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Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners
Rosenthal Residence, Ward+Blake Architects | International Design Awards Winners

Rosenthal Residence

CompanyWard+Blake Architects
Lead Designers
ClientKatie Wilson
Prize(s)Honorable Mention
Entry Description

The site for this residence is steeply sloping from the entry
level to the lower terrace level at the rear of the house.
The topography coursing perpendicular to this slope takes
the shape of the letter “W”. This natural land form was
used as a tool to designate the zoning of the house. On the
north leg of the “W” is the garage, laundry, and
kitchen/dining area; this is oriented slightly north of east. In
the center of the “W”, at the point, is the Entry and Living
Space, looking due east. On the final leg of the “W” is the
master bedroom/bath looking slightly south of east. This
response to the natural topography sites the house with a
sense of natural repose.

The volume of the house is compressed at the entry, and as
one moves into the living space, one experiences a release
of this compression as the roof rises to clear the mountains
and embrace the sky. This is enhanced by the land falling
away simultaneously, giving the outdoor decks a feeling of
weightlessness.

The desire to build a residence in traditional materials, but
recodified for the 21st century, led to the use of hand-hewn
rectangular logs with dovetailed joints for the exterior
siding. On the opposite side of the house, the extroverted
façade is composed primarily of glass. The guard rails on
the exterior decks are detailed with steel flats to keep the
panoramic view through them as uninterrupted as possible.

The interior palate of materials is kept as simple as the
exterior with the intent to create an environment that is
beautiful as well as tolerant of the demand put upon it by a
high altitude mountain lifestyle. Polished concrete floors,
painted gypsum walls, and wood ceilings capitalize on the
light that floods the residence.