La Muna - Oppenheim Architecture + Design
The Japanese philosophy wabi-sabi guided this Aspen chalet renovation to create a mountain den with the least environmental impact.
The design involved the complete renovation and minor addition to one of the first homes built in the ultra-exclusive enclave of Red Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. Thirty years of haphazard changes to the building had hidden the potential beauty and purity of this house. The new design restored and enhanced this rustic ski chalet with all its imperfections — an homage to the Japanese sensibility of wabi sabi.
Paring back decades of haphazard additions to a 1960s mountain home revealed the purity of its original structure and the opportunity to restore and enhance the rustic ski chalet. Applying the wabi-sabi principles of seeing beauty in patina and imperfection, we have used reclaimed timber, local stone, and metals, alongside other sustainability strategies to create a very low-carbon house sensitive to the colors and textures of the landscape.
Now clad in reclaimed regional wood, stone, and weathered steel and copper, the home is intended to make a minimal impact on the natural resources and merge effortlessly with its idyllic surroundings of forest, stream and mountain. Solar collectors provide energy needed for power and hot water, while extremely large operable panels of insulated glass blur the boundaries between inside and out — further enforcing a connection to nature and deep respect of place.
Experientially, La Muna is a place for family and friends to connect deeply with each other and with the environment. Surrounded by rocky mountains, wildflowers, aspen forests, streams, and the occasional bear, we have selected materials that merge with this environment, and designed indoor and outdoor spaces that immerse people in the world around them.
Although modest in scale, windows frame views in all directions, so residents feel part of something much bigger. Nearby trees and landmarks are celebrated through careful sizing and positioning of windows—their aperture and scale immersing people in the landscape, while providing protection from the elements.
Navigating building bylaws like a game of chess—paring back here, so we could add on there—we achieved a composition that supports an optimal life in this setting. Whether sitting with a book at a picture window, listening to wildlife from the outdoor hot tub, or sharing a meal around a fire, La Muna is about elevating the experience of Red Mountain.
Architects: Oppenheim Architecture + Design
Location: Aspen, Colorado, United States
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 3500 square feet
Project group: Chad Oppenheim, Juan Calvo, Leslie Abraham, Carolina Jaimes, Cyril Manyara
Photographs: Laziz Hamani, Robert Reck
The design involved the complete renovation and minor addition to one of the first homes built in the ultra-exclusive enclave of Red Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. Thirty years of haphazard changes to the building had hidden the potential beauty and purity of this house. The new design restored and enhanced this rustic ski chalet with all its imperfections — an homage to the Japanese sensibility of wabi sabi.
Paring back decades of haphazard additions to a 1960s mountain home revealed the purity of its original structure and the opportunity to restore and enhance the rustic ski chalet. Applying the wabi-sabi principles of seeing beauty in patina and imperfection, we have used reclaimed timber, local stone, and metals, alongside other sustainability strategies to create a very low-carbon house sensitive to the colors and textures of the landscape.
Now clad in reclaimed regional wood, stone, and weathered steel and copper, the home is intended to make a minimal impact on the natural resources and merge effortlessly with its idyllic surroundings of forest, stream and mountain. Solar collectors provide energy needed for power and hot water, while extremely large operable panels of insulated glass blur the boundaries between inside and out — further enforcing a connection to nature and deep respect of place.
Experientially, La Muna is a place for family and friends to connect deeply with each other and with the environment. Surrounded by rocky mountains, wildflowers, aspen forests, streams, and the occasional bear, we have selected materials that merge with this environment, and designed indoor and outdoor spaces that immerse people in the world around them.
Although modest in scale, windows frame views in all directions, so residents feel part of something much bigger. Nearby trees and landmarks are celebrated through careful sizing and positioning of windows—their aperture and scale immersing people in the landscape, while providing protection from the elements.
Navigating building bylaws like a game of chess—paring back here, so we could add on there—we achieved a composition that supports an optimal life in this setting. Whether sitting with a book at a picture window, listening to wildlife from the outdoor hot tub, or sharing a meal around a fire, La Muna is about elevating the experience of Red Mountain.
Architects: Oppenheim Architecture + Design
Location: Aspen, Colorado, United States
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 3500 square feet
Project group: Chad Oppenheim, Juan Calvo, Leslie Abraham, Carolina Jaimes, Cyril Manyara
Photographs: Laziz Hamani, Robert Reck
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