ON THE BOARDS: Circle H Ranch

This new residence in Eastern Washington is designed to provide a home for three generations of family members. Two houses and an earth-sheltered garage form a courtyard on the edge of the valley overlooking the historic ranch compound. A water feature marks the entrance and doubles as a watering trough for horses. The houses are oriented to provide privacy while allowing for shared outdoor dining under the pergola adjacent to the pool terrace.

The building forms and the exterior palette of stone, steel and wood take their cue from the agrarian vernacular architecture and the rugged, basalt and sagebrush landscape. The use of sod roofs over portions of the structure provides thermal comfort and blends harmoniously with the grassland and sagebrush landscape. Solar gain is maximized in winter and mitigated in summer through the use of overhangs, pergolas and carefully placed deciduous trees.

Design Principals | Peter Conard and Stephen Sullivan

Project Architect | Kelby Riegsecker

Project Team | Marvin Anderson, Ginger Feretto, Jeff Ottem, Hilary Alves

Landscape Architect | Allworth Design

Interior Designer | Terry Hunziker