Program: The owners, a retired couple in their 70s, commissioned Mork-Ulnes Architects to design a vacation house for them, their children, and grandchildren: three ski-loving generations whose older members have been skiing in the area since the 1940s.

Location: Sugar Bowl, Norden, California

Solution: Inspired by the idea of a tree house that is suspended between treetops, the Troll Hus is tucked away in the mountains. The design responds to the owners’ desire for a modernist, secluded refuge with constant visual reference to nature. Rather than expansive vistas, the house offers filtered views of the surrounding landscape.

Construction and materials: The exterior is clad in 2-by-4 solid timber coated in black tar, which helps protect the wood from the weather and insects—a traditional Norwegian technique dating back to medieval stave churches. Warm wood wraps the interiors, extending to the floors, ceilings, and furniture—including the the dining table, bench, and bar stools that Lexie Mork-Ulnes designed specifically for the project.

Completion date: January 2016

Additional Information
Total project cost: Withheld
Client: Withheld