The project is located on a remote, 560-acre ranch south of Pagosa Springs, Colorado at the confluence of the Blanco river and San Juan rivers. The Guest house is sited on a ridge 600 feet from the main ranch house with pristine views of the ranch valley and river below.
This office previously master planned the site into a cattle and fishing ranch including design of all structures and were involved in river restoration. We were later commissioned to design the "Mother's Guest House" for the owners mother who was a distinguished artist.
The project budget for the 1,840 square foot guest house was $350,000
The design objectives were to design the Guest House in a contextual style to the region and allow for art paintings, sculpture studio and exhibit space. The design evolved into a contemporary slab wall Anasazi style with sliding pocket window walls, adobe plaster walls, "walk in" fireplace, and exposed steel and heavy timber framing. The owner is a railroad enthusiast so we incorporated abandoned bridge timber from the San Juan railroad trestle for beams and posts, and reclaimed steel railroad track for exposed rafters to honor his obsessions. The clients ere from Pasadena and greatly appreciated the arts and crafts style and wanted to represent it with the front door.
This project was designed and built in an eight mile long rural river canyon of 75 properties where no architect designed structures existed, it has influenced the local residents and started a mind set that architecturally designed projects have value aesthetically and economically.
During construction the owners mother passed away and never occupied the house. The owner has since preserved the house and gallery in memory of his mother and her art.
