The Sun Valley Residence is a retreat for a San Francisco-based arts patron and her extended family, located in on the edge of Penny Hill, among sage pastures and aspen trees on the outskirts of Ketchum, Idaho. The family asked for a contemporary house that would nestle into the landscape. The residence is equally a comfortable home, a refuge from the elements, and a beautifully carved frame for experiencing nature, both up close and outward to the surrounding Sawtooth Range.
Built of meandering, site-cast concrete walls, the residence takes advantage of the land's gentle slope and open views while providing screening from the street and adjacent properties. Offering privacy and connection, these walls frame glimpses of the surrounding terrain and slip seamlessly from interior to exterior, defining terraces and secluded garden courts. The house centers on the rituals of gathering and entertaining. Kitchen, hearth, dining and living rooms join into one continuous volume that opens to a landscape of native plantings and commissioned artworks. A separate suite of rooms provides a more intimate scale for rest and personal reflection.