Project Overview

Trail House

High-Performance SIP Home Integrated with Mountain Terrain

House: 3,000 sq ft + Studio: 500 sq ft

Trail House is a custom single-family residence located on a steep hillside in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Designed as a modern cabin rooted in simplicity and connection to nature, the home was intentionally shaped to work with the contours of the land rather than against them. The 3,000-square-foot residence, along with a 500-square-foot studio, unfolds along a winding path that follows the site’s natural topography and captures sweeping south- and west-facing views.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) were used for both the walls and roof, providing a high-performance building envelope well suited to the project’s challenging terrain, climate conditions, and architectural goals.

Design and Sustainability

The design of Trail House is deeply informed by its relationship to the surrounding landscape. A series of shed roofs nestle into the hillside, rotating with the terrain to provide summer shading while allowing winter sun to penetrate beneath the eaves. The home’s layout wraps around the ridge, with each interior space opening to the outdoors and supporting year-round indoor-outdoor living.

Energy efficiency and envelope performance were essential design drivers. Large expanses of glass required a building system capable of maintaining thermal stability while maximizing daylight and views. SIP construction supports this balance by delivering continuous insulation and low air permeability throughout the building enclosure.

Why SIPs?

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) were selected to meet both the performance requirements and logistical constraints of the site. The steep, narrow hillside location limited access and eliminated the possibility of large lay-down or staging areas.

SIPs provided a prefabricated building solution that could be delivered to the site ready for installation, reducing onsite labor and simplifying construction sequencing. Their high insulation value and airtight construction also aligned with the project’s sustainability goals and the need for consistent interior comfort in a mountain climate.

Benefits of SIPs

The use of SIPs delivered several key advantages for Trail House:

• Energy Efficiency:
  Continuous insulation and low air permeability reduce heating and cooling demand while supporting stable interior temperatures.

• Site-Responsive Construction:
  Prefabricated SIP panels minimized onsite staging needs and enabled efficient installation on a steep, constrained site.

• Design Flexibility:
  SIPs supported complex roof geometries and long spans without compromising envelope performance.

• Interior Comfort:
  The high-performance envelope helps balance large areas of glazing, maintaining comfort throughout seasonal extremes.

Construction and Innovation

Trail House demonstrates how SIP construction can support architecturally expressive residential design in challenging environments. The panelized system allowed the structure to be assembled efficiently while maintaining envelope continuity across walls and roof assemblies.

Clerestory windows on the uphill side bring daylight deep into the home, while exposed wood ceilings and glulam beams create a warm, modern interior that complements the surrounding forest.

Challenges and Solutions

The project site presented significant challenges, including steep slopes, limited access, and the need to carefully manage construction logistics. SIPs addressed these challenges by reducing the number of construction steps required onsite and allowing the building enclosure to be installed quickly and accurately.

By combining structure and insulation into a single system, SIPs helped the project team achieve high performance without increasing complexity or disrupting the natural landscape.

Key Features

• Custom single-family residence in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

• Steep hillside site with limited access and staging area

• Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) wall and roof construction

• High-performance building envelope with low air permeability

• Roof geometry designed for passive solar control

• Locally sourced charred cedar siding

• Strong connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces