Mork-Ulnes completes California ski chalet coated in black ta

This northern California cabin by Mork-Ulnes Architects is clad in tar-coated timber and sits atop a concrete plinth – measures that both help protect the structure from heavy snowfall
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Encompassing 17,500 square feet (1,625 square meters), the five-bedroom cabin is located on Donner Summit near a major ski resort. It sits on a gentle slope, on a site with an elevation of 6,800 feet (2,070 metres). The cabin's name, Troll Hus, refers to Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, in which trolls are said to dwell in remote mountains.

The project was commissioned by a retired couple as a vacation home for their three children and grandchildren – all of whom are impassioned skiers. Tucked away in the mountains and nestled into a high alpine forest, the design responds to the owners' desire for a Modernist, rather secluded refuge with a constant visual reference to nature," said Mork-Ulnes Architects , which has offices in San Francisco and Oslo. The home is clad in planks of solid timber coated in black tar, a traditional Norwegian technique that was used on stave churches in northern Europe during the Medieval period.

The tar coating helps protect the home from weather and insects, and its dark colour enables the home to blend with its natural surroundings. The distinctive black hue of the house helps it recede among the tree trunks of this wooded site," said firm founder Casper Mork-Ulnes. The design was driven by the extreme environmental conditions of the site, which can become snowbound during the winter. Its footprint was kept as compact as possible

"Based on the alpine chalet, the house is lifted by concrete legs to protect it from snow in excess of 800 inches (20 metres) a year, while still embracing a California sensibility of indoor-outdoor living," the firm said.