Ketchum and Sun Valley Architecture...

...Modern, Rustic, and Alternative styles are all represented.

Traditional Mountain Architecture

The classic Sun Valley home features typical rough hewn logs and river rock, steeply sloping rooftops to accomodate the heavy snows typical of a Wood River Valley winter. Warm interiors are designed with all the typical "hunting lodge" stylings, from wood and stone floors, antlers used for lamps and doorhandles, willow and log furniture with indian blanket uphostery are featured under dugout canoes hanging from the ceiling. It's often quite difficult to choose from the intricate detail of the interiors or the snow covered slopes of Mount Baldy through expansive picture windows.

Many subdivisions require a certain look and even size of home, and possibly landscaping specifications, so working with on eof Ketchum's local architecture firms can be very helpful in this respect. If you are looking to build in Ketchum,Hailey, or Sun Valley subdivisions, be sure to review the CC&R's with your realtor, contractor, and architect to make sure that the building guidelines are in keeping with your style.

World class architects are often found in world class resorts; Ketchum and Sun Valley are home to many accomplished architecture firms

Modern Minimalism

More and more modern styled homes are sprouting up here - and the effect is not jarring, as some would expect. Squarish buildings with earthy stucco finishes and a Zen demeanor blend in perfectly with the stark desert landscape. Flat roofs do offer the challenge in heavy snow to handle the weight as well as spring melt, but Blaine County building codes and Ketchum's local architects and builders have plenty of experience with these aspects of home construction.

Many modern homes offer superior insulation and earth friendly interior finishes - the serene beauty of this mountain setting inspires many residents to step lightly on the earth, and thankfully they can do this with elegance and comfort. Lanscaping can also be a challenge in Southern Idaho's brutal high mountain desert, and the added burden of wildlife in search of forage. Native grasses and the ubiquitous red willows, aspen, pine and juniper are common foils to deer and other local wildlife; closer to the home many landscape designers locate the tender plants that require shelter from hungry deer as well as the challenging Ketchum climate.

Alternative Energy Homes

Many extremely alternative homes and buildings are built outside of Ketchum's more exclusive subdivisions, but most CC&R's will allow for a great deal of passive solar construction and even some more advanced conservation techniques such as grey water systems, straw bale construction, and other low impact design components.

Southern Idaho is a great location for sun and wind energy development, and alternative energy generators can dramatically reduce a home's energy consumption. The home shown here is built just outside of Ketchum into a steep hillside for increased insulation. The South facing windows provide expansive views of the gorgeous landscape, but are also an integral component of the passive solar design, which stores heat from the sun in the stone floors. Masonry stoves or fireplaces are also found in the Ketchum, built by specially licensed contractors. Other heating options of course include radiant floor heating and geothermal, as a complement to passive solar design, which figures to som edegreen in most home's siting, and most likely the roof overhangs and window orientations of Ketchum area homes.