Creating the Design

Though I had always wanted to design and build a house, and had a fair amount of experience with construction, caution led us to seek out architects. None we spoke with, however, seemed to understand both our determination to build an insulated thin shell concrete house and our fondness for avant-garde architecture. 

While looking for an appropriate designer, we did the legwork to map the contours of the site, learn the local requirements, and understand the capabilities and limitations of this building style. By then we had developed our own design and were so fond of it that we committed to that direction. 

Our design was extreme in several aspects, and we worked closely with David South, Gary Clark, and David Collins at MDI, and with Dr. Arnold Wilson on the engineering to solve all of the unique challenges of a six-segment, over-center concrete shell perched on the edge of a mountain and bermed 18'. The final design covered 86' x 46' x 37', plus a 1000 sf multi-level covered porch.

Though the raw dimensions created some exterior drama, it was the interior that most excited us, because that's the part we'd experience all day and night. The intent from the start was a great room that highlighted the grand view. All other rooms opened onto that one so that they could share the view and the light from the 30' x 16' window wall, which itself was flanked by a 25' tall stone fireplace.