Perched atop a butte in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the PLC Residence is a custom luxury home designed to capture extraordinary 300-degree panoramic views while balancing expansive glass with privacy, energy efficiency, and a strong connection to the landscape. Designed by Ward + Blake Architects, the residence demonstrates how sustainable residential architecture, passive solar strategies, and innovative rammed earth construction can shape a contemporary mountain home that responds directly to its environment.

The homeowners envisioned a residence defined by glass and uninterrupted views of the surrounding Wyoming landscape. To provide privacy from the adjacent cul-de-sac while maintaining openness toward the mountains, the architecture combines transparent glazed pavilions with substantial rammed earth walls that screen private spaces, organize the floor plan, and visually anchor the home to its site.

The residence incorporates Ward + Blake Architects' patented post-tensioned rammed earth wall system, engineered to provide stability within the region's high seismic zone. Beyond their structural role, the earthen walls provide significant thermal mass and help regulate interior temperatures. Concrete floors with integrated hydronic radiant heating further enhance thermal performance, balancing the extensive use of glass throughout the home.

Careful solar orientation is central to the home's energy-efficient design. Generous roof overhangs shade high-performance triple-pane glazing during summer while allowing lower winter sun angles to warm interior spaces. Operable windows take advantage of the natural breezes common to the elevated site, encouraging cross-ventilation and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.

A closed-loop ground-source geothermal heat pump, supported by a natural gas boiler, provides efficient heating and cooling, while energy-recovery ventilation supports indoor air quality and year-round comfort. Water features integrated into the outdoor terraces help moderate the experience of Jackson Hole's arid climate while strengthening the sensory connection between the home and its landscape.

The material palette draws inspiration from the site's rural Wyoming context. Cedar-clad roof forms reference a historic barn nearby, while horizontal cedar siding and custom Alaskan yellow cedar windows are designed to weather naturally over time. Rammed earth, living sod roofs, glass, concrete, and naturally weathered wood create a contemporary yet timeless architectural expression that blends with the surrounding terrain.

The PLC Residence exemplifies Ward + Blake Architects' expertise in luxury residential architecture, sustainable custom home design, rammed earth construction, and site-specific mountain architecture. By integrating innovative structural systems, passive solar design, geothermal energy, natural ventilation, and regionally inspired materials, the residence transforms the owner's vision for a glass house into an environmentally responsive home deeply connected to the landscape of Jackson Hole.

Location

Jackson, Wyoming

Project Size

8,105 sq. ft.

awards

2012 IDA (International Design Awards), Architect Conceptual Design - Third Prize/Bronze

2010 Dream Home Awards, Best Conceptual Residential Design - Gold Award