Falling in love with a piece of the West is easy--then comes the fun part--building a home of your dreams

By Elizabeth Clair Flood

After watching The Horse Whisperer three times, a New York literary agent traveled to Wyoming and fell in love with the place. During her first week, she discovered a mangy moose chomping on grass; she watched the sun set over the Grand Tetons; and she saw a grizzly bear cross the road in Yellowstone National Park.

Then she spent two nights in a one-room Montana cabin, and she was convinced: she was moving west.

This feverish response to the Rocky Mountain West is not unusual. Some people are looking for ranch property, others for a secluded sanctuary, still others a ski-in-ski-out chalet. But often, in their love-stricken state, it's difficult for newcomers to know exactly what to look for.

While most architects start working with a client after the property has already been chosen, in the West it's not unusual to involve a local architect early on.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, hiring an architect early in the process is wise. "Santa Fe is probably one of the few places that still has a strong regional style," says Jay Bush of Architects Santa Fe, "That is one thing I love about it. When you're here, you know visually that you're in Santa Fe." An architect in this area will advise the newcomer that height restrictions make it virtually impossible to build a home on a ridge; that flat roofs are required in most areas, and that in historic districts, the size of windows, colors, and kinds of roofs are specified.

Square footage is another issue. In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, homes cannot exceed 10,000 square feet, whereas in Sun Valley, Idaho, there are no restrictions on size. Cost of the home, of course, varies depending on size, site, and the extent of custom work. In Santa Fe, a 3,000-sq.-ft. home can cost $165 per square foot; in Jackson Hole, up to $400 a square foot; in Vail, Colorado, anywhere from $325 to $900 a square foot, and in Montana, approximately $140-$200 per square foot.

As architect James Morter of Vail says, there is "just not much of a norm for construction costs," because it's difficult to predict how a client's fantasy will play out. Some people want streams running through their living rooms, while others want enormous rock fireplaces or fossil stone in their showers, or stone cave rooms for their televisions, or 10 guest bedrooms.

Once property has been selected, conversation invariably turns to style. In the Southwest, the adobe style predominates. The house may actually be made of traditional adobe bricks, or use wood frame and plaster to simulate adobe. Territorial style combines adobe and a pitched roof with more wood detailing on exteriors.

Bush suggests visiting as many adobe homes as possible to get a feel for the basic structure and the variations.

Throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, the log home is more common for historical reasons. But modern pioneers don't want to live in one-room trapper cabins. The trend has been to build enormous lodges--what locals call "log cabins on steroids."

One of the reasons for a larger home is that owners want to be able to entertain friends and family in their rustic retreats.

"Our clients are people who have worked hard," says John Carney, who works with his wife Nancy and a full team at Carney Architects in Jackson. "They are planning to retire here and want to enjoy and share their wealth with friends and family." Western homes are now usually equipped with a "great room" for entertaining, numerous guest bedrooms, an exercise room, and media rooms which make doing business in the morning and fishing in the afternoon a viable schedule.

Log kits from Montana and Canada have been popular during the last two decades because they offer log-home romance in a quickly assembled package.

Another trend is that architects are challenging the predictable log structure, creating more innovative spaces by varying material and rethinking traditional perceptions about space. Recently, architects have discovered that many clients still want a cabin feel but don't want "a clunky old log house" anymore.

When Jackson, Wyoming, architect Stephen Dynia, who once worked with Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, first meets with his clients, he tries to understand whether they want a purely nostalgic building or something more interpretive. While he won't build a white spaceship style house in the middle of a prairie, he will capture views with untraditionally large windows, use rusted metal roofs instead of shingles, and create modern living spaces on a second floor, allowing inhabitants to enjoy 360-degree views. A good architect will also insist on making practical decisions based on function. All Rocky Mountain Homes must be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. Roofs must be designed to handle snow loads, and in many cases, large windows must have glass that protects inhabitants from extreme ultraviolet rays. Screened-in porches deter mosquitoes in summer, and in the thick of winter, smaller rooms heat quicker and passive solar heat makes homes more comfortable. In the West, everyone needs a mud room with plenty of hooks and cubby holes.

As more and more people crave a home out west, the land and the existing communities are challenged by their needs. The natural resources that made newcomers fall in love with the West begin to dwindle.

A few architects are trying to turn the tide. "We can help be a bridge for our clients," Carney says. "Through our designs we can impart the spirit of the place and help people adapt to and live in this environment in an appropriate way."

Copyright ©1998 Cowboys & Indians

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Getting Started The best way to find an architect is through a recommendation. Real estate agents or contractors will have suggestions. The American Institute of Architects has listings for specific areas, though not every registered architect is a member. For AIA information: (202) 626-7300. To access their web site: www.aiaonline.com.66