“Our vision was a modern mountain home where clean lines and the raw materials of the engineered structure were part of the finished palette of the home. The black steel I-beam spans the width of the home west to east, and supports the Douglas fir glulam timber frame rafters,” says Pete Heintzelman, Method Architecture Studio architect and homeowner.
The blending of these disparate materials is the foundation of a low lying, high volume modern mountain home in Vermont. Eschewing the more traditional elements of a timber frame, the house’s structure deftly mixes light large scale industrial elements with the softer biophilic feel of natural wood, seamlessly marring different genres of design into a unified building.
“My favorite materials to work with are exposed wood and steel. I knew from the beginning that we were going to do a timber frame or exposed structural elements,” says Heintzelman. “I love the color of Douglas fir with its clear coated richness, and how you can interact metal with it.”
These interactions play together throughout the home providing a contrast between the rustic and the modernized, the sophisticated and unrefined.
“The simplicity of the shape and the simplicity of the roof lines was big for myself and my wife. So, that’s where we came up with the design itself to layer in on top of it similarly to the surrounding Green Mountains. Something to harken back to the general landscape of Vermont. The low lying single shed roofs with the layering of the roof top decks and different roof heights and exposing the structure that way. It all comes down to the simplicity of design, where we are not trying to tie in a whole lot of angles, and we aren’t trying to tie in a whole lot of shapes, says Heintzelman. “There are very simple shapes happening and extended to the detailing of the timbers, the feel, and how they go together.”
The two floors of the home have very distinct uses. The upper level is for everyday living, family, friends and savoring the stratified views of the surrounding Green Mountains from the large windows and a wraparound deck. This design allowed for the best views from the spaces that the Heintzelman’s spend the most time in. The top floor also allows for instant access to the tree lined backyard and fire pit for an encompassing outdoor experience.
The lower half of the home is reserved for mountain recreation and includes a rock wall, tuning shop, and skateboard ramp. It’s a staging area for the things that the family enjoys most. It’s also a perfect way for the home to separate both fun and function under several roofs. “Here we got to have more fun with our finishes, including an abstract mountainous landscape mural as the backdrop of the skateboard mini ramp, designed and painted by my wife Carrie,” says Pete.
In addition to the heavy timber frame structure, the house also features an abundance of natural materials easily assimilated into the details of the home. Sustainable and reclaimed wood products include Shou Sugi Ban charcoal siding, Natural Expressions white oak flooring, and Accoya® decking provided by Pioneer Millworks.
The interior selections were all selected by Method Architecture’s Interior Designer, Carrie Heintzelman. “My goal was to soften the dramatic contrast of the exposed structure with tones of warm brown and grey hues to create a peaceful environment that we could all come home to and instantaneously feel at ease,” says Carrie. “We were very successful in this direction by using a variety of wood finishes for cabinets, furniture’s and light fixtures combined with soft neutral paint colors, all of which don’t distract from the surrounding mountainous views.”
Architect: Method Architecture Studio
Builder: Beacon Hill Builders & Associates
Other Credits: Stahly Engineering & Associates, Erica Allen Photography, Pioneer Millworks
