Located on the banks of Rock Creek in Red Lodge, Montana, a retired couple was ready to build the home that would be welcoming to their family and friends, while remaining comfortable and manageable for just the two of them. Favoring a mix of traditional and contemporary designs coupled with modern amenities and views of their forested lot, they engaged Porth Architects.
“Like most clients, they had a large wish list and were attracted to a variety of home styles. My task was to reconcile these varied, sometimes contradictory, preferences in a consistent manner, yielding a house that is uniquely theirs,” said architect Andrew Porth, AIA.
One of the challenges Porth faced was to merge the elements of traditional residential design – such as gabled and shed roofs, exposed rafter tails and divided lite windows – with the more modern, industrial elements that they also liked: open riser stairs, European-styled cabinetry and steel sash windows.
Like most clients, they had a large wish list and were attracted to a variety of home styles.
During the design process, the homeowners shared many images of steel sash windows. “It was clearly a look they liked,” remembered Porth. “Large assemblies of fixed and awning Kolbe® VistaLuxe units offer a similar aesthetic. Their narrow sightlines, simple square glazing beads and divided lite profiles lend a modern feel, while their accent-style exterior provides a nod to tradition.”
He continued, “To reinforce the factory-inspired sash appearance, we stained the interior of the sash an ebony color. The frames were stained a medium brown to coordinate with knotty alder interior trim.”
Along with blending the best aesthetic details, another challenge for Porth was supporting a comfortable year-round interior temperature while relying on natural ventilation and no air conditioning. The house was positioned on the wooded lot to optimize solar orientation and allow the trees to provide shading.
To reinforce the factory-inspired sash appearance, we stained the interior of the sash an ebony color. The frames were stained a medium brown to coordinate with knotty alder interior trim.
In addition to the large sliding doors, nearly all of the windows open to maximize cross ventilation. Porth explained, “In the living room, both walls have operable windows. In the kitchen, a sliding window was installed. In the art studio, there are sliding windows on all three sides of the room. There’s lots of air flowing throughout the house.”
The stair railing’s matte black finish matches the industrial look of the windows’ black hardware, trim and muntin grid pattern. “It may be the latent traditionalist in me, but almost every time I design a house, I find myself coming back to muntin bars and divided lites. They change the scale of things,” shared Porth.
In the art studio, there are sliding windows on all three sides of the room. There’s lots of air flowing throughout the house.
Considering their history, Porth observed, “In early 20th century buildings of the West, glass manufacturers had advanced to produce bigger panes of glass.”
Unlike the old steel windows’ true divided lites where each pane was separated and supported by metal framing, Kolbe’s VistaLuxe Collection windows’ performance divided lites replicate the grid pattern without reducing the insulated glass units’ thermal performance. The muntin gridwork is applied to the surface of the glass and matching black spacers are embedded on the inside to enhance the effect.
“The homeowners were able to get the look they wanted of steel-framed windows and also the energy efficiency. Custom sizing of the VistaLuxe units also was no problem,” added Porth.
For the Rock Creek residence, the smaller windows showcase a two-by-two muntin grid pattern and the largest maintain approximately the same proportions in two-wide by three-high. Multiple windows are mulled together to create the impression of a large, single window spanning from floor to ceiling.
In the shared living and dining room, the windows’ muntin grids were precisely designed, crafted and installed to align horizontally between adjacent doors and windows, and vertically with exposed, finished wood ceiling beams.
The homeowners were able to get the look they wanted of steel-framed windows and also the energy efficiency.
Viewed from outside, the angled rooflines vary in pitch, height and orientation – ascending, extending and defining the overall structure. Further distinguishing each volume, the rough-sawn fir siding alternates between vertically joined and horizontally lapped installations. Rafter tails are exposed on the exterior as the homeowners wished.
Three covered patios also contribute to the home’s articulated form and functionality. Sliding doors open onto each and, when closed, minimize interference with views. Comfortably situated indoors, the homeowners enjoy window views of moose, bears and deer frequenting their wooded property at the base of the Beartooth Mountains.