Look across the street from the lodge and you’ll see a large brown house with a full front of windows facing Sipapu. That’s the Big House!
Founder’s son Bruce Bolander began building The Big House in 1979 and finished it in 1980. Bruce designed and built the house as an “envelope house,” a passive solar design that utilized the huge sunroom off the front of the house to create a convection loop to heat the home. “The overhang in the front is specifically designed to capture the most solar gain in the winter while shading the house in the summer,” said Bruce in a recent interview. It was an innovative design for the time before solar energy was popular.
At nearly 3000 square feet, The Big House is Sipapu’s largest lodging unit and can sleep up to 18 guests in four bedrooms. “I wanted to build it big to accommodate our family, exchange students, and all the guests we could handle,” said Bruce.
The front sunroom used to have a full climbing wall, ping pong tables, and more. “That room was always filled with people,” said Bruce. “We used to put a Christmas tree up every year for all the valley to see.”
Want to discover the Big House for yourself? It’s available to rent! Just visit our lodging page and book your stay today.
