About 60 miles north of Salt Lake City is the largest ski resort in America, called Summit Powder Mountain. It's some 10,000 acres. But beyond just being big, there is also a fascinating story and philosophy behind the mountain.

It was started by four partners -- Elliott Bisnow (of Bisnow events), Brett Leve, Jeff Rosenthal and Jeremy Schwartz -- who partnered up with Learn Capital in 2013 to buy the mountain from a distressed seller for $40 million.

The four guys were already running a successful invitation-only event series for entrepreneurs and creative types called the Summit Series, and big part of their vision for the mountain was to recreate this same ethos.

The idea was to create a community focused on relationship-building, entrepreneurship, innovation, environmental sustainability, and good design. Put differently: a kind of utopia for rich people.

So far, about 80% of the home buyers at Summit Powder Mountain are members of the Summit Series.

All of this has translated into some pretty cool mountain architecture (see above). In fact, people who buy vacant lots within the community are effectively banned from building the kind of faux chalet stuff that permeates a lot of (or most?) mountain towns.

Here is a taste of some of the homes that have already been built.

Image: Paul Bundy for the Wall Street Journal

About 60 miles north of Salt Lake City is the largest ski resort in America, called Summit Powder Mountain. It's some 10,000 acres. But beyond just being big, there is also a fascinating story and philosophy behind the mountain.

It was started by four partners -- Elliott Bisnow (of Bisnow events), Brett Leve, Jeff Rosenthal and Jeremy Schwartz -- who partnered up with Learn Capital in 2013 to buy the mountain from a distressed seller for $40 million.

The four guys were already running a successful invitation-only event series for entrepreneurs and creative types called the Summit Series, and big part of their vision for the mountain was to recreate this same ethos.

The idea was to create a community focused on relationship-building, entrepreneurship, innovation, environmental sustainability, and good design. Put differently: a kind of utopia for rich people.

So far, about 80% of the home buyers at Summit Powder Mountain are members of the Summit Series.

All of this has translated into some pretty cool mountain architecture (see above). In fact, people who buy vacant lots within the community are effectively banned from building the kind of faux chalet stuff that permeates a lot of (or most?) mountain towns.

Here is a taste of some of the homes that have already been built.

Image: Paul Bundy for the Wall Street Journal