Miikana Prairie Home

Situated upon a high altitude prairie northwest of Fort Collins, The Miikana Prairie Home design resonates with the vast panoramic landscape, the big sky and the seasonal changes of the sun path.

• The volumes of the structure are oriented on a 30° axis and correspond to the Summer Solstice, Equinox, and Winter Solstice for the site’s latitude. Orienting the home towards these specific calendar dates will create sun-beam events within the home as though the home is an inside-out sun-dial.

• The vast openness of the high altitude prairie offers panoramic views in 30° increments of Wyoming to the north, the valley and plains to the east, and mountain ranges to the south and west. The openings of the home are framed in specific ways to capture moments within this vast landscape. These openings also allow for the viewing of the intense weather patterns incoming from the mountainous west.

• The large roof overhangs of the structure are in response to the passive solar attributes of the site. During the winter months, the sun will be able to penetrate into the home and warm the space. During the summer months, the roof overhangs will protect the interior in the middle of the day from the high sun. In the Fall the western sun will be blocked by the largest roof overhangs.

• The single-level home of 1,900 square feet is slightly elevated above the surrounding grade, which will give the occupants the sense of being perched above the landscape.

• The decks reach out and down to the ground from the elevated home. The western deck off of the living space allows for an intimate sunset experience, while the larger eastern deck can be accessed from all the interior spaces and has a view down into the valley and plains.

The design of the Miikana Prairie Home is the result of a close collaboration between our team and the client. The project is currently in the Construction Documents phase.