Photo Attributions

General Project Information

Architectural Credit:

Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Location: Braddock, North Dakota, United States
Project Substantial Completion Date: 9/1/2024
Program type(s): Residential - Single-Family Detached
Total Site Area (gross sq. ft): 348,480,000
Total Building Area (gross sq. ft): 3,360
Project substantial completion date: 9/1/2024
Climate zone: 6A
Project site: Greenfield (previously undeveloped land)
Project team: Architect: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Engineer - Structural: Core 4 Engineering
Contractor: Paramount Builders
Landscape Architect: Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Project Overview:
Spoonbill Ranch is a solitary dwelling nestled within an 8,000-acre tallgrass prairie restoration in North Dakota’s Prairie Pothole Region. Partially embedded in the sloping terrain, its emphatically horizontal form centers on a sheltered courtyard that fosters intimacy and protection from the prairie’s harsh, shifting winds. Large apertures with high-performance glazing frame panoramic views of the endless horizon, while a continuous green roof extends the prairie across the structure, allowing the house to merge gently with its surroundings. Crafted from concrete, black-oxide stainless steel, and glass, the building envelope endures scorching summers and frigid winters with quiet resilience.

Submission portfolio