With the completion of 30 successful years in the field of architecture in Jackson Hole, the CLB architects team claims to have come a long way from where they started, yet they abide by the morals and essentials with which they began their journey. Their projects are mainly thoughtful, innovative and attentive to details. Their concerns regarding each project as an individual can be seen in their portfolio since every design of theirs is very responsive to its immediate context and functional as per the client’s needs. Most of their designs are vividly influenced by the power that landscape beholds, the ambience that the play of light and shadows could create, and simple honesty to vernacular architecture.
Core Values & Project speciality | CLB Architects
Even though the studio is very versatile with its design, its forte could be recognised as custom residential projects. The commercial side of the portfolio majorly includes community facilities, resorts, and mixed-use buildings. Their projects focus on the process, collaboration and integration of craft, material and constructability. Their approach towards project planning has landed them several awards and publications and helped spread the word on the importance of good design.
The studio also works to create an internal environment that acts as a natural extension of architecture, with a principle that says the line between where architecture ends and the interior starts should be blurred. They, in numerous ways, try to associate a project’s architectural form with materiality, furnishings, artworks and lighting.
Tengoku Residence
The Tengoku Residence infuses elements of California mid-century modernism west of the Rocky Mountains while embracing the natural topography of Jackson Hole in an appealingly contemporary way. In a departure from the mountain modernist style typical of the area, the design of the 4,739-square-foot resort was inspired by the couple’s shared love of Japanese Zen gardens and mid-century modern design, as well as his experiences living in California and Hawaii.
The linear, angular facade is softened by a series of guitar-shaped roof vents that define three courtyards. In response to a client’s desire for a curved element somewhere in the home, the curved openings are repeated in the planters and landscape elements below. In addition to shaping the light dramatically and informally throughout the day, curved openings and uninterrupted glass walls help to enhance the uncluttered frame of nature that unfolds throughout the home.
Town Enclosure | CLB Architects
Jackson Hole Public Art commissioned The Pavilion Project with help from the Center for the Arts, Jackson companies, and private benefactors. The Center Park project, completed in 2018, is a performance and exhibition facility for community artists and groups that foster community participation and provides a platform for artistic expression in the centre of downtown Jackson. The idea was to create a gathering space that was also a sculptural artwork as part of the Center for the Arts “Creative in Residence Program.” This, in turn, would be used in various ways — both formally and informally — and would always be open to the public in search of artistic experiences in the open air.
The installation is a 52-foot-diameter circular array of cross-laminated timber wall panels that stand 13.3 feet tall and range in width from 7 to 12 feet. The panels are parallel and positioned around the perimeter of the circular structure rather than radiating out from the centre like the spokes of a wheel—the gaps between the panel’s beckon exploration. From afar, the composition respects its mountainous location, engages pedestrians, and acts as a sympathetic counterbalance to its natural surroundings.
The Center requested that design firms submit proposals from which they might choose their preferred choice for this public artwork. The call for submissions drew ten proposals from the valley’s artistic community. A blind submission method ensured that the winning proposal was chosen entirely based on its merits. CLB was chosen because of the “Town Enclosure” design’s powerful shape and function.
The design is adaptable, constantly accessible to the public, and may be used in several formal and impromptu ways to stimulate artistic experiences en plein air. Town Enclosure becomes a forum for artistic expression, a site for performance and exhibition, and an armature for creative discovery. The installation was originally placed in Town Square Park in downtown Jackson but transferred to Story Mill Community Park in Bozeman, Montana in 2021.
“Town Enclosure,” located on The Center Park lawn, is a circular array of cross-laminated timber wall panels placed vertically and spaced to entice visitors to explore. The arrangement speaks to the surrounding mountains from a distance, engages passing traffic and pedestrians, and gives sculptural interest to the park’s flat lawn, which is flanked by city skyscrapers. Its shape is inspired by Mountain West placemaking markers like fences and corrals and iconic landmarks like the Grand Teton’s West Buttress. The piece’s simultaneous transparency and opacity allow for multiple interpretations, adding depth and intricacy to an otherwise simple form. Real participation occurs as one travels about and within the panels.
References: CLB Architects
- https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/6243/2101/43a1/1201/6681/def5/slideshow/tengoku-ellis-1060-w1.jpg?1648566550
- https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/6243/20fe/43a1/1201/6681/def3/slideshow/tengoku-ellis-0812.jpg?1648566539
- https://archello.com/brand/clb-architects
- https://architizer.com/firms/clb-architects/
- https://clbarchitects.com/projects/town-enclosure/
