A 20TH CENTURY CLIFF HOUSE

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Here, one of the cheerful white walls—which brighten the upper rooms—has been abandoned . . . to reveal an expanse of fantastically cross-bedded sandstone braced by rough-hewn beams. The rock is actually the cave wall itself, sealed to keep down dust, and the ceiling is carefully fitted into a notch in the stone. Toward the front of the room the natural rock blends into a massive lichen-covered sandstone fireplace built by Chuck's brother Scott. And—as a small homage to his cliffdwelling forebears—Nystrom has added a four-inch-diameter hole that penetrates the hearth in front of the fire: the sipapu, from which the spirits come.

THE BIG PICTURE

Although the practical application of Charles Nystrom's design will be limited by geography, you might be surprised to know that appropriate cliff-bearing rock formations actually span the country—from Mexico to Canada—in a 500-mile-wide swath. Chuck feels that there are plenty of places available for dwellings like his, and he'd like to see more of them built. In fact (along with his partners James Kindig, Norma Hazen, and Robert Keech), Chuck plans to build a number of new cliff homes on the 500 acres directly adjacent to the original experiment. The houses will be inconspicuously lodged in outcrops similar to that which shelters his own residence, and the bulk of the property will be held in common ownership.

For a "retired" contractor, Mr. Nystrom isn't exactly inactive. When he moved into his home in November of 1977, he was convinced that it was the last house he would build . . . but the concept of the cliff dwelling—with its efficiency, security, and historical ties—is an idea that he still can't get off his mind.

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