HomeArchitectureA-frame reloaded, noa* designs a villa in Colorado

A-frame reloaded, noa* designs a villa in Colorado

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In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, amidst one of Colorado’s most unspoilt landscapes, noa* designed a villa for three generations by reinterpreting the iconic A-frame typology to create a sophisticated sequence of private and communal spaces.

From the outset, the challenge of the functional programme turned out to be the coexistence of three different generations in what visually had to be a single volume. The interior layout of the spaces had to combine common areas with independent privacy zones for each of the families.

© Dima Visualization

We have implemented the clear geometry and outward openness typical of the A-frame, but at the same time, we have accommodated smaller, unexpected, but still very comfortable spaces within the larger volume. It’s a space concept similar to a matryoshka system,” explains Andreas Profanter, noa* partner and project leader.

The result is a 30 m long triangular prism intersected at several points by volumes of the same geometry. The architecture, which in its articulated structure is perceived as a single body, houses however a completely independent private villa for the client couple and a family villa for their children and grandchildren.

The entrance door on the east side of the house leads to a first stairwell. From here, one can access three areas: the basement with parking spaces and cellar rooms, the client couple’s private villa, and the family villa with a large communal living area.

© Dima Visualization

The ground floor of the private villa accommodates a living room, a freestanding stairway, a kitchen with a cooking island and two offices overlooking the inner courtyard, where the barbecue area is set. The heart of the family villa is the large fireplace on the ground floor, which serves as a focal point between the spacious kitchen to the east and the generous living room to the west. The representative dining room with double room height adjoins the kitchen to the north.

The relationship with the surrounding landscape is constantly being pursued: large glass façades on all house fronts provide ever-changing perspectives. The boundaries between outside and inside are blurred throughout the building, as in the living area, where part of the rock is integrated into the space.

© Dima Visualization

On the upper floor of the villa, there are five bedrooms aligned with the roof’s ridges. The rooms have an open plan design, and the conventional division of space into sleeping area and bathroom has been fluidly reimagined, with freestanding washbasins and bathtubs. To allow the little ones to carve out a space for themselves, play areas have been created on the attic floor. These are directly accessible from the parents’ rooms.

The result is an A-frame project where intimacy and togetherness meet and where one can find itself in a unique symbiosis with the surrounding landscape.