Ridge House
A ski house on a south-facing ridge — a stone base for the snow, a timber roof for the long, low light.
A house for snow and low sun.
Ridge House sits on a south-facing slope above Åre, a stone base for the winter and a timber roof for the long, low light.
The clients ski, and they wanted a house that could take a family of six plus guests without turning into a lodge. The site is exposed — wind from the north, sun from the south, snow to the eaves. We split the house into two volumes, offset so that each has a sheltered outdoor room between it and the weather.
The base is local stone, robust enough for skis, boots and wet dogs. Above it, a cross-laminated timber frame is clad in larch that will grey with the winters. The roof lifts toward the view, bringing low winter sun deep into the living room.
A sauna and drying room sit at the entry, where they are needed most. The rest of the plan is open, with bedrooms that can close down when the house is empty. It is designed to be lived in hard, and to look better for it.
Inside the project.
Photographed in March, with snow still on the ground and the sun already high enough to reach the kitchen table.
From the kitchen table you can watch the weather arrive across three valleys.
The clients — Ridge House, 2020