Set into a hillside near the top of a butte overlooking the Snake River, Jackson Hole valley, and surrounding mountain ranges, the Ridge 52 Residence is a contemporary residential compound designed to become part of the landscape. Responding to both strict Teton County development requirements and the dramatic natural setting, the architecture terraces down the slope, reducing its visual impact while creating an immersive connection between the home and its mountain environment.

The compound consists of a Main Residence, Guest House, and RV Garage, unified by a restrained palette of natural stone, expansive glass, and living sod roofs. By embedding the buildings into the hillside, the architecture preserves views and minimizes its presence when seen from surrounding areas. Each level connects directly to grade, allowing interior spaces to flow naturally onto outdoor terraces bordered by planted roofs and native landscape.

The Main Residence is organized with the owners’ primary living spaces on the upper level, while the lower level accommodates children and guests. The separate Guest House is positioned farther down the slope and tucked into the hillside beneath a sod roof, providing privacy while allowing the Main Residence to maintain unobstructed views across the valley.

Throughout the residence, floor-to-ceiling triple-pane steel windows frame commanding views of the mountains and valley floor while filling the interiors with natural daylight. The windows’ slender profiles allow stone and glass to visually merge, reducing the distinction between interior and exterior space. Natural stone walls and floors extend the material language of the landscape into the home, reinforcing a distinctly biophilic living experience.

Sustainability and energy performance are integral to the design. A high-performance thermal envelope combines super-insulation, thermal mass, and high-performance glazing to reduce heating and cooling demands in Jackson Hole’s demanding mountain climate. A ground-source heat pump, hydronic radiant floors, and heat recovery ventilation systems efficiently heat and cool the residences and swimming pool while supporting indoor comfort and air quality.

The Ridge 52 Residence exemplifies Ward Blake Architects’ approach to site-responsive architecture, sustainable luxury home design, and biophilic architecture. By carefully integrating building form, landscape, natural materials, daylight, and high-performance systems, the residence creates a refined mountain retreat that feels inseparable from its extraordinary Jackson Hole setting.

Location

Jackson, Wyoming

Project Size

9,365 s.f (Main House)

500 s.f. (Guest House)

1,104 s.f. RV Garage

awards

2025 Global Architecture & Design Awards, Private Res. (Large)(Concept) - First Award Winner

2021 IDA (International Design Awards), Architecture Categories/Conceptual - Honorable Mention

Publications

2026 Biophilic Designs