

studio NminusOne builds the khyber ridge house into a cliff

all images courtesy of studio NminusOne

for a client that’s an extreme snowboarder comes a home designed by canadian firm studio NminusOne that matches their love of living life on the edge of a mountain. the ‘khyber ridge’ home finds its site nestled into the side of a rock cliff created around the construction of the road, tightly surrounded by dense forest. five levels comprise the mountain home taking the inhabitant in a constant journey into and out of the terrain. at the ground level, a garage supports a stone volume containing the guest accommodations whose green roof and lower elevation provides for the most privacy as it blends into the alpine landscape. a series of stairs- at first external for the first level and then internal for the remainder of the house- are tucked against the exposed rock face, allowing the side of the topography to form one of the walls along the circulation. at the next level, a glass enclosed volume containing the living room, dining area, and kitchen projects out over the green roof below enjoying views of the landscape. long steel beams embedded 3′ directly into the rock make the volume appear as if to float above the terrain. the top level contains the master suite and two additional bedrooms enjoying the greatest views of the house, also benefiting from the living room structure below as a large outdoor deck.



khyber ridge house in context



approach from the street



living room projecting into the air



underside of the cantilever clad in natural wooden planks



inside the living room



sitting area surrounded by glass walls and a scenic mountain landscape



(left) exterior staircase

(right) interior staircase



outdoor deck above the guest apartment



top level great room



(left) outside the master suite- wall is convex to allow maximum views

(right) master bathroom



master shower