Summary
Welcome to Solstice House outside Manhattan, Montana, presented by Blake Maxwell at Skyfarm Design+Build. The twenty-acre property--with expansive views of rugged buttes and rolling prairie--called for a deliberate geometry in the project. Built in 2022, the custom home was designed to offer 360-degrees of portals into the landscape and facilitate excellent wildlife viewing, especially in the photogenic sunlight of morning and evening. At 2,705 square feet, the interiors favor coherence and calmness over extravagance, while providing many opportunities for next owners' interpretation. Three bedrooms and two baths comprise the entry level, while the pavilion-like upper level presents an open floorplan, panoramic views, and a clear sense of living with the land. There's also an ADU with a separate entrance, kitchenette and bath. With the comfy feel of a beach house, its a tranquil place where evenings feel like weekends and weekends seem like getaways. The primary architectural gesture is the alignment of the great room with sunrise on the summer solstice--June 21st this year--giving the house its name (see last photo). Located at the heart of Gallatin River Ranch, the 6,000-acre development is bordered by two Montana rivers, threaded by over 20 miles of private roads for hiking and biking, centered around an extensive Equestrian Center, and home to elk, mule deer, coyotes, pronghorn, dozens of bird species, plus the occasional mountain lion or black bear. Less than three miles from charming Manhattan, Solstice House is a 20-minute drive to BZN airport and 30 minutes to Bozemans civilized offerings.