RES4 was engaged by a previous client—for whom the firm had designed a Manhattan loft more than 15 years prior—to design an addition to an existing house located on a steep hillside site in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The client is a revered comic book artist, writer, editor, television producer and former Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics and Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Entertainment. The project brief centered around the need for a dedicated studio space for creating art and music—connected to, but separated from the existing house to physically and mentally transport oneself from the activities of the household to a space for focused creativity. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the early stages of design further reinforced the necessity for building this dedicated creative studio space to work & play while hunkered down indefinitely in the family’s ski-town vacation home (then quickly becoming their primary residence in light of the new uncertainties of travel and city life at the time).

The steep topography of the site allowed for a distinct structure to be placed uphill from the existing house such that the main level of the studio could be connected via an enclosed bridge hovering over the site and spanning to the upper part of the central stair atrium of the existing house; an easily accessible & convenient home office, yet private & secluded; an intentional destination to inspire.

Additionally, the client wanted the studio to have the flexibility to also function as a fun venue for family gatherings, including program elements such as a wet bar and a large terrace for summer grilling, outdoor dining, and nighttime lounging around a gas fire pit while watching films al fresco on an inflatable projector screen. Furthermore, the lower level includes a large game room (billiards, table tennis, pinball machines, bubble hockey table, darts) and a professional home theater, complete with its own movie theater-style concession stand.

Working within the industries of comic book publication & television production, the client had assembled an impressive collection of props, costumes, artifacts of set design, and other priceless collectibles. The design therefore needed to provide ample opportunities for displays, seamlessly integrated into the architecture. Similarly, the client’s passionate musical interests required space for a baby grand piano, space to practice guitar, and integral custom display cases for his enviable guitar collection.

The building features a distinctive butterfly roof clad with black aluminum standing-seam panels, supported by exposed Douglas Fir glulam beams with soaring wood ceilings, rich walnut millwork, hot-rolled carbon steel interior wall cladding, and white oak flooring, enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass and black aluminum composite material (ACM) siding panels. A gas fireplace and recessed TV niche above make for a cozy sitting area near the piano, flanked by the guitar display cases. The board-formed concrete chimney intersects the butterfly roof shape and is topped with a custom steel plate shroud. The main level studio connects to the bluestone terrace through glass accordion doors that can be folded aside to create a large indoor-outdoor connection. A board-formed concrete retaining wall cradles the terrace and crisscrossing string lights float above. The building sits atop a tactile board-formed concrete base that reveals itself as the terrain slopes away. The materials are raw, yet elegant. The detailing is simple and refined. The interior space is restrained, yet the exterior form is expressive. The interior design character is subdued, but allows moments of fun and whimsy, such as the main-level powder room which features a custom copper sink basin with foot pedals to operate the faucet; here, the owner envisions drawings of superheroes on the walls, street art wall graphics, and guests will be encouraged to graffiti the walls too. Standing over the staircase to the lower level, a prominent custom display case houses a life-size mannequin donning a superhero costume.

Essentially a pavilion for creativity, the Idaho Artist’s Studio is a warm and comfortable incubator to foster art, music, contemplation, fun and family connection.