The Grassland Dwelling is a remote, pastoral retreat nestled on a southfacing hillside on the edge of a prairie clearing. Diagrammatically, the dwelling is organized as four programmatic masses oriented along the contours of the hillside to minimize site disturbance and aimed along an axis towards the ridgeline on the horizon, creating an architectural call and response to the natural landform.

The entry sequence was designed to highlight this ridge: obstructed in the private courtyard and then revealed upon entry. Functional spaces of the dwelling are downplayed and deemphasized, while the experience of the outdoors is brought clearly into focus. The splaying of the plan creates a de-linking of spaces that invites light and air to enter in between each mass, while allowing a large house to feel more intimate. A palette of local materials is executed with minimalist touch, delicately connecting the home to its rural surroundings.