The site is in a heavily wooded valley floor on the banks of the Wood River with striking views of the surrounding mountains.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2025
Second Award | Private Residence (Small-Medium) (Concept)
Project Name: Wood River Residence
Category: Private Residence (Small-Medium) (Concept)
Studio Name: Ward | Blake Architects
Design Team: Mitch Blake, Tom Ward, SaraLee Lanier, Steve Kaness, Valerie Church, Morgan Allen
Area: 6622 s.f. (615 sq. m.)
Location: Sun Valley, Idaho, USA
Consultants: Structural – Beaudette Consulting Engineers, MEP Engineer – Energy 1
Render Credits: Joshua McMahan
Other Credits:
The 100-year floodplain requires that the house be located 600 feet from the river. An existing shop and pasture greets visitors near the front of the property.
Charged by the Client to create an innovative energy efficient house with large windows and sod roofs, the design team took their ques from the site. The existing tree canopies provided inspiration for a large floating roof that extends from the interior spaces to the exterior terraces, suspending the roof line high above the structure to provide abundant shade without cropping views.
Prominent mountain ravines inspire the roof’s distinctive butterfly shape, as the roof splays outward, mimicking the imposing form of the natural topography. The roof is supported by a series of glu-lam beams with composite steel & glu-lam columns, creating a remarkable canopy effect both inside and out. Large steel frame windows reach from floor to ceiling, inviting views in and granting a sense of weightlessness to the roof.
The central living area rises two stories, flanked by the master suite/ exercise/ yoga area to the north and the garage/ guest suites to the south. With unobstructed views of the east and west, this living space captures the ever-changing beauty of the mountains.
Board-formed concrete plinths create a maintenance-free base that grounds project to the site. This base supports the second floor areas, with inviting terraces that contain sod roofs to enhance the outdoor experience.
Small sections of cedar siding bring warmth to the material palette, while hardwood floors, natural stone, and cedar ceilings transfer the warmth into the interior spaces. Ground level terraces extend the living areas beyond the confines of the house. While water from the abundant aquifer is used for a water feature encircling the home.
Triple pane glass and super insulation (R-30 walls and R-60 roofs) create a superior thermal envelope, while hydronic radiant floors, powered by a ground source heat pump, heat and cool the home. The heat pump also supports a supplemental forced air system, providing fresh air from HRV’s. The project has a projected EUI of 0.50.
