pasture

The owners asked for minimal and conscious design in every way - in form and aesthetic, in materials and methods, in layout and function - even to the point of eliminating air conditioning.

They wanted the building's existence to be as simple and as nature friendly as the pasture that it's built upon.

They also asked to be involved. They wanted to get their hands dirty, to swing a hammer, to smell the cedar, to push a broom.

They wanted to know intimately the process of making such an indelible mark on the land - kindly, the contractor let them wet their feet.  

Now their sustainable single family home stands at the foot of majestic Mount Olympus in the Salt Lake Valley. Designed to incorporate passive heating and cooling strategies, this home relies on sun angles and natural convection to help heat and cool year round.

It's main living space incorporates a 36' x 12' lift-and-slide glass wall that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior space - and when open, the murmuring nearby creek is amplified throughout the house.