Description

On a gently sloping, L-shaped plot in the foothills of Mount Ellis lies a house for living and working grouped around an inner courtyard with views of the city of Bozeman and the Bridger Mountain Range of the Rocky Mountains beyond. Most of the region in the US state of Montana is farmland, agricultural buildings, and small-town residential development. With the continuing exodus from urban centres and the ability to work from home, which gained further traction during the Covid pandemic, the small town of Bozeman has become more attractive, causing house prices, as well as the cost of labour and building materials, to rise sharply.

The house, designed and built by the local architect and long-time resident Frank Barkow, is positioned on the five-hectare plot so that it both offers expansive views and guarantees privacy from potential future neighbouring developments. The at once extroverted and introverted character of the courtyard house reflects these requirements, offering a panoramic view of the mountains to the north, while retreating to the central atrium on the other sides. Its ambience is defined by local materials and vegetation – aspen trees, gravel and river rock. The timber construction stands on a stepped, square concrete slab that follows the diagonal incline of the slope across the property. The garage is located at the highest point, the master bedroom at the lowest. To the south, the edge of the house is defined by a continuous concrete retaining wall with an external chimney, shielding it from its neighbours. Crowning the entire structure is a flat glulam roof with a windmill arrangement in plan, the beams running parallel to the edges of the roof. It does not step with terrain so that the ceilings become successively higher further down the slope.

Functionally, the courtyard is enclosed by two L-shaped wings. The northern and lower wing houses the double garage, entrance foyer, guest bedroom, kitchen, living rooms and the master bedroom, while the smaller wing comprises a design studio and the sauna area, and faces the stream. The continuous roof spans the whole, uniting the two separate L’s that surround the central atrium garden. It covers two outdoor terraces: one facing the stream and the other framed by the retaining wall and the outdoor fireplace. Liberal use was made of prefabricated timber elements, though some of the walls were timbered on site. Pre-cut glulam beams were used for the roof. The interior is likewise made of wood, not least because the architect was fascinated by the constructive and technical possibilities of adapting the building material on site. Winters are cold in Bozeman, and summers short. The house responds by permitting selected areas of the house to be heated at one time to save energy.

Originally published in Bauwelt 17.2022, pp. 50-51, abridged and edited for Building Types Online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

---