Engineering Mountain Homes - Balancing Views, Snow, and Structure

Here at Apex, we have had the opportunity to design our fair share of mountain homes - from rustic, cozy log cabins to modern, breathtaking houses with panoramic views. As you can imagine, designing a home in the Rocky Mountains with things like altitude and snow loads to consider, is very different from designing a home in, say, rural Kansas. Each project brings its own distinct features and structural considerations.

Keep reading to explore some of the unique mountain homes our Denver team has recently worked on and learn about the key structural factors that go into designing them.

Structural Considerations When Engineering Mountain Homes

1. Snow Loads and Roof Design

High altitudes mean heavy snowfall, and many local codes require designing for snow loads much higher than in Denver - sometimes even up to 4 times higher. Taller rooflines, common in mountain homes, can further amplify the effects of snow and wind, so careful structural planning is essential.

2. Wind Loads and Structural Integrity

Mountain homes often feature tall facades, expansive windows, and heavier, more unique exterior materials than typical suburban homes. These design choices make buildings more susceptible to strong winds, so proper bracing and material selection are critical to maintain stability without compromising the architectural vision.

3. Design Freedom and Aesthetic Collaboration

Unlike most projects where we focus on creating the most economical design possible, custom mountain homes often allow for a different approach. Homeowners are often willing to invest in striking architectural features, giving engineers the opportunity to collaborate closely with architects to prioritize beauty and functionality over cost.

Apex Mountain Home Projects

Classic Log Cabin - Alma, CO

Tube-steel frame erected on East Wall. This frame acts as support for the large window system.

Nearing completion of the first level's wall system, the framers layout second floor framing.

The construction and interaction of the Mass Log Wall system at corners and openings.

This mountain home is a true log-style cabin, built using logs shipped from Europe that fit together to form the walls of the house. The wall system, designed and manufactured by Honka Walls, was incorporated as a deferred submittal. Apex partnered with Slope Architecture on the design of the roof, footings, interior floor framing, steel system on the east wall (pictured above), and the foundation walls, coordinating to ensure the pre-designed wall system aligned with the scope of our structural work.

Our team engineered the roof to support a 100 psf snow load with a steel moment frame and designed a spread footing system with a 48" frost depth. With the use of exposed heavy timber, concealed connections were an important aspect of design. The Simpson CBTZ combines structural strength with invisibility. It was incorporated into this design to avoid any visible uplift connectors. Currently under construction, we're excited to watch this home come to life in the highest incorporated town in North America.

Modern Mountain Home - Winter Park, CO

Renderings courtesy of Hackett Architecture.

This 6,600-square-foot home, currently in the design phase, is stunning from every angle. The design features a sunken living room, a soaking tub, a three-car garage, and expansive windows that maximize the surrounding views. Apex worked with Hackett Architecture and Wilcox Custom Builders on the design.

From a structural standpoint, the home incorporates vaulted trusses, allowing the ceiling to follow the slope of the roof and create dramatic, open interior spaces. This roof will also support a 100 psf snow load, and the foundation will consist of a spread footing system designed for a maximum soil bearing pressure of 2,500 psf.

Contemporary Alpine Duplex - Winter Park, CO

Rendering courtesy of MmD Architecture.

This contemporary duplex, designed with MmD Architecture, is tucked into the ski slopes of Winter Park, CO. With architectural features like tall, expansive windows and dramatic mono-slope and butterfly rooflines, the structure takes full advantage of and is complimented by the surrounding mountain peaks. To further optimize the aesthetic and owner experience, the perimeter of the structure is designed to closely follow irregular setbacks while offering cantilevering upper-level decks to maximize space and user experience. Coupled with more demanding load requirements, these stunning architectural elements provide unique and complex structural challenges for both gravity and lateral design.

The roof is designed with both pre-engineered trusses and a wood-framed system of ridge beams and rafters at the butterfly roof, to give shape to the structure on both the inside and out. The 100 psf snow load increased the magnitude of the load paths, creating a need for more robust members (LSL studs, steel girders, etc.) throughout the roof, wall, and floor systems. The gravity design was further complicated when considering the potential addition of hot tubs to the level two decks cantilevering over the garage entrances. From a lateral standpoint, the 135 mph loading was mitigated using a combination of IRC braced walls; however, where wall space was limited or studs were too tall, engineered shear walls and moment frames were utilized.

Want to learn more about our residential design work? Check out our single-family projects or reach out to Alfonso.