STONE CREEK CAMP (Master house)

This remote Montana Camp is situated along a sloping hill, leading visitors to discover the site progressively. From the gatehouses, a path leads down the hill to the master house, main lodge, and guesthouse. The buildings offer warm, almost cave-like spaces as well as expansive porches, open to the views and sunlight. Small windows and thick walls facing into the slope of the site are contrasted with entire walls that open up towards the lake. Inhabitants may choose to be outdoors while inside by sliding open walls or moving outside to spaces that are more civilized than the outlying wilderness. Similarly, with each bedroom's separate screened-in space, it is always possible to sleep in nature and yet still be secure within the building.

The materials and textures of these buildings connect them to the site. The effect is paradoxical: despite their size, the camp's large structures seem to emerge from the rock, wood, and grasses that surround them. Like the lake, they feel as if they have been - and will be - here forever.

Architects : Arthur Andersson, Chris Wise, Christopher Sanders, Becky Joye
Contractor : Bigfork Builders, Martel Construction
YEAR : 2008

Location : Bigfork, Montana
Photographer : Art Gray

Materials : Quantum Windows, Cordwood Wall: douglas fir + larch, Waterworks sink, blackened steel
Software : VectorWorks