Connecting Views

Photo by Bill Duddleson

Nature’s allure leads many of us to dream of a home in the mountains. Before the house itself is envisioned, we’ve already fallen in love with the site’s rocky terrain, shimmering aspens or cool, clean air. 

It is vital for the design of your new mountain home to preserve and celebrate the natural beauty that first attracted you to the spot. One way to achieve this is to thoughtfully consider view corridors that highlight different aspects of your surroundings. 

Rather than defaulting to a single perspective that is repeated in every room, explore your site and get acquainted with the spirit of the place. Discover its hilltops, gullies or groves of trees. Find out where the summer sun first ignites the horizon, or where the foxes have made a den for their kits. You’ll find sweeping panoramas, pastoral landscapes and intimate scenes. 

While you are still searching for the right lot, or when you first sit down with an architect, keep this strategy in mind to design a home that fully celebrates the site you love. 

Panoramic Views 

Photos courtesy of TKP Architects

This is the view that will astonish guests and take your own breath away time and time again. It’s the panorama that is big, powerful and majestic. Orient your great room, dining room and deck towards that snow-capped peak or vast forest valley. You will never get tired of watching storms roll in over the mountain range, incandescent pink sunrises and widescreen sunsets worthy of popcorn and recliners. 

Pastoral Views 

These are picturesque landscapes, and they pair well with window seats and daydreams. Slightly less grand than your great room stunner, these views might focus on large rock formations or wind-swayed trees on a nearby hillside—and they offer a more personal experience of your natural environs. 

Intimate Views 

These close-ups are often the most rewarding views of all, but can easily be overlooked during the design phase in favor of more glamorous vistas. Intimate scenes are focused on the texture and movement of everyday life. They are your chance to enjoy wildflowers and wildlife, and the subtle changes of ecology throughout the seasons. Watch for budding branches or little tracks in the snow—you will get to know particular plants and animals this way. 

The Connection 

With a handful of artfully framed views, a thoughtfully designed home will foster a deep, dynamic connection to the natural, everyday beauty all around. 

“We look up the hill from the kitchen and bedroom. The near views are into the ponderosa pine forest where we see deer, elk, coyotes, fox and a wide variety of birds. Elk bugle at us while we do the dishes. Deer fall asleep (or once, gave birth) under our windows. Our house is designed to let nature in visually, not as a bunker to keep us safe from it.” -Bill Duddleson, friend and client of TKP Architects. 

Wildlife photography by Bill Duddleson, all taken from inside his Rocky Mountain home.

Tim Barstad is an Associate Project Architect at TKP Architects, an award-winning architecture firm based in Golden, Colorado. View TKP’s profile or contact TKP Architects at 303.278.8840.

Content for this article provided by TKP Architects.