Designed as a second home for a client based in the Bay Area, this house is set within the Starwood community that was originally developed in the 1960s to include residential properties, cross-country skiing, recreation zones, and equestrian trails. Starwood is situated at approximately 8,400 feet in elevation along a mesa above Aspen, Colorado, and has spectacular views of all four mountains that comprise the Aspen Snowmass ski resort as well as four 14,000-foot mountain peaks beyond. The sloping site for the new home is situated between a dense grove of century-old gambel oak trees on the downhill side of the property, along the edge of the mesa, and an aspen grove on the uphill side.

The house consists of approximately 15,000 square feet of heated space and an additional 5,000 square feet of outdoor terrace. Organized on two levels to take advantage of the slope, the lower floor provides a dramatic public entry from the north and through a sunken courtyard. From the entry hall, a stairway rises to the upper floor—a glass pavilion where the main living and entertainment spaces are located along with the primary bedroom suite. This pavilion offers breathtaking views in two directions—to the mountains in the southerly direction and northward where the aspen forest rises up the hillside behind the mesa—and is anchored by a massive fireplace at the center of the space.

The lightness of the pavilion is emphasized by placing it on top of a massive stone plinth that encloses the lower floor and embeds itself into the hillside. Along with the formal entry, the lower floor includes parking and service access, a separate entry for the family, guest suites, and additional entertainment space. Covered terraces at grade provide space for outdoor cooking and dining along with access to the hillside below the house, where and in-ground hot tub is hidden among the twisting forms of the gambel oaks. In contrast to the spaces above, lower level rooms create intimate environments for repose and introspection.