Family Compound: Trentaz Ranch

Set within the exclusive mountainside community of Starwood, just minutes from downtown Aspen, this family compound will eventually include five or more distinct dwellings.

R+B is providing both architecture and interior design services for the entire collection of buildings. The goal is that each has a separate identity, yet all work together to form a cohesive whole that speaks to the site’s history.

The Barn Studio: 3,197 SF

A goal for the project was to embrace the unique features of the existing structure, including a singular rogue shape and formidable stone exterior, while updating it with contemporary finishes and furnishings. The natural beauty of the site, along with the heritage of both the overall ranch and the existing structure, led the Barn Studio design team to focus on blending old and new elements and maximize existing open volumes. Several of the original elements of the project were retained, including wood beams, railings, unique floor patterns and a light-collector intended to shine light at a certain point in the home during the summer solstice.

Ridge House: 8,250 SF

Set along a ridgeline with significant mountain views, Ridge House is a thoughtful blending of old and new. Sets of staggered, remnant stone walls run in a single direction, allowing light and landscape to slip past. Oriented along a central defining spine, metal walls meet stone and evolve into glass as movement through the house progresses from public to private spaces. Modern architecture mixed with curated details allows for a layering of history and a connection to the ranch-like character of the site.

Meadow House: 8,500 SF

The tri-level home is sited at the edge of a meadow, amid existing evergreens, spruce and gambel oak trees. With the goal of integrating the home onto the site as seamlessly as possible, the architectural team designed an iconic, gabled house form that gradually “peels up” from a traditional symmetrical front to an open back that transitions into the landscape and focuses on the views.

Indoor spaces address the family’s desire for vertical living, with ample public spaces on the ground level and private spaces on an upper level. Other specifications include a floor plan that is primarily open, yet provides distinct common, study and office spaces. Outdoor living spaces are designed to both maximize mountain and meadow views, and provide easy transitions between the interior and exterior. Exterior materials were influenced by the organic palette of the surroundings.