Selkirk Residence

Challenge

Design a contemporary residence on a Boise foothills site with a 50-foot grade change, a challenging north-facing orientation, and a neighborhood context requiring careful attention to massing and privacy. The project demanded a strategy that engaged the topography rather than fighting it, while delivering light, views, and livability to a steeply sloping lot.

Solution

The home was organized to cascade downhill with the site, stepping through a series of levels that follow the natural fall of the land. This approach eliminated the need for extensive cut-and-fill, reduced the visual mass of the structure from the street, and created layered decks that capture northwest views across the valley. Mono-pitched roof forms reinforce the directional quality of the design and allow clerestory windows to pull natural light deep into the plan despite the north-facing site. Stucco and wood siding establish a material palette that reads as contemporary without feeling out of place in the foothills context. Interior planning prioritized visual connection between levels, keeping the home open and spatially cohesive across its multiple floors.

Result

A hillside residence that turns a challenging site into an asset. The stepping form creates distinct living levels, each with its own outdoor connection, while the clerestory strategy delivers consistent daylight throughout. The project demonstrates how topographic constraints — often treated as obstacles — can become the organizing logic for architecture that feels both rooted in place and spatially inventive.