colorado building workshop clads hozho house with cedar rainscreen

colorado building workshop clads hozho house with cedar rainscreen
photography by foster ramsey and rick sommerfeld
all images courtesy of colorado building workshop

located in utah’s navajo nation, students from the university of colorado denver and DesignBuildBLUFF have completed a single storey dwelling that provides a local couple with a shaded home capable of hosting family gatherings.

constructed for only $25,000 USD, the single-pitched property is stitched into the landscape with a cedar and recycled-aluminum rainscreen designed to layer shadows and transparency. wrapping the building, the sheathing folds out from the façade creating a series of apertures that protect inhabitants from the hot desert sun. the walls and roof are constructed with structural insulated panels that exceed traditional insulation standards.

the single-pitched property is stitched into the landscape with a cedar and recycled-aluminum rainscreen

two distinct private volumes define the interior of the home: the bedroom and the bathroom. integrated into the timber cladding, doorways are concealed in order to further emphasize privacy and seclusion, while at the end of the hallway a nook desk is built into the wall. envisioned as a continuation of the cedar volume, this extrusion provides a work surface while shading the window from the summer heat.

an open floor plan transitions out towards the patio, offering views of the blue mountains

the more public area of the home features an open floor plan that transitions out towards the patio offering views of the blue mountains. the surrounding rainscreen offers protection from the sun and wind while providing filtered light and animated shadows.

the rainscreen offers protection from the sun and wind while providing filtered light

the cladding is designed to layer shadows and transparency

doorways are concealed in order to further emphasize privacy and seclusion

‘hozho house’ set within the utah desert

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project info:

project name: hozho house
architect: university of colorado denver colorado building workshop and designbuildbluff at the university of utah
location: navajo nation, utah, USA

structural engineer: andy paddock

faculty team: rick sommerfeld – director colorado building workshop, jose galarza – director designbuildbluff, atsushi yamamoto, hiroko yamamoto
student team: shawn adams, erica alfaro, patrick beseda, gregory behlen, anastasia chmel, megan garrett, lacy graham, patricia gut, amy keil, anna huey, catalina pedraza, henry rahn, foster ramsey, scott rank, joe stevenson, dana trill, iassen vladimirov, megan voiles, ronald willison, kristin zuro
lighting consultant: MH lighting company

project area: 813 sqf

photography: foster ramsey, rick sommerfeld