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ituated in a quiet suburban
neighborhood on the east
b e n c h o f t h e Wa s a t c h
mountain range near the
University of Utah, this
4,500-square-foot home is owned
by empty nesters originally from the
Midwest. Passionate about hiking, skiing
and traveling, the couple also loves
cooking — something they particularly
enjoy now that they have their own
custom-built Italian pizza oven installed
in the back patio area. Throughout this
project, created by Sparano + Mooney
Architecture and interior designer
Natasha Wallis, the homeowners also
started to collect artworks by the region's
emerging and established talents
represented at galleries in Helper, Utah.
All these interests had to be reflected
through the architecture and design of
the house.
This was not, however, the only challenge,
as the property is sited directly adjacent
to an active seismic zone, Wasatch Fault,
and was structurally engineered to the
category of a school or hospital.
The choice of materials was guided by
their look — to fit within the natural
environment — and by their durable
properties. The exterior of the house
features board-formed concrete and
Kebony siding as this type of wood will
weather and turn gray throughout time to
tonally match with the concrete.
"Kebony is thermally modified radiata
pine, a rapid-growth species that does not
contribute to deforestation like cedar,"
says the Sparano + Mooney Architecture
team. "We chose it for its sustainable
characteristics as well as for its ability to
develop a patina. In fact, the overarching
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