Star Dancer

118 119Big Sky Journal HOME

t was written in the stars. After four years of looking, one

of Jackson Hole’s most majestic and best kept real-estate

secrets became known to a couple from Fairfield County,

Connecticut. At the end of the road near the highest point

on a steep, north-facing aspen-treed butte, this key 4.7-acre

property had been reserved for the development of a residents’

club. But that all changed. The owners remembered: “We were

I the first to know and we immediately flew to Jackson. It was

a wet, grey day with heavy clouds cloaking the peaks as we

stood on the property and looked north. Our realtor held up,

in front of our faces, a picture postcard of the entire Teton

Mountain Range taken from atop this butte. Sold.”

Brad Hoyt, a Jackson, Wyo. architect with CTA Architects

Engineers (of Billings, Mont., with several Rocky Mountain

A thoughtful match of land and structure houses one family and its heritage in the wilds of Wyoming

W r i t t e n b y t. H a m i s H t e a r

P H o t o g r a P H y b y k a r l n e u m a n n

a fire lookout inspired piece is the first to welcome visitors to the series of pods stretching out around the natural amphitheater. upper level living enhances the views from the public spaces. a fortress-strong base supports the lighter, view enhancing upper level.

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regional offices) was originally asked to design a

traditional home that would provide a haven for

extended family and friends, yet would also com-

pliment and accommodate copious Beidermeyer

antiques — heirloom family furniture from a sto-

ried heritage as far back as the 1820’s — to be

moved from Fairfield County and Pittsburgh.

However, Hoyt saw the natural amphitheater in

which the home would be nestled. He also saw one

of the most stunning views in Wyoming — in the

world — and that from a 500-foot elevated pedes-

tal looking out over a canopy of quaking aspen and

blue spruce trees.

“The lot cried out for a home that followed

the flow of this mini bowl, I had to preserve every

aspect of that situation and view,” Hoyt explained.

“The owners were open to my suggestion that a

barrel-stave roof on a contemporary home would

allow for so much more architectural creativ-

Left: the great room was specifically designed to feel com-fortable for even small-sized groups. a large upper level deck extends the living area during warm weather. Above: numerous outdoor spaces accommodate sun or shade, views of the teton range or more intimate favorites. Opposite page: Panoramic views of the teton range have been maximized at every opportunity including in the dining room where traditional family furniture is showcased in a warm contemporary space.

120 121Big Sky Journal HOME

123Big Sky Journal HOME

Superbly crafted by Stewart Construction Services of

Jackson, the whole is ingeniously designed around four ‘pods’

(guest house, entry tower, public area, master suites), positioned

along the curved contours of the land, and joined by connecting

corridors. With an angular difference of 45 degrees, the upper-

level views feature Mount Glory (from the guest house) and the

Cathedral Group (from the master bedroom), the central parts

of the range being enjoyed from the public area, its substantial

deck, and the entry tower.

Agoraphobics beware! The master shower’s vast clear

window threatens to launch one, hawk-like, out over the

tree-tops and on to the distant Wyoming valleys and peaks.

Meanwhile, from the rear south-facing kitchen window, a

reverse curve in the roof (which the family has nicknamed:

the Gelande, or ski jump) lifts an eave, bringing more intimate

enjoyment of the close-in flora and fauna, and the skyline of the

butte immediately above.

ity than a traditional home with view-limiting

gable roofs and tighter design caveats.” And the

antique furniture? The juxtaposition works per-

fectly in a seamless marriage of old-meets-new,

the interface between the honeyed maple floor-

ing and the dark-legged pieces meets a stunning

collection of generations-old rugs and runners.

Modern design, in the shape of an electric eleva-

tor in the entry tower — which mimics a fire

look-out — with large windows on all sides, even

facilitated the task of moving-in the furniture and

appliances.

Left: massive battered stone fireplace with custom steel surround anchors the living room. star Dancer clues are discovered throughout the home. Below: the kitchen bar accommodates informal meals while the tangerine tile back-splash converses with the dining room beyond. the detailing is clean, yet warm.

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With design-rich barrel roofs; sweeping ceilings of curved

and interconnected laminate beams; raised plates and lakes of

glass; the pods’ distinctive upper levels project an artistic yet

substantial, Modern yet enduring superstructure. This, in turn,

is carried by a no-nonsense lower level with fort-strong, bat-

tered limestone walls, and the only level of the home that is dug

into the hillside at the rear. It was most important to both Hoyt

and the owners that site disturbance be kept to a minimum.

Whilst the upper level, the domain of the elders, speaks

of fine and tranquil living, of order and organization amongst

exquisite furnishings; the lower level is a fully-contained sum-

mer camp-like collection of rooms in two separate apartments

for immediate family. There’s a super-cool ship-like bunk room

for eight kids, three en-suite bedrooms for adults, a billiard

room with a great stone fireplace, and a true locker-room with

The materials, in combination, marry the balance of elegant formality to the ingrained organic elements of living out West.

storage cubbies and benches set-up for serious partakers of ski-

ing, mountain-biking and all manner of outdoor sports offered

by this Rocky Mountain lifestyle. Equally, industrial strength

laundry, boiler and mechanical rooms line the south-facing

walls in further testament to the intent and longevity of this

family domain.

Intentionally, there’s not a full kitchen in the lower level,

which requires that dinners be eaten en famille in the splendid

red-walled dining area upstairs — a desire of the owners.

This love flows throughout the house — there is a saying on

a cushion that reads: “If you ever leave me — I’m going with

you.” And there is love in the home’s name: Star Dancer — a

reference to a passage in The Little Prince — which memori-

alizes a lost daughter, and allows her to be with her family

— every day. H

From conventional design-only architectural services, to project

varied experience to make projects into a reality with a complete start

125 1/2 West MainMissoula, MT 59802tel: 406.549.6120

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