Sunshine Canyon Residence is a project designed by Hacker. Located at 7,300 feet, high above the city of Boulder, Colorado, the Sunshine Canyon Residence accentuates its dramatic site by juxtaposing a simple form with the steep contours of a landscape scarred by wildfire. The house floats above the harsh terrain to provide spectacular views of Sunshine Canyon to the south, Sugarloaf Mountain to the west, and the Flatirons to the east. Photography by Jeremy Bittermann.

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The clients lost their home in the Fourmile Canyon Fire in 2010. The same fire scorched this site, which they selected to start again with a new approach to living in the mountains. They wanted a modern home capable of withstanding another wildfire, inspired by the materials of nearby historic mining infrastructure, and able to harvest the abundant sunlight at the site. The resulting 2,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home does that and more. Appearing to hover above the hillside, the house is angled at the ends to open to distant views and cracked in the middle to create a transition space from the frequent high winds and heavy snow. The form is supported on slender steel columns and concrete walls to touch the site delicately, allowing the slope to flow underneath. A south-facing, floor-to-ceiling window wall runs the length of the house. The windows, designed to withstand winds up to 135 mph, are protected by a deep overhang adjusted to welcome...