DNA Alpine

General Contractor

Gerber Construction
Telluride, Colorado

Sheet Metal Contractor

Stone Ridge Roofing and Siding
Montrose, Colorado

For this house in the high alpine reaches of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, CCY Architects designed a house that would amplify the beauty of the site while being tough enough to withstand the challenges posed by its 10,000-foot elevation.

Clad in copper, this 4,000-square-foot house provides a shelter designed to meet the needs of the ever-changing mountain weather conditions. Inspired by the owner’s interest in synthetic biology, the copper facade is composed of a series of four copper profiles arranged in a non-repetitive pattern derived from the DNA sequence of the Engelmann Spruce trees that tower over the land.

Stone Ridge Roofing and Siding fabricated a copper façade that wraps continuously around the structure. Its distinctive patination creates shifting, slightly reflective patterns that evoke an interactive experience. The copper façade panels become a dynamic camouflage in changing daylight that will continue to develop over time as snow piles up to various heights throughout the building’s life, leaving a high-water mark of sorts. The choice of copper was driven by durability in addition to aesthetics, as for six months out of the year the home has snow sitting directly against the siding.

Employing resilient exterior materials and built to the highest quality, the design anticipates that DNA Alpine House will endure for multiple generations, inspiring future interest in environmental stewardship and a lasting passion for its alpine setting.