Goatbarn Lane

Goatbarn Lane is a full-time residence for the architect’s father, who sought to live simply and respectfully amid Colorado’s unique mountain landscape. Its architecture explores the power of less and, in doing so, the impact of each of its elements grows. Throughout, the home demonstrates that minimal design can connect us to places, simplify our lives, and inspire us in profound ways.

Colorado’s gold mining history informed the design, which flirts with the simple sheds, barns, and homes that miners erected to adapt to the state’s rugged landscape. The home reclaims that vernacular through simple yet functional design that firmly roots it in its context.

"This project is a beautiful blend of authentic materials with sustainable design and construction technology." - Jury comment

The steel-clad structure sits along an outcropping of rock that provides shelter from the north. A viewing platform cantilevers over the first floor toward the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Below, steel legs anchor the home to the rock and allow a bedroom to float above the undisturbed hillside. Despite only being 1,860 square feet, the home fosters a feeling of abundance.

Goatbarn Lane is built to respond to a warming planet with defenses against wildfires and a highly efficient design. Its cladding, concrete base, and ironwood eaves work together to create an ignition-resistant shell. The home’s siting beneath the shade of giant ponderosa pine trees, its floor-to-ceiling windows, and renewable energy allows the home to operate at net-zero electricity  with no mechanical cooling.

"It’s a beautiful story of a parent’s home, thoughtfully composed with timeless materials and intimate spaces. The design responds to the site and its inhabitant with modesty and grace." - Jury comment

“This project is a beautiful blend of authentic materials with sustainable design and construction technology,” said the jury. “It’s a beautiful story of a parent’s home, thoughtfully composed with timeless materials and intimate spaces. The design responds to the site and its inhabitant with modesty and grace.”

The home’s straight-forward organization and its two volumes foster a calm and clear connection with its natural surroundings. Its orderly, exposed structure supported by simple materials reinforces the driving architectural concept.

In the architect’s view, a project that people will fight to preserve is rooted deeply in authenticity. That authenticity only happens when a building emerges so strongly from its place that it cannot be imagined in any other setting. In that way, Goatbard Lane is a truly authentic home.