place: Ravalli County, MT
program: retirement residence for a couple

The Bear Creek Retreat project is located within Montana’s Bitterroot Valley at the base of a popular hiking and hunting trail. The home is designed as a retirement home for a couple where aging in place was a major design driver.

A careful dialogue between openness and privacy was carefully studied with this project. In the spirit of Montana's vast wilderness, privacy is paramount. The design caters to this need while enhancing the sense of retreat. The placement of windows ensures both visual intimacy and an uninterrupted connection with the land. It's a sanctuary where inhabitants can withdraw into solitude while still being enveloped by the surrounding sweeping views.

Materials and details also paid homage to their immediate surroundings. Natural, place-based materials were selected to echo and act as extensions of the landscape. Windows and skylights were positioned around the home to share the play of light and shadow - not only to respect the inhabitants' need for retreat, but also to connect back to the rhythm of the natural vegetation.

Spaces within the residence have been thoughtfully designed to accommodate the clients’ changing needs. Wide corridors, accessible entries, and open living areas are all nods to the future, ensuring that as inhabitants age, their surroundings remain supportive and accommodating. The one-story plan is split into two wings, with separate entries and mechanical systems to accommodate different mechanical loads. The wings are split to support a “primary” wing for the occupants, and a “secondary” wing for when their extended families (or live-in caretakers) visit.