Rooftop Retreat

An architect's mountainside refuge has an unexpected urban aesthetic

Text: Irene Rawlings
Photos: Photographs by Cameron Neilson
May-June 2007
Sheltered  Space
architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home
Sheltered  Space
“I love my views of the town ski hill—green in summer and white in winter,” says Jackson, Wyoming, architect Stephen Dynia. Willow-stick fencing, available in rolls at most garden shops, blocks out nearby buildings and provides privacy for the 28-foot-square rooftop space.		 Bright Idea
Dynia designed a system of poles and pulleys to hoist a sunshade, making the space comfortably cool in summer. “I bought the fabric that landscapers use to protect newly planted grass,” Dynia says. “It is white and billowy."
architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home
Cool Combination
 Dynia created an unusual water feature by floating oil lamps in a water-filled planter. “The idea of having a flame floating in water really intrigues me,” he says.		 Sun and Shade
Hardy ornamental grasses relate to the landscape and bring softness to the space.
architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home architect Stephen Dynia's mountain home
Matching Homes
 Dynia designed a pair of houses—28-foot cubes with the garage on the bottom floor and the living area on the second level. A metal staircase leads from the second-floor balcony to the secluded roof garden on the third floor. The houses are surfaced with panels of rusted sheet metal.		 Beautiful and Useful
A tempered shower door set on automobile jacks makes a sturdy and stunning coffee table. Dynia found “black-as-ink” metal planters (24 x 24-inches) at a local garden store and turned them into water features.

Premium Collection Partners

Buffalo Collection at Scenic Mesa
Buffalo leather furnishings handcrafted by local artisans
TKP Architects
Experts in custom-home and renovation design
Aplin Masonry
Expert masonry by master masons and artisans
KH Webb Architects
A unique perspective on architectural design solutions

See all Premium Collection Partners

Twitter

Tennis fans, we thought you might like a peek at champ Mats Wilander's Sun Valley, Idaho house -- now for sale... http://t.co/neaA20vQ

For the weekend: Can you name this U.S. mountain? http://t.co/PdjHBS6S

Question of the Day: Which mountain is your favorite?