The Wendell Burnette Architects and the client were both excited by the idea of a large courtyard. For the architects, it was an opportunity to preserve the ancient feeling of the land in a way that would go undisturbed by further development in the area. For the client, it would offer a natural outdoor area with plenty of privacy.

After taking some soil samples, Wendell Burnette Architects found that the house could be built out of local resources gathered during excavation and a nearby river that provides resources for high quality concrete. The materials were combined using the rammed earth construction method and used to pave the floors, create the walls, stacked for stairs, and used for the roof. The result is a home created using local resources and designed to preserve and accentuate the native plant life