Highland Pond House embodies the tectonic drama of the Central Rocky Mountains surrounding Aspen, Colorado. The mountains’ geological energy is distilled into a fractured composition of granite and concrete, its surfaces lined with wood and glass animated by shifting light and shadow.
The residence reveals itself gradually. A quiet approach through an aspen grove leads to an understated entry sheltered by a titanium clad porte cochère. Crossing the threshold, the view opens up across the historic Highlands Pond – the resort’s original snow making pond reservoir – to the steep granite outcroppings that ring the valley.
The expansively embracing floor plan radiates from the central family and gathering spaces, extending outward to increasingly private, sheltering rooms. Each space carries it’s own temperament and frames a distinct vignette of the surrounding landscape. Terraces with amphitheater seating spill toward the water, descending to a hidden teak boat dock that brushes the pond’s edge.
This landscape abstraction is expressed in a fusion of stone, concrete, glass and titanium. Inside, the weight of stone is tempered by warm wood, smooth concrete and cast-glass partitions filtering light and views.
Shadows move across surfaces throughout the day while light reflects in glass marking the passage of time and connecting the home, landscape, and horizon in a tapestry of light and space.
