As if born from Edward Abbey’s imaginings, this Buddhist Retreat emerges from an unspoiled landscape of burly lava boulders and wind-sculpted juniper trees. Shaped like a Buddha seated in meditation, with left leg bent in and right leg draped forward, the home faces eastward toward the rising sun over the high alpine desert of Grover, Utah. A blanketing panorama of Capitol Reef, Grover Valley, and Boulder Mountain wraps around her shoulders.
The architects from Imbue Design utilized native volcanic rock for the exterior gabion walls that surround the base of the home, allowing the natural environment to rise up like a stony skin, seamlessly merging structure with site. With form and function in mind from the outset, the rock also absorbs and dissipates heat, passively cooling and heating the interior. A 93-foot long ipe hardwood deck serves as a rooftop, projecting the observer out into a sky view of nature’s vast display, allowing the mind to empty itself of clutter. From the deck, a stairway descends into an intimate outdoor space, sheltered from sun and weather, where one is back at earth-level with the terrain. Both private and protected, the main entry of the home is located here.
Inside, a red spiral staircase serves as the spine of the building’s anatomy, leading to the two distinct “legs” of the home. The left leg houses the primary bedroom and office, while the living room, kitchen, and second bedroom occupy the right leg. The minimalist interior, with its museum white walls and gray concrete floors, directs one’s attention outward. A 24-foot sliding glass wall disappears, further blurring the boundaries between the built and the natural, infusing the ever-present landscape into every little ritual of daily life. Here, nature is not just a backdrop–it is a constant companion.
A short walk from the main residence, you’ll find a second dwelling tucked into the land, also oriented to the east. Like its counterpart, this private guest retreat was designed for solitude and contemplation, and engagement with the surroundings. Just as clean-lined and modern in aesthetic, the space includes a bedroom, bath, open kitchen and living room, and wall-to-wall covered patio. Rooted in principles of sustainability, this property was designed to be effortless, energy-efficient, and gentle on the local habitat. It is a place of refuge for the residents and the resident wildlife alike. It is a place where mindfulness is entwined with nature’s cycles and seasons. If you’ve been seeking a way to deepen your own practice, let this rugged paradise climb inside you. Much like the current owners, given time, you too will find yourself embodying the stillness and peace of this sanctuary.