Legacies in Architecture

K-Mac Double Down Ranch, Barry County

Designed by Donald G. Briggs for owners Kenneth and De McGruder, this 18,000-square-foot custom home, set on a 100-acre cattle and horse ranch, was completed in April 1997. The home is positioned to command a variety of views and contains four bedrooms, a media room, living spaces, game bay, billiard parlor, sun gallery, four-car garage, and landscaped outdoor living areas including a natural pool with waterfalls. Native stone, plant materials, forged metal, glass, fabrics and recycled 19th century timbers weave the spaces together and anchor the structure to its site.

Why is this project your legacy? Briggs' first private commission, there are three reasons for its significance. First, it is very visible from Highway 37, and a good example of marrying the structure to the site and surroundings. Second, the clients challenged him, believed in him, and allowed him to create a design based on his interpretations of their passions, including images of the American West (horses, horseshoes, cattle, and the railroad). Third, the success of the completed project has led to other commissions around Springfield, near St. Louis, and as far away as Montana and Utah.