Mountain House Design: 5 things to know

Mountain house design: 5 things to know is about having a real Architect design a mountain residence for you.

Designing a residence in the mountains involves a host of factors that only a licensed professional understands. And the only recognized license allowing someone to design buildings and houses is that of an Architect. Mountain land has several challenges that require a higher level of professional skill.

Among the mountain issues:

1. Mountain Geology- issues relating to the location of bedrock under your foundations on your mountain land and how the foundations of your home may need to be attached (or not) to the bedrock and certain conditions of which to be wary, to insure that your house is solid.

2. Mountain Humidity- Mountain locations often possess a combination of microclimate high humidity, cycled with periods of dryness. An Architect needs to analyze what your mountain situation calls for in terms of damp-proofing so that your house is warm, dry and healthy.

3. Mountain Seismic- while some mountains may be the result of glacial scouring, the more dramatic mountains are often due to tectonic upheaval (earthquakes). While many AHJ (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) and major building codes only allocate a low-level importance to many areas (even where mountains are located), because the frequency of seismic events are far and few between, that does not mean that the next significant event may not be about to occur. Having extra strength in your connections throughout the mountain house can help to avoid a calamity. Another issue that a prudent mountain Architect would analyze.

4. Mountain elevation- this can impact the type of gas (or not) to use between insulated glass windows, as most Architects know that when the mountain house exceeds a certain height ASL (Above Sea Level), that the seal around insulated glass can rupture, resulting in fogged glass. An Architect familiar with mountain issues knows how to avoid this.

5. Mountain Weather Harshness & Durability- mountain environments often have more than their share of snow, ice, high velocity winds, sun, mold and other environmental issues. A mountain Architect understands how to details the various conditions around a mountain house to help more effectively resist these extremes and choose materials that will last longer and with less maintenance.

This has been only 5 mountain house design issues. Please review this Architect’s main website for more information. And in the end: hire an Architect. One who lives and works everyday in a mountain location.