Caju Home is a minimal residence positioned in Teton Village, Wyoming, designed by CLB Architects. The weathered Corten metal exterior—its floor alive with oxidation’s heat orange patina—beckons like a protecting shell in opposition to the rugged panorama. This materiality is not any mere aesthetic alternative however a philosophical assertion, giving this household retreat its evocative identify borrowed from the Brazilian cashew fruit.
“I by no means knew that you might really feel structure till stepping foot into this residence,” remarks a member of the family, articulating what CLB Architects have achieved right here: structure as embodied expertise quite than visible spectacle.
The home emerges from a compelling design problem—easy methods to create presence whereas sustaining lightness. Elevated on structural columns that delicately contact the hillside, the bed room wing seems to drift above the panorama, honoring the positioning’s dense timber and rugged topography. When a boulder found throughout excavation couldn’t be moved, quite than forcing their imaginative and prescient, the architects reoriented the complete construction. “The principles and rigor of the home drive the design,” explains Eric Logan, acknowledging how constraints turned catalysts.
Caju’s materials palette speaks to craft traditions that privilege honesty and longevity. Metal, concrete, and larch wooden work together in rigorously orchestrated rigidity—industrial resilience softened by pure heat. The residing end of the Corten exterior recollects Scandinavian precedents the place climate turns into co-creator, whereas the larch inside connects to Alpine constructing traditions the place timber creates sanctuary in opposition to harsh parts.
This 2,800-square-foot residence stands in aware opposition to the supersized trip properties which have come to dominate American resort communities. As a substitute, it embodies what associate Andy Ankeny describes as “residing merely,” the place structure stays grounded in important human wants quite than extra. The choice to include minimal furnishings—simply “two chairs, a espresso desk, a settee and a eating set”—transforms the structure itself into practical sculpture.
The perforated chrome steel staircase demonstrates this sculptural method, functioning concurrently as circulatory gadget, gentle filter, and visible connector between flooring. This multifunctionality echoes Japanese minimalism, the place family parts serve a number of functions with out sacrificing magnificence.
