Pasture Project

"I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand." - Confucious

The Pasture Project's owners asked for minimal and conscious in every way- in form and aesthetic, in materials and methods, in layout and function- even to the point of eliminating air conditioning. They wanted the building's existence to be as simple and as nature friendly as the pasture upon which it's built.

They also asked to be involved. They wanted to get their hands dirty, to swing a hammer, to smell the cedar, to push a broom. They wanted to know intimately the process of making such an indelible mark on the land. Kindly the contractor let them wet their feet.

Now their sustainable single family home stands at the foot of the majestic Mount Olympus in the Salt Lake Valley. Designed to incorporate passive heating and cooling strategies this home relies on sun angles and natural convection to heat and cool year round. A trellis built into the south facade grows hops for a family micro brewery while simultaneously cooling through transpiration. The great room incorporates a 35' x 11' lift-and-slide glass wall that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior. When fully open, the shape of the living space induces airflow and amplifies the murmuring of the nearby creek throughout the house. Every move and detail was deliberately thought through.

Having involved themselves in the design and construction of their own house, these owners are more conscious of the footprints they leave and more deliberately know what makes their house a home.