The owner of this project was well versed in the geology of his land and had climbed every peak he could see from his site.  In our discussions with him we learned that his site included abandoned feldspar and beryl mines.  We were intrigued to learn about the level of technology that was employed at the mines, the materials used in related buildings, how the parts went together and how the by-products were discarded.  We looked at images of mining camps and developed a mutual appreciation for this mountain-specific architecture.  Our discussions informed the design of the house, not in the sense of historical reproduction of mining camp architecture, but in an attitude about how the volumes could collide or mesh, how the building might touch the ground, and what the level of finishes should be.

Text from the Architecture of Listening