Ryan Marsden — Architect
“Collaboration and joy are at the heart of what we do and why we do it.”
— Ryan Marsden, architect
The home exemplifies Marsden’s proportioned and clean design aesthetic. And the site’s mountainous terrain gave him an opportunity to create site-responsive architecture, which informs the layout, massing, scale, access, and orientation. Yet the home’s jurisdiction and parcel size also presented some challenging restrictions that ultimately helped shape the architecture and inspire “some pretty amazing design solutions.”
This includes the massive cantilevered deck that provides epic views of the lake and Mount Judah beyond. In addition, the need to minimize site coverage informed the inverted floorplan and massing of the upper level, helping make the space small and efficient yet also multifunctional. For example, one of the homeowners is an artist, so Marsden designed the dining nook to double as a painting studio, complete with amazing views of the lake.
“It feels like you’re in a cozy glass cube perched on the lake,” he says.
When the home was completed, the homeowner invited his brothers to the property for a boys’ weekend. When the siblings gathered inside, they were overcome with emotion as they took in the spectacular view, and for the first time, saw how their old family barn had been reincarnated into a beautiful new home for future generations to enjoy.
Photography by Kat Alves Photography
Photography by Kat Alves Photography
Photography by Kat Alves Photography