56 DIGS.NET
| 1.8.2021
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unbelievable beauty, to play and maybe feel a little uncomfort-
able, but you also want somewhere safe and warm to go at the
end of the day, so you can regroup and recover. Teton House
really explores that sense of prospect and refuge, contrasting
big views with smaller, more private and sheltered spaces."
Kundig's interest in the ways people interact with their built
and natural environment is reflected through all his projects, and
this one is no exception. His approachable architecture explores
materiality and texture while creating a dialogue and connection
with the human condition. "Lasting, successful architecture has
classic roots and acknowledges universal principles of propor-
tion, scale and sense of materiality," Kundig says. "But then
there is that leap that happens when you take those principles
and rethink them. Maybe this causes a little ripple in the built
environment. Is that ripple important to the future?"
In order to address specific climatic conditions at this
property, an exterior wood shutter was installed to protect the
home from strong snowstorms when the owners are away via a
hand-cranked pulley system. "The house is a platform for the
extreme experiences possible in a mountain climate—it acts
as a preamble to the natural landscape just outside," Kundig
notes. "[It] is meant to embrace the limits of our potential
experience of nature and, in turn, of ourselves." Varying degrees
of transparency were achieved through the large window walls,
which offer expansive mountain and valley views during all
four seasons. "I like to use kinetic building elements that allow
people to physically move pieces of the building, like opening
or closing windows, walls and shutters," Kundig confesses.
"When a user takes hold of a wheel and turns it, opening up some
aspect of a building, its effect is not only physical and tactile
but emotional as well. It promotes a kind of mindfulness about
how you take up the space, which in turn promotes a sense of
stewardship of your environment."
Inside Teton house, several pieces of furniture were custom-
made such as the tables and bed frames in the living room,
media room and bedrooms. Rift cut oak, fir and walnut create
warm interiors, inviting dwellers to admire the panorama
outside while feeling sheltered inside. "Nuance is an import-
ant part of this and any mountain home," Kundig says. "Like
the mountain landscape, the home is not just about the big
dramatic views, but also the intimate moments you discover
along the way."olsonkundig.com
THE MASTER
SUITE AND
THREE
ADDITIONAL
BEDROOMS
OCCUPY THE
UPPER LEVEL
WHILE THE
MEDIA ROOM,
WINE STORAGE
AND BIKE SHOP
ARE LOCATED
DOWNSTAIRS.
