With views of the Bridger Mountains just outside the front door of this new construction home, this half-acre site sits at the edge of Bozeman, Montana in the Black Bull neighborhood. Distant views to the Greater Gallatin range, Madison range and Tobacco Root mountains are visible beyond the willow-lined ponds at the backyard.

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Using the ecological transitions from riparian to shrubland ecosystems as inspiration, the initial site and landscape concepts for this new construction home explore how to blend the site into the natural surroundings. The existing riparian zone at the pond edge transitions to wet meadow and upland meadow as you move closer to the house, with native shrubs and grasses as curated foundation planting closest to the building. 

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A deep interior courtyard separates the two primary building forms with landscape connecting the front entry to the back yard through a central glass connector - providing seasonally-dynamic visuals from the large windows that look into the space.

 

Providing flexible hardscape space at the back of house was essential for small and large gatherings throughout the seasons - utilizing both covered and uncovered areas, fire pit seating, outdoor dining and outdoor kitchen space. A large native sod-lawn off the two-tiered deck provides additional flexible space that visually connects the taller meadow grass at the property edge with the ornamental grasses found closer to the building. Utilizing native, drought-tolerant sod provides a more eco-conscious alternative to traditional sod, while maintaining a visual connection to the golf course-style landscape found near the neighborhood.

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In collaboration with Open Studio Collective.