Nestled atop a hillside rising out of a sprawling Texas landscape, St. Francis Chapel stands as a transcendent buttress. Located on a 20,000-acre ranch near Breckenridge, the private Catholic chapel is one thousand square feet of handcrafted, artisanal design, featuring materials inspired by the surrounding terrain.

Its masonry walls are thick with natural, geologically-inspired solid stone coursing, and its trusses are of heavy timber. It boasts an array of reclaimed materials, such as the clay tile roof, chandeliers and entry sconces, and a stone roof cross located at the rear nave. The ponderous entry doors are made of mesquite handcrafted by a local artisan, as are the pews located in the nave.

Broken cast glass mosaic windows line either side of the chapel, and a stained glass window by Buell Designs draws the eye down the center of the 20-seat nave to the raised mesquite chancel.
A glass-enclosed sitting room located off the entry vestibule offers serene views of the surrounding ranch, connecting occupants to the natural world St. Francis of Assisi—to whom the chapel is dedicated—loved so much.

Architecture and Interiors by SHM Architects.

Crested Butte, Colorado

Nestled on the eastern bank of the Slate River at the base of Mount Crested Butte, the Aperture Multipurpose Pavilion will serve as a landmark community hub for gatherings year-round.

The pavilion is conceived as an open-air shelter offering enough space for family picnics, a respite from the weather, or a quiet moment to reflect on the beauty of the mountain. Exposed lacy steel structural elements combined with timber roof framing give a contemporary nod to the vernacular building history of the mountain west.