Utah's Powder Mountain, a striking natural spot in the US known for its idyllic ski resort in Eden, is now getting a new community in the shape of the MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects designed Horizon neighbourhood. Commissioned by the entrepreneurs behind the Summit Series, an established platform for invitation-only events created to foster debate amongst businesspeople, academics, creatives, philanthropists and innovators, the scheme, which consists of some 30 privately owned bespoke cabins, has just completed.
Dotting an idyllic mountain slope and following the site's natural contours, the project features structures that range in size from 90-230 sq m and come in four typologies. A communal lodge called the ‘Pioneer Cabin’ is available to all residents and provides a heart and focus for the neighbourhood. The aim is for Horizon to feel modern and forward thinking, but remain rooted in a sense of wholesomeness and context.
While the designs vary and adapt to the topography's natural rhythm, there's a strong unity in the overall design, which shines through the use of wood (the fairly spare structures feature a cedar-shingled roof and vertical shiplap cedar walls), large openings and human-centric design that is part of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple's signature style. ‘This isn’t another ski resort, but rather a planned community for entrepreneurs and creatives working together to address global challenges', say the architects.
The positioning and orientation of the cabins were very carefully planned, so as to emphasise views and avoid obstructing vistas between neighbours. At the same time, these decisions also consciously work with the region's climate to enhance sustainability in the design through passive heating and cooling.
The project displays MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple's work on community making at its very best; an approach Brian MacKay-Lyons has been known to perfect through his work on his own Shobac Farm in Nova Scotia. Horizon is the renowned Canadian architecture practice's very first completed project in the USA; meanwhile more ‘neighbourhoods' are set to follow in the area, slowly completing the Powder Mountain founders' vision for this retreat.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects website
-
Morgan take their classic roadster and give it subtle but significant tweaks for 2024New details and features give the compulsive Morgan Plus Four an even more pared back silhouette and driving ability
-
Wallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition now open at Triennale MilanoWallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition at Triennale spotlights international emerging talent in furniture and product design, with the support of AHEC and SNOW (until 21 April 2024)
-
Bleu Nour is a new perfume brand bottling the sexy scent of cannabisBleu Nour is shaking things up in the London world of perfumery with Canna Crush, a new cannabis-based fragrance
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawingsBased on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globeModernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its historyAn Upper West Side apartment in New York has been born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, which were combined by General Assembly for a young family
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovationLeica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizonDesigned by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly designBoise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
-
At the Hilbert Museum of California Art’s expanded home, art and architecture convergeThe Hilbert Museum of California Art expands its home, courtesy of Los Angeles architecture studio Johnston Marklee
-
Pearlman Cabin by John Lautner is an organic Californian mountain retreatJohn Lautner’s midcentury Pearlman Cabin, tucked away in the Californian mountain resort of Idyllwild, is a striking example of organic architecture
