Anything but ordinary, this guest house designed by Gluck+ architects is not only integrated but accentuates its pristine rugged landscape in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains. Consisting of 2,850 square feet of living space, this sleek pad features two intersecting bar shapes, one cantilevering over the other. Creating an elevated yard, the guest house is connected to the main residence, forming a single family gathering spot. One vertical axis of the home focuses on the private living spaces, three bedrooms and a garage. While the other vertical axis features the main living areas: living, kitchen and dining room. The roof planes mimic native mountain meadows which helps to obscure the dwelling from the roadway above. They also help to shape a private, sunken courtyard for guests to enjoy.

There are several advantages of the green roof structure, this includes: thoroughly insulating the building envelop and highlighting views from the main home. Clerestory windows frames the interior, illuminating the space with natural light while offering panoramic views. Sustainable factors have also been integrated into the design of this home. This includes a thick solar wall, which helps to separate the service side of the structure from the courtyard while providing an additional space for cars, storage and the harvesting of solar energy. Solar energy is used to heat the swimming pool, spa and flooring (radiant heat). The residence has integrated sensors and smart technologies to further enhance the solar harvesting. Annually, the energy consumption of this home is thirty-two percent less than the average home.

Above: A Cor-ten steel and cement board retaining wall encapsulates one side of the solar courtyard, while on the other, it forms a sunken courtyard next to the main living space. This space offers privacy for both the indoor and outdoor spaces from the main road. It also showcases a fire pit and a manually retractable movie screen.

What We Love: This fabulous guest house features some cool features that makes it original. Being partially buried into its landscape, it not only helps to keep the home well insulated, it also has some great aesthetics. Seemingly blending into its environment, it is a simple, modest design, yet masterfully crafted. Expansive walls of glass helps to create a fluid indoor-outdoor connection, while a private courtyard enhances the living spaces. Fantastic design… when can we come visit?

Readers, what are your thoughts on this home, would you want to be a guest here? Is there anything you would have wanted to see designed differently? Please leave us your feedback in the comments below.

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Photos: Courtesy of Gluck+