Granite outcrops, steep slopes and spectacular views define the form of the Sunshine Canyon House in Boulder, Colorado designed by Renée Del Gaudio Architecture, completed in 2012. Two linear volumes are stacked and crossed, reaching out to mountain views to the south, and city lights to the east. Sliding barn doors and a gabled roof tap into the forms and materials of nearby historic barns. Colorado’s vernacular style combines with the clean lines of modernism.
The 2,600 square foot building is responsive and adaptive to its environment. It addresses the topography, wind and light patterns, and the movement of the sun. Rolling barn door shutters close down the house from the cold and wind at night and open it up to the views and sun of the day. A 3.6kW solar array produces 100% of the home’s electric needs. An open floor plan allows daylight and breezes to naturally filter through all sides of the three bedroom, three bathroom home.
Exposed beams, rusted steel cladding, and industrial-size barn doors visually link the home to the community’s rural roots, but principally serve to create a fire- resistant, maintenance-free structure. Corten steel complements the landscape as it ages with a weathered, natural patina. The 2010 forest fires above Boulder, Colorado ravaged this property and burned down a cherished wood cabin. In the cabin’s place is now a smart, spirited house that connects to the past and looks towards the future.
Photos: Dana Miller