An Après-Ski Retreat with Pristine Golden-Hour Views

Architect Eric Cobb worked with landscape architect Bruce Hinckley on sculpting and adding character to the previously barren site. “The outdoor spatial experience was a top priority,” Cobb says. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

A ski-in, ski-out locale in Montana’s exclusive Yellowstone Club might be every skier’s dream. With 21 chairlifts—many just steps from your front door—and the club’s signature tagline of “Private Powder,” what could be better? A pair of Seattle-based outdoor enthusiasts with two grown children had an answer: a ski deck sited for golden-hour après-ski gatherings, complete with heated seating, fire pit and hot tub.

“They wanted to make the experience of getting on and off the slopes as seamless as possible,” says architect Eric Cobb of E. Cobb Architects, who along with Jennifer Taylor, a firm partner, initiated the process by collaborating with landscape architects Bruce Hinckley and Mario Laky from Alchemie Landscape Architecture.

It’s all about the view in the great room, where the kitchen island countertops are by MSI and cabinets fabricated by Homestead Woods complement the SOBU dining table. The billiards table is by Sean Woolsey Studio. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

Through early topographic studies, sun and shadow analysis and trail mapping, the team pinpointed the perfect west-facing site including views of Lone Peak and Pioneer Ridge. “The deck’s form and orientation became the organizational core around which the entire home was shaped,” says Cobb. From that central axis, the home unfolds as three interconnected volumes joined by glass corridors.

At its center is the main living pavilion, where a concrete fireplace anchors the great room, and several seating areas, a billiards table and a chef’s kitchen encourage connection. A glass elevator with an integrated beverage bar links to the lower-level game room and climbing wall—designed to keep the energy high long after the last run.

An expansive Minotti sectional and Bensen swivel chairs provide ample seating for multigenerational gatherings. A grouping of ottomans from Village Interiors doubles as a coffee table; the rug is by Driscoll Robbins. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

Sleeping quarters follow a nontraditional path. Instead of a dominant primary suite, the family opted for six flexible “micro cabins,” where Taylor maximized the square footage with bunks, lofts, built-ins and cleverly concealed storage. “We didn’t want one bedroom to feel more important than the rest,” explains the wife, noting the house is a joint venture with her husband’s sister and their father. “This is a house meant to be shared. We sleep somewhere different every visit.”

But before the modern structure could rise, the team faced a challenge: a steep, barren slope with no natural character. “So we created a rugged outcropping,” says Cobb. To that end the landscape architects’ solution was to sculpt the land itself by placing monumental basalt boulders to anchor key thresholds and evoke the rugged beauty of the surrounding wilderness. “Together with the home’s formed concrete base, shou sugi ban siding and corten steel accents, these materials convey authenticity, durability and depth.”

The private bathing area includes a Victoria + Albert soaking tub and Lacava tub filler. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

Among the home’s many innovative features is a concrete wall located along the great room that cantilevers out to support the balcony. “It was a challenging pour,” says Cobb, who credits Teton Heritage Builders with nailing the casting and texture. “They had to pour massive amounts of concrete that didn’t touch the ground, and they did an incredibly good job.”

Inside, interior designer Elizabeth Stretch of Stretch Design helped the homeowners curate a palette pulled from the local environment—earthy, soft and inviting. An oversize cushy great room sectional, rust-toned swivel chairs and a dining table that expands for big family gatherings rise to the occasion regardless of how many people are sharing the space. “We wanted comfort and simplicity,” says the wife. “No hierarchy. Just a multigenerational retreat that works for everyone.”

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECTURE – E. Cobb Architects
BUILDER – Teton Heritage Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN – Stretch Design
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE – Alchemie Landscape Architecture

See the full resource list here.

As seen in Mountain Living’s January/February 2026 issue.

The architect designed the Baltic birch veneer walls and bed in one of several bunk rooms. | Photo: Whitney Kamman