Bigwood Residence is a modern retreat tucked into a hillside in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA. Measuring 6,500ft² (604m²), the two-story house, featured a 23-foot-wide (7-metre-wide) pivot door, was designed by Olson Kundig in 2017.
The design of this modern retreat draws inspiration from the surrounding high desert landscape, balancing the prospect of sweeping mountain views with a sense of refuge and intimacy. The 6,500-square-foot home’s two west-facing wings launch out of the landscape towards unobstructed, 270-degree views of Bald Mountain, Griffin Butte, and Adams Gulch. The base of the structure is board-formed concrete, while the cantilevered wings are made of steel and glass.
A 23-foot-wide pivot door on the steel and glass bridge allows the entire south-facing wall to open, transforming a simple connection between the two wings (main house and guest quarters) into functional space. The pivoting glass wall is counterbalanced overhead by a large steel weight that sits five feet above the roof; the hand-wheel’s crank is attached to an eight-foot-long screw. The outdoors is welcomed in at nearly every turn, with expansive windows and wide-swinging doors that celebrate the interior/exterior connection.
— Olson Kundig
Drawings:
Photographs by Benjamin Benschneider
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