They provide full shade, partial shade and full sun, as well as fireplaces to maximize outdoor comfort options.

  • Date July 28, 2021
  • Tags Homes