Pro Portfolio: A new steel home as rugged as the land
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Every Monday we post a new home whose design is presented in the architect or interior designer’s own words. This week:
Architect: Sparano & Mooney, Los Angeles
Location: Salt Lake City
Goals: To build a contemporary house in the mountains that was integrated into the relatively compact site and is as ‘green’ as possible.
Architect’s description: Located in a canyon just east of Salt Lake City, this 2,500-square-foot residence was designed for a couple with young children. The complex skin was assembled on-site using interlocking recycled steel shingles in a harlequin pattern. This textural surface was used on three sides of the house and casts shadows across its facade. Glass and wood-textured concrete also were part of the rugged, low-maintenance material palette. Materials were chosen with safety in mind, because the canyon is periodically threatened with wildfires.The house was designed to sit lightly on the Earth with its compact footprint and sensitive integration into the site. Virtually no electrical loads are required for daytime lighting; daylight illuminates all of the spaces, either through windows or Solatube skylights. Natural ventilation is utilized much of the year, bringing canyon breezes into the home. In winter, the radiant-heat concrete floors provide all the warmth that is needed. The home was LEED-H certified at the Silver level, the first home in Utah to achieve this certification.
Keep reading for more details and photos ...
Photo: The Mermaid soaking tub in the master bath is just the place to relax and take in views of the rugged Utah landscape. The sleek, low-profile sinks are from Kohler’s Purist line; the wall-mounted faucets are by Justyna. Credit: Sparano & Mooney
Photo: A walnut veneer cube separates the master bedroom and bath. The cube does double duty as a headboard, with a niche to hold bedtime reading and a space for a walk-in closet. Credit: Sparano & Mooney
-- Anne Harnagel
Top photo credit: Dennis Mecham
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