HOMES COLORADO | SPRING 2000
SCENE OF SERENITY
A restful Western retreat provides a window to inner and outer beauty
The meditation hall at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Old Snowmass allows guests to explore the recesses of the mind while enveloped in peaceful, pristine views of Mt. Sopris and the surrounding valley. Hand-carved doors open to a sanctuary of tranquil timber, perfect for quiet introspection. Architects Steven Conger and Michael Fuller composed the layout of reclaimed Douglas fir beams according to the “golden section,” an organic line ratio based on the relationship beween a side of a square and its diagonal that appears in ancient structures such as the Parthenon. Their achievement is a structure firmly grounded in nature and its Western roots that provides a sense of quiet sophistication and harmony. H – Matthew Gustafson
