Railway Residence is a project designed by Cushing Terrell. Nestled on 4.5 acres in the eastern outskirts of Whitefish, Montana, the Railway residence is located at the nexus of three defining features: the Whitefish Range to the north; Great Northern Mountain, bookended by the Swan Range and Saddleback Mountain to the east; and connecting the two, the Great Northern Railroad. Photography by Gibeon Photography.

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The design of this 3,500-square-foot home captures and frames these landmarks through simple, gabled forms that loosely recall the agrarian vernacular architecture throughout the region. Together with contemporary detailing, the house captures the familiarity of the past while providing the functionality and performance of today. Basic spaces?living area, home office, music studio, garage and storage?are divided into four primary volumes arranged around a central auto court. The spatial organization enables the family of four to have distinct public and private zones. Short, low-slung, glazed walkways connect the cedar-clad gabled forms and emphasize movement from one zone to another. Windows are pulled up to the underside of roof eaves, bringing a modern sensibility to traditional building forms. A barn, original to the site, has been restored and provides storage and a backdrop for the homeowner’s photography business.
The interiors adopt a European-inspired aesthetic made evident through simple, clean lines and a limited yet warm mater...