MMW ARCHITECTS

A look behind the scenes at one of our active University of Montana projects — a three-story vertical addition to an existing building on campus.

Jackson and Corbin walked us through the site recently, sharing the thinking behind the decisions that go into a project like this. The original building was designed with future expansion in mind — oversized structural elements and a hydraulic elevator piston drilled deep enough to support additional floors. Navigating the code changes that occurred between original construction and today added a real layer of complexity to the work.

The addition is clad in vertical ribbed metal siding, chosen to blend with the broader material palette across campus. Inside, the new floors will serve SIHI classrooms and UM's upcoming Occupational Therapy program. During construction, the team has kept existing lab freezers at optimal temperature throughout. The quality of the natural light in the lab spaces was already apparent.

‘The completed house, which was ready to move into toward the end of 2024, exceeded the clients’ expectations. “They told me, ‘We never thought we could find something that represented all of us. It’s even better than we expected,’” Lipski recalls. “But that’s what I aim to do in my work: to be a curator of their thoughts, needs, goals, and dreams.”’

https://bigskyjournal.com/inspired-living/

A flip through the new Big Sky Journal HOME featuring our Floating House. Find a copy anywhere magazines are sold.

Photos by Gibeon Photo.

Inspired Living - Big Sky Journal Architecture and Interior Design | MMW Architects Construction | Jeremy Seifert Construction For decades, a family with Big Sky roots enjoyed natural beauty and quietude from their secluded parcel occupying a rocky, tree-covered slope on a cove at the southern edge of Flathead Lake. But...