MMW ARCHITECTS

"The purpose of being at the lake is to be outside. We get to play, and when we are done, we have somewhere for everyone to sleep. That's a good day in my book." — Traci Punke

Grab a copy of this month's featuring our Finley Point Cottage as the cover story! From zoning and site challenges to developing a distinctive color and material palette that is both traditional and fresh - the home is connected to place and packed full of cottage character. Find a copy anywhere magazines are sold or go to the link below for the full article to learn more about this one of a kind property on the shores of Flathead Lake.

https://www.mountainliving.com/shorething/

See more photos on the MMW website:
https://www.mmwarchitects.com/portfolio/finley-point-remodel/

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The Birnbaum Youth Home offers a safe, therapeutic place for youth in crisis to breathe, heal, and find their footing. The facility is more than just a shelter. Young people will have a stable place to continue their education, maintain connection to their support systems, and access mental and physical health services, helping them retain a sense of normalcy and belonging.

Nestled in the rural Orchard Homes neighborhood, it offers a warm, home-like environment where up to eight young people have their own space and the support they need to regain stability. The program is split between a main residence and a nearby barn. Staff parking, storage, and the carport are all tucked into the barn area so the residential grounds can stay open, peaceful, and kid-friendly.

The residence takes inspiration from classic local farmhouses, with bright blue clapboard siding, a gabled roof with shed dormers, and plenty of natural light from large windows. Outside, youth can enjoy a basketball court, open lawn, covered porch, and a healing garden filled with native plants, a trellis, and places to sit and reflect.

Inside, all bedrooms connect to a central vaulted great room. Soft off-white walls, white oak floors and cabinetry, and warm cedar ceiling planks create a calm, home-like atmosphere that supports comfort and healing.

The Birnbaum Youth Home is nearly ready to open its doors. Support the campaign — link here: https://youthhomesmt.org/shelter/

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.

Best Lake House 2026. Floating House has earned top honors from the Sunset Magazine Design Awards. Thank you to the jury and congrats to Angie, Claire, Gabe, and the whole team.

Check out all the winners in the link below or wherever fine magazines are sold.

Photography by Gibeon Photography

MMW Architects MMW Architects is an award-winning architecture firm based in Missoula, Montana. We are committed to making a positive contribution to the built environment while working in harmony with the natural environment. We create places that enrich life’s daily rituals and activities through beauty and ef...

It's hard to believe its been 20 years since the completion of Orchard Gardens with Homeword - a project which exemplified our goals of providing affordable, sustainably-built housing with a true connection to place.

Andi Armstrong writes: "Given the real need for more affordable housing in Missoula, it’s tempting to think of elements like energy efficiency and green infrastructure as luxuries we can’t afford. In fact, the opposite is true. As climate impacts accelerate and budgets continue to be stretched, Orchard Gardens remains a shining example of how we can build the future we all want, with affordable, healthy and safe homes."

https://missoulacurrent.com/climate-connections-sustainability/

Earlier this month, Chris Haskell joined a panel at the Precast Concrete Institute Mountain States Meeting in Missoula to discuss the Sierra Pacific showroom and warehouse — from precast wall panel design and project delivery to how the building is performing today.

Grateful for the conversation and the collaborators who made the project possible.

‘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...

"The new home will provide a place to live and therapeutic services for up to eight kids aged 10-17 who otherwise would have gone to the emergency room, youth detention, or emergency placements, which can sometimes be on the floor of a social worker's office, Schaer told the crowd. "

Read more about the newly named Birnbaum Youth Home here:

Youth Homes kicks off fundraising campaign for new Missoula youth crisis shelter Youth Homes kicked off its campaign Monday to raise $600,000 to finish construction on a new therapeutic youth shelter.

We are honored to be working with Amy and the entire team at Youth Homes to bring this much needed youth crisis shelter to the Missoula community. Now that the official public fundraising campaign has launched we are excited to share more about this project as construction wraps up this summer.

New Missoula Youth Crisis Shelter Named After Beloved Community Member Youth Homes launched a fundraising campaign for a new therapeutic crisis shelter in Missoula, naming it after late community leader Geoff Birnbaum.

MSU Wellness has been named Campus Rec of the Month by Campus Rec Magazine.

Mountains and Minds: Being Well at Montana State University Campus Recreation The April Rec of the Month is Montana State University Campus Recreation located in Bozeman, Montana.