This Modern, Mountainside Cabin Has Us Dreaming of Winter Vacation Already

I had plenty of questions for the Twobytwo Architecture studio team about this striking modernist cabin in Golden, B.C. But the one I didn’t ask haunts me: How can I get adopted into your family?

“We’re a family of ski bums,” laughs Jenny Bassett, co-principal of the Vancouver-based Twobytwo (alongside spouse David Tyl). The property technically belongs to her sister, who resides in Calgary, but the vacation home has turned into the defacto gathering spot for the whole clan.

With the help of a structural engineer brother-in-law, Tyl and Bassett sketched up a beautifully boxy, 2,450-square-foot black-wood-and-concrete design with a dramatic cantilevered balcony. “It had to be a family residence, something that could support everyone and be a meeting space,” says Bassett.

The layout (constructed by Zimmerman Construction) features four bathrooms and three formal bedrooms, plus plenty of other places to crash—including a full finished and heated garage that can convert to sleeping quarters in a snap. “We’ve joked that even the pantry behind the kitchen could become a bedroom if we needed it,” says Tyl.

It’s a home designed to accommodate an active crew. One bathroom is a full-on wet room (“Ideal for washing your dog,” laughs Tyl). The extensive mudroom provides ample spots to ditch boots and skis.

The material palette takes its cues from the surrounding landscape, with wood siding and Douglas fir beams. The stair treads are Douglas fir, too, accenting a unique steel staircase that cuts right through the three stories. The concrete floors are heated to add a visceral warmth. “The calming materials really help you centre on the beautiful view up to the river,” says Bassett.

But (unsurprisingly) it’s that dramatic balcony that has really captured the heart of the designers. Cleverly designed with a steel-mesh floor, snow falls through easily, making the deck enjoyable year round. (Up on the second floor, it also avoids mosquitos in the summer.)

The cabinets in the kitchen are whitewashed wood veneer, while the countertops are Caesarstone. Some lighting is from Luminaire Authentic, but Bassett (a talented ceramicist) made some of the other fixtures.

With 14-foot tall ceilings, this bright and airy cabin in the woods feels at once open and cozy… and like there would be plenty of room for a little design writer to schmooze her way in to the next family retreat?