Bar House | Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House by New York based architectural firm Peter Gluck & Partners is located on a deep narrow valley, bounded by a river on one edge and a road on the other. The geometrical form designed to give a sense of floating across the valley, while providing the best view to the valley from the roof-top terrace.

Bar House, image courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House, image courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

+ Project description courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

The simple and strong geometric shape of this house – which is a bar set boldly across, rather than nestling along, the valley floor – stands up to the rugged and majestic mountains that surround it. Despite its strength, the house is partly submerged in the ground, as if to lock it into the landscape. The views up and down the valley dominate the interior spaces, but they are tempered in different ways by the varied size and placement of the windows and the shape of the rooms. The winter weather is severe, and the sun reaches the bottom of the narrow valley only from the south. The bedrooms and the family room are located in a single-loaded corridor on the south side of the second floor. The linear program gives each room southern exposure and provides spectacular views of the valley.

Bar House, image courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

An exterior stair is elongated on the northern side, leading to an open-air roof deck, allowing light into the second floor and providing the bedrooms with cross-ventilation. The living room on the ground floor has scenic views on three sides. A garage and guest apartment are located on the other side of the driveway, and an overhang of the house provides protection in inclement weather.

Bar House - Site plan, drawing courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House - First floor plan, drawing courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House - Second floor plan, drawing courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House - Elevations, drawing courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

Bar House - Sections, drawing courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners

+ Project credits / data

Architect: Peter Gluck & Partners
Project: Bar House
Type: Building Use Private, Single-Family Residence
Gross area: 6,750 SF
Height: 2 stories
Location: Castle Creek, Colorado
Status: Completed 2005
Photography: © Paul Warchol Snow Photography: Charlie Kaplan

+ All images and drawings courtesy of Peter Gluck & Partners