O’Neill Rose Architects & OSM Construction project Cowboy was featured in Big Sky Journal Home.
“In addition to the granite lower-level walls and the generously glazed upper stories, one of the most distinctive elements of the home’s exterior is its decorative, yet highly functional, tribute to the region’s snow fences, stemming back to O’Neill’s first drive to the site: a latticework of Accoya, a wood product supplied by Delta Millworks that’s made from sustainably sourced timber treated through a nontoxic process called acetylation, which gives it durability exceeding that of the finest hardwoods. Such qualities are ideally suited to the area’s weather extremes. Further enhancing both the beauty and toughness of the Accoya, its surface was also charred on three sides in the style of the traditional Japanese wood-preserving process shou sugi ban, a term that translates as “charred cedar board.” Explains O’Neill of the ways he deployed it, “In places, this screen separates from the building, creating exterior spaces where the snow is held back so our clients can enjoy a protected moment outdoors.” In winter, the lattice catches and holds the snow in sparkling patterns to provide an unexpected, serendipitous decorative element.”
