Alta House by LEVER Architecture

Architects & FirmsLEVER Architecture ✕

Location: Alta, Wyoming
Project size: 3,980 square feet (with garage)

Program: Designed by Portland, Oregon–based LEVER Architecture, Alta House is a seasonal retreat for a couple that enjoys the outdoors. With views of Wyoming’s dramatic Teton Range, the four-bedroom getaway is intimately scaled, balances indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, and provides ample storage for sporting equipment and vehicles.

Design Solution: The house’s contrasting weathering steel and acetylated wood–clad volumes echo the geological character of the Tetons, which were shaped by immense pressure that fractured material to create irregular pattern and form. Similarly, the facade panels seem to shift, but in response to the view—sliding to reveal vistas and remaining solid where privacy is needed. Interior public spaces and bedrooms are oriented toward the mountains, creating a feeling of immersion in the landscape. The white oak interiors are warm and subdued, maintaining the emphasis on the Teton backdrop.

Photos © Lara Swimmer

Structure and Materials: Wyoming’s climate called for materials and sustainable solutions focused on durability and conservation. The flat roof design limits dangerous snow slides, and the custom steel profile and timber facade stand up to harsh weather without extensive maintenance. To enhance energy efficiency and thermal comfort in an extreme climate, the house is super-insulated with wood-fiber insulation, triple-pane doors and windows with larch, and metal cladding, as well as includes an energy recovery ventilation system.

Additional Information
Completion date: September 2023
Site size: .53 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

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Photos © Lara Swimmer

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Images courtesy LEVER Architecture; click to enlarge

Credits

Architect
LEVER Architecture
4713 N Albina, 4th Floor
Portland, OR 97217
503 928 6040
www.leverarchitecture.com

Project team
Thomas Robinson, Jeff Stern, Doug Sheets, Jeff Ernst, Cecily Ryan

Engineers
Structural: Frost Structural Engineering
Mechanical: Quantum Group Engineering
Electrical: Musgrove Engineering
Civil: Harmony Design & Engineering

Consultants
Landscape: Place Landscape Architects
Lighting Design: O-LLC

General Contractor
Wilkinson Montesano Builders

Photographer
Lara Swimmer

Specifications

Structural System
Floor and roof trusses: Teton Truss
Steel stair: Woods Welders

Exterior Cladding
Metal panels: Skyline Sheet Metal
Wood: Pioneer Millworks
Moisture barrier: Henry Company
Guardrail: Carl Stahl Architektur

Windows
Wood frame: Bildau & Bussmann

Doors
Entrances: Bildau & Bussmann
Wood doors: AXNT Wood Products
Retractable Screens: Centor

Glazing
Skylights: Velux

Hardware
Locksets: Emtek
Pulls: Cavilock

Interior Finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Wilkinson Montesano Builders
Solid surfacing: Caesarstone

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting: Louis Poulsen
Downlights: Entra
Tasklighting: Environmental Lights
Exterior: WAC

Plumbing
Freestanding stove: Rais
Sinks: Franke
Faucets: Dornbracht, Vola
Bathtub: Wetstyle

Energy
Wood fiber insulation: Steico