SET IN THE COAST MOUNTAINS
OF WESTERN CANADA, THIS
6,000-SQUARE-FOOT WHISTLER
SKI HOUSE WAS DESIGNED
BY OLSON KUNDIG FOR A
FAMILY WHO USES IT AS BOTH A
GATHERING PLACE AND RETREAT.
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PHOTOGRAPHS:
COURTESY
OF
BENJAMIN
BENSCHNEIDER
In British Columbia, a vacation home designed to preser ve the site's
beautiful trees and withstand the elements is a gi of nature.
W R I T T E N B Y K A R I N E M O N I É
MOU NTA IN R ETR EAT
C
oated in shiny red paint, the door of this Whistler home's main entrance is an invitation to step
inside the 6,000-square-foot space set in the Coast Mountains of western Canada. Designed by
Olson Kundig for a couple and their children, the home acts as a gathering place for the family.
e main level of the ski retreat, which was built between a lake and a forest, was elevated 10 feet
above grade to give the feeling of floating above the snow. In order to prevent any seismic damage, a
continuous, 2-foot-thick raft slab was created by a series of vibro-densified rock columns that extend
60 to 68 feet deep into the ground. Consisting of two separate structures (to preserve the evergreens
as much as possible) that are linked by an 80-foot, glass-walled bridge, the house features a flat roof
to support snow loads and a custom designed horizontal shutter system, which serves a dual purpose:
to provide privacy for the inhabitants and protect art and upholstery from the harsh natural elements,
especially during winter. "With simple crank and switch controls, the façade can transform from glass,
to semi-exposed with raw-edged Douglas fir louvers, to completely protected with weathered steel,"
says Tom Kundig, principal and owner at Olson Kundig.
