Stillwater, MN
2017
Swan Architecture
Travis Van Liere Studio
Hartman Homes
Troy Thies and Scott Amundson Photography

Nature’s Gate Farm is a master-planned farmstead estate located on the outskirts of historic Stillwater, MN. The 50-acre parcel, once a prominent farm, had been abandoned and had fallen into disrepair. The clients sought to create a sanctuary retreat and envisioned a multifunctional working equestrian farmstead centered on health, wellness, and healing that connected and immersed users of the farm back to nature. TVLS worked extensively with the clients and architects to masterplan, site, and construct a number of programmatic elements throughout the project. These elements included the main house, horse stable, barns, pasture spaces, paddocks, riding and walking trails, restored meadow areas, and ancillary structures.

Large stands of mature red pines surround the property and help to define the working farmstead from the client’s home site. New treelines were planted in windrows to define pasture spaces and path circulation routes. Accessory structures were nested into the existing wooded areas of the site, to blend with their surroundings. Restoration efforts included removing invasive buckthorn, amur maple, and reed canary grass stands throughout the property. Open areas were to restore meadows and cultivated pasture. Today the farm offers horseback riding lessons, yoga, somatic classes, and wellness retreats to its users while also serving as a working farm.