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ShineMaker

Architect: CLB Architects
Location: Wilson, Wyoming
Type: House
Year: 2023
Photographs: Aaron Kraft, Matthew Millman

The following description is courtesy of the architects. A series of undulating tectonic structures set against an aspen grove near Wilson, Wyoming, this mountain home serves as a creative retreat for a California based couple. The 35-acre property is set at the base of the Tetons and encompasses several ecosystems, with old-growth forest merging into stands of young pine and aspen trees before transitioning into rolling meadows. The homeowners, authors who also own and manage an independent record label out of Mill Valley, California, were looking for a nature-oriented outpost in Wyoming in which to pursue their writing practice. 

Composed of three buildings (main house, guest house, and writer’s studio), the home is arranged as a set of simple box-like volumes, each designed in response to its specific location. The 6,000 square-foot main house is conceived as a geologic remnant in the landscape, located on the edge between field and forest. The 1,577 square-foot guest house and 580 square-foot writer’s studio are nestled more intimately within the wooded environment. A fourth, spiritually focused structure has yet to be built and will be sited further to the south. The architecture is open, with sweeping views to mountain vistas of the Grand Tetons, natural fauna, forests, and meadows. 

Rectilinear in plan, the main house appears to grab surrounding trees as anchors, sinking in the center, and pulling upward toward the sky at the corners. Working in concert with the landscape, this dynamic quality further through the building’s charred shou sugi ban exterior, tugged and carved to create overhangs and openings. The entrance to the home is located where the structure reaches out over a lowland creek, the relationship revealed by a moment of transparency in the floor. The wood exterior wraps into the interior as light Atlantic cedar, which then dissolves into subtle plaster and floor-to-ceiling glass. 

Each window frames a view of the prairie and Teton range beyond. An east-facing fireplace provides a counterpoint to the views, and an intimate courtyard allows southern light to penetrate the center of the home. In addition to the common kitchen, living, and dining spaces, the home includes three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a laundry, and an expansive mudroom for the client’s Irish wolfhounds.

Wood, steel, bronze, custom cast white concrete, bleached cedar, and oversized slabs of travertine and onyx define the material palette. Italian limestone is highlighted as floors in the primary bath, and is also highlighted for the custom bathtub, which was water jet cut from a single block of limestone to create a striking monolithic and sculptural design element. 

This makes the second time the interior designer has worked with the clients, the first instance at their home in Mill Valley. The client’s bohemian lifestyle and love of music, literature and the great outdoors were the inspiration behind the interior design. They love comfort, layers and texture, vintage pieces and a home that is inviting to family and friends and laid back enough for their dogs. Every surface has been elevated, with artisan details like the custom-designed, tattoo-inspired bas relief concrete on the fireplace surround, hand- painted custom wallpaper murals, and the geometric motifs carried throughout the design. The earth-toned palette—with pops of mustard, blush and deep Burgundy—is punctuated by collectible pieces, vintage finds, and contemporary art. 

The three-bedroom guest house is located steps away from the main house and features a similar carved-away entry and rectilinear form. The writer’s studio is positioned just beyond and provides a formal contrast to the other structures. A two-story sentinel surrounded by fledgling aspens, the structure includes a first floor living space and a second-floor studio where the occupant can be immersed in contemplation among the tree canopies. Wood, steel, bronze, custom cast white concrete, bleached cedar, and oversized slabs of travertine and onyx define the material palette. Italian limestone is highlighted as floors in the primary bath, and is also highlighted in for the custom bathtub, which was water jet cut from a single block of limestone to create a striking monolithic and sculptural design element. 

Project Credits

• Project team
• Architecture: CLB Architects
  • CLB Architects team:
    • Eric Logan, Principal/Partner
    • Andy Ankeny, Principal/Partner
    • Sam Ankeny, Principal
    • Leo Naegele, Project Manager
• Interior Designer: HSH Interiors
  • HSH Interiors team: Holly Hollenbeck
• Contractor: KWC, Inc.
• Landscape: Hershberger Design
• Lighting: Lux Populi
• Civil Engineer: Nelson Engineering
• Structural Engineer: KL&A
• Mechanical Engineer: Energy 1
• Electrical Engineer: Energy 1
• Styling: SPI (Stephen Pappas)
• Photography: Aaron Kraft, Matthew Millman