Keystone, South Dakota
Private Residence
Work in Progress: 2021 - Present
Renders: Eli Liebenow
The Big Granite House is sited in Keystone, South Dakota in the geologically unique region of the Black Hills. This area has always been significant to the Indigenous people that have called this place home for thousands of years. The northern edge of the site is bounded by a large granite wall that rises more than 140 feet into the air. This wall creates a wonderous natural boundary of the site, and the house sits in reverent observance. The form of the house is intended to reflect the celestial constellations that have guided the Lakota people for time immemorial. The faceted form renders visible the 3D space of stars.
The house is mass timber and clad in a rainscreen of weathering steel panels. The panel configuration echoes stone crenellations and irregular surfaces. Large apertures are shielded by shrouds that reduce solar gain and shade windows to help mitigate bird strikes.