MONUMENT VIEW

Located a 3-acre parcel with views of the Colorado National Monument, the Book Cliffs, and Mt. Garfield, Monument View is a place that highlights one family’s history and growth in the Grand Valley. The design is part of a larger plot of land that was once a small brick house at the edge of a thriving plum orchard. Over generations, it has evolved to become a large family home built around the existing brick structure, the plum trees removed slowly due to disease and replaced by a hayfield, and the addition of adjacent acreage for the family’s children to build their own homes.

While bringing the landscape back to its pre-agricultural state isn’t necessarily the goal - the Grand Valley has been dramatically altered by the use of irrigation, as much of the West has - mixed grass prairie and native perennial plantings enhance the space for pollinators and connect wildlife corridors, while maintaining plenty of open space for the next generation of the family to grow. A row of fruit trees near the new garden space pays homage to the old plum orchard, and provides hands-on learning for the family to spend time together tending food plots. New shade tree plantings along existing drainages and near outdoor gathering places help create a more hospitable indoor/outdoor connection during summer months and help frame views to the iconic rock formations to the east and west.​

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO