Everyone is drawn to the majesty of elevation, whether you’re on a mountain in the Alps or in the eastern part of our country in the Appalachian Mountains,” said Amy Conner-Murphy, an Asheville, N.C.-based architect. When people move to the mountains, she said, they want to be as close to the view as possible—often right on the edge. Beyond a home’s aesthetics, challenges that architects have to consider when designing mountain homes include slopes, subsurface rock and soil conditions, and wind loads (depending on the elevation of the house). Another issue is erosion. Water can wash away soil and undermine the foundation, said Conner-Murphy.” —Amy Conner-Murphy, Architect and Interior Designer, ACM Design