Location:
Status:
Client:
Typology:
Size:
Helmville, Montana
Built, 2020-2022
Private
Single Family House
5,000 Square Feet
Located in a remote region of central Montana, the client desired an “age-in-place” single-story house requiring little maintenance over time and operating “off the grid” wherever possible. A primary challenge of the project was to design a house rugged enough to withstand the ever-changing weather conditions, while reinforcing a refined engagement with the natural landscape of the unique site. Sited on a bluff above Seeley Lake, the micro-climate of the area is known for its harsh variability, including 30-degree temperature swings, wildfires and high snowfall, relived by summer months of wildflowers and abundant wildlife.
Inspired by the mountains of the Bob Marshall National Wilderness adjacent to the site, four tented roof peaks climb organically above a shifting floor plan below. Roof and walls are clad entirely in standing seam weathering steel with a natural patina providing protection, eventually blending with the copper rich rock outcroppings of the site.
Prioritizing solar orientation and views, the siting of the house is tuned closely to the landscape, with large roof overhangs providing sun and snow protection while focusing views to the distance. Interior comfort and performance are enhanced with radiant floor heating and an innovative custom lighting system emphasizes efficiency and atmosphere, turning the interior ceiling of the two main public spaces into a coffered shade, reflecting the constantly changing natural light of the area.
Four tent like peaks provide shelter, defining the spaces below and providing protection from the ever-changing natural environment. As the client chose the location of the site for the beauty of its natural environment, maintaining and supporting this environment became a driving factor in the design.
Native field grasses and wildflowers were used throughout the landscape, propagated localling in a greenhouse previously built on the property.
Weathering “corten” steel was chosen in part because of its natural patina over time, blending with the rust-colored stones prevalent in a region with a long history of mineral and copper mining.
Inspired by Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Museum, the surfaces of the vaulted ceilings are kept clean, emphasizing their volume, while a pyramidal form reflects the sunlight back onto the ceiling vaults during the day and uses integrated LED fixtures to simulate a similar natural lighting atmosphere at night.
The primary materials of the house are Corten weathering steel standing-seam panels, Sapele Mahogany wood windows, dark stained oak and natural basalt stone flooring. All materials of the house were chosen for their natural weathering properties that maintain their beauty with minimum upkeep. Drastic climate swings in the area, with recorded highs of 95 deg to -50 deg below, materials are required to be robust.
T.W. Ryan, Thomas Ryan, Luigi Grosso
Interior Designer:
Durkin Design, Douglas Durkin, Greg Elich, Niluka de Pinto
Contractor:
Lohss Construction
Photography:
Joe Fletcher