Cover Designed by CLB Architects, the second home in Wyoming features a restrained and refined approach to materiality
Designed by CLB Architects, the second home in Wyoming features a restrained and refined approach to materiality
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Designed by CLB Architects, this holiday home in Teton Village embraces essential living through rigorous simplicity and a profound connection to the surrounding landscape
Tucked into the forested slopes of Wyoming at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Teton Village unfolds into the Teton Range with dense timber, rugged topography, and scattered boulders that define the archetypal terrain.
From its elevated position within one of Western America’s most dramatic landscapes, a young family from Miami with a deep appreciation for the outdoors found the locale immediately appealing for their second home during the summer months.
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Caju Residence is tucked into the forested slopes of Teton Village, Wyoming
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“The owners envisioned an intimate and welcoming house where their family and occasional guests could connect and unwind,” says Eric Logan, a partner at CLB Architects, who were commissioned to design a home that emphasised living simply–focusing on essentials over excess, practicality over embellishment, and natural materials over anything fussy.
“When the owner first contacted us, he was apologetic about the design of the home,” he recalls. “But when he shared his design brief, there were a lot of solid precedents that resonated with us–which ultimately convinced us to take on the project.”
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Clad in Corten steel, the rust-coloured silhouette recalls the Brazilian fruit with an orange shell, Caju, which earned the home its name
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Above The asymmetrical gable subtly nods to the region’s alpine vernacular
Above Corsten steel was chosen for its durability and low maintenance
The asymmetrical gable subtly nods to the region’s alpine vernacular
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The topography of the site informed the ultimate design of the home. During excavation, the team discovered a massive boulder on site that could not be moved.
Moreover, the heavily wooded and rocky lot required a sensitive design approach in order to minimise tree removal and site disturbance–ultimately resulting in the reorientation of the entire configuration of the property.
The rules and rigour of the site drove the design, culminating in a home that touches the landscape lightly with a restrained and refined approach to materiality that wraps the home in “a rustic, durable shell,” as co-partner Andy Ankeny describes.
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The rear metal-grate deck that encircles a pair of Aspen trees
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Spanning 2,800 sq ft, with an additional 400 sq ft allocated to the garage, the façade of the two-storey residence is clad in Corten steel, with carved-out sections of larch wood that add warmth and articulate the structure.
Chosen for its durability, low maintenance, and ability to develop a living patina that blends into the surrounding environment, the rust-coloured silhouette earned the home its name: the Caju Residence–named after a Brazilian fruit with an orange shell, and a nod to the homeowner’s country of origin.
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Above The metal screening uses the same material differently while keeping the consistency
Above The rust-coloured façade will develop a living patina that blends into the surrounding environment
The metal screening uses the same material differently while keeping the consistency
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Above The 17 metal columns along the front entrance
Above Filtering light through the micro channels
The 17 metal columns along the front entrance
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A metal screening lines the pathway to the front door, featuring 17 slim columns with micro channels that achieve both a texturing and filtering effect while holding up that end of the building.
Surrounding the asymmetrically gabled residence, which subtly nods to the region’s alpine vernacular, are spacious outdoor terraces: a rear metal-grate deck that encircles a pair of Aspen trees, and a front deck that extends from the kitchen with expansive valley views.
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Above The cohesion between interior and exterior is anchored by the larch wood
Above The lower level houses the practical spaces: the garage, mudroom, and gym
The cohesion between interior and exterior is anchored by the larch wood
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Above The floating staircase with perforated, stainless steel steps
Above The utilitarian design creates a transparency and a veil
The floating staircase with perforated, stainless steel steps
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The cohesion between interior and exterior creates a calm and unified experience, anchored by the larch wood from the façade that extends to the interior walls and ceilings.
Meanwhile, raw concrete floors offer a robust, utilitarian counterbalance, whereas stainless steel delivers a refined edge to the floating staircase with perforated steps, leading to the lower level, where the practical spaces–the garage, mudroom, and gym–are housed.
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Above The upper floor comprises the the living, dining and kitchen areas
The upper floor comprises the the living, dining and kitchen areas
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Above Larch wood extends to the interior walls and ceilings, grounded by concrete materials
Above Akin to living among the treetops, with long views of the courtyard and the landscape
Larch wood extends to the interior walls and ceilings, grounded by concrete materials
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Strategically positioned to maximise the sweeping southern views across the Snake River Valley and peaks beyond, the upper floor comprises the main open-plan living areas: the living area, the dining area, and the kitchen–where the sense of immersion in nature is constant; not unlike living among the treetops, with long views of the courtyard and the landscape.
Amidst the simple and honest palette, a key principle of the interior was intentional minimalism, with only five to six pieces of furniture–two chairs, a coffee table, a sofa, and a dining set–grounding the spaces.
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Above The bathroom reinforces the home’s cohesive materiality of larch wood
Above A series of intimate, tactile retreats that honour the principle of essential living
The bathroom reinforces the home’s cohesive materiality of larch wood
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“The house itself becomes akin to a piece of art,” the architects elaborate. “Throughout, the design’s rigour and simplicity allow each element of the home to act as an individual piece of the overall sculpture.”
A sentiment echoed later by the homeowner’s mother, who shared at the thank-you dinner, “I didn’t know you could feel architecture until I stepped into this home.”
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Above The bedroom built-in blends seamlessly with larch wood
Above One of the four bedrooms features bunk beds for guests
The bedroom built-in blends seamlessly with larch wood
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Also on the upper floor is the bedroom wing resting on columns, which Logan describes as “lightly touching the hillside, so that it is rooted in the land, but also floats above it, with a compact footprint.”
All four bedrooms are lined with larch and fitted with built-in casework, reinforcing the home’s cohesive materiality with a series of intimate, tactile retreats that honour the principle of essential living.
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Credits
Photography: Matthew Millman
Topics
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
