Case study · Empire Pass · Deer Valley
A 7,200 sq ft ski-in/ski-out built on a 32% grade Empire Pass parcel. Six bedrooms organized around an interior courtyard, structural-glass entry corridor, snow-melt deck and walkways, certified passive-house envelope.
The build
The Lone Peak Residence was Alder & Stone's most technically demanding 2024 delivery. The Empire Pass parcel sits on a 32% south-facing grade with a meaningful avalanche-shadow upslope, which dictated almost every structural decision from foundation to roofline. The homeowners — a multi-generational family relocating from Northern California — had a clear program in hand from the first consultation: six bedrooms organized so the grandchildren and grandparents could share a roof without sharing a hallway.
Architect Owen Alder organized the home around a south-facing interior courtyard, with the four secondary bedrooms in a two-story bar on the east elevation and the primary suite and au-pair quarters in a west-elevation pavilion. The courtyard fills with the morning light off Bald Eagle, and the structural-glass entry corridor at the home's spine doubles as a daylight collector through the shoulder seasons.
Construction superintendent Marisol Vega ran daily site operations across the 16-month build phase. The technical challenges — caisson piers to 22 feet, structural retention on three faces, snow-melt deck engineering, and a passive-house-certified envelope at 7,800 ft elevation — were planned for in Design Development rather than discovered in construction. The home passed Deer Valley ARR on first submission and the certificate of occupancy walked clean.
Floor plan + massing
Three pavilions arranged around a south-facing courtyard, connected by a structural-glass entry corridor. East pavilion: four secondary bedrooms over a basement-level games room with bunk room. West pavilion: primary suite over a private den, separated from the secondary wing by the courtyard. Center spine: open kitchen, living, and dining, with a 22-foot vaulted ceiling and a four-season conservatory at the south end. Au-pair quarters: one-bedroom suite over the heated three-car garage, with a separate exterior entrance off the motor court.
Finish-out specifications
Build timeline
We interviewed four firms. Owen was the only one who walked the slope before quoting — and the only one who said, plainly, that the corner of the lot we wanted the kitchen on wouldn't carry the structural load we needed. Two years later the kitchen is where it should have been from the first sketch, and the home has been the easiest thing in our lives.
— K. & M. Holloway, Empire Pass · January 2024
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