SPARANO + MOONEY, ARCHITECTURE, MOUNTAIN RESORT
The design of this winter lodge in Powder Mountain, one of the largest ski resorts in the United States situated in the state of Utah, is inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami. Following the clients' passion for Japanese design, the architects Sparano + Mooney Architecture, a multidisciplinary firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California, adopted a minimalist style, creating a space that is eclectic yet particularly detailed.
Canadian fir wood is used as the main finish in all the interiors, with white oak furniture, black granite countertops and decorative benches, and polished concrete floors. The exception is the walls and ceilings in the onsen area, where cedar has been chosen for its aroma and the look of the wood, and stone tiles for the floors.
The multi-level layout includes a master suite with a private terrace and a steam bath on the upper level, which is raised 1.5 meters above the main level and can be completely separated from the rest of the house. The lower level houses two bedrooms and a separate room with retractable bunk beds, the spa/onsen area, and the storage/ski room with burnished steel racks. A media room with a low-throw projector on the main level has no windows and is acoustically isolated from the rest of the house.
The dining room with an open-plan kitchen opens onto an internal courtyard through a system of multiple sliding doors, while a service kitchen with a small integrated bar is located near the media room. The exterior cladding of the facade is made of TEKKō™ steel, a highly corrosion-resistant steel-zinc alloy, which the architectural designers chose for the way it blends into and adapts to the upper floor of the house and the internal courtyard, with vertical joints that transform at the corners.
The sustainable design goals are focused on creating a form and an approach causing minimal impact to the surrounding landscape, while also offering opportunities for interaction with nature. Given its location at an altitude of 2,682 meters, the building is entirely powered by propane and heated by a radiant system. The southern facades feature carefully positioned overhangs and windows that can be opened to ensure temperature control.
Client/Owner: Confidential; Architect: Sparano + Mooney Architecture – Anne G. Mooney, FAIA, LEED AP; John P. Sparano, FAIA; Seth Striefel, RA; Mark James; Structural Engineer: TBSE – Luke Balling, PE, SE; Contractor: Benchmark Modern – Garth Hare; Justin Darrow; Interior Design: Westhoven Design – Meagan Westhoven.Photography: Matt Winquist
