Cottage Black

Cottage Black is a guest residence located within a dense aspen grove in Aspen, Colorado. The project brief called for a modern structure that reflects its mountain setting while functioning primarily as a place for visitors. The verticality, texture, and marked seasonality of the site’s mature aspens played a significant role in guiding the overall form and articulation of the house. The exterior is clad in charred cedar, establishing a restrained palette that recalls the contrasting light and dark tones typical of aspen bark. Vertical battens and standing-seam metal roofing reinforce a rhythm that echoes the upright trunks of the surrounding trees. Inside, luminous white walls and precisely detailed wood ceilings continue the influence of the natural context, with materials and proportions calibrated to reference the landscape’s character. Expansive glazing draws daylight into the interior and opens views onto the grove and the distant Elk Mountains, heightening the visual and spatial connection between the architecture and the environment.

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