Rod and Stacy Bigelow, a couple residing near downtown Bentonville, Arkansas, sought to build a modern home that would inspire others while enhancing the neighborhood surrounding the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Since moving to the area in 2010, the Bigelows had hoped to live closer to the museum, where Rod Bigelow serves as executive director. Their opportunity arrived in 2014 when a friend offered to sell them a third of an acre featuring a rundown home near trails leading directly to the museum.
The couple acquired the property for $165,000 with plans to replace the existing structure with a contemporary design that embraced the local surge in architectural innovation, much of it supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the philanthropic organization linked to the Walmart founding family. Influenced by the foundation’s engagement with revitalization projects in Bentonville, the Bigelows aimed to contribute meaningfully to the community's evolving character.
For the design, they turned to Marlon Blackwell, a prominent Arkansas-based architect honored with the 2016 National Design Award and the 2020 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects. Blackwell and his wife, Meryati Blackwell, co-lead the firm that accepted the challenge of creating a one-story home on a sloping lot that descends to the museum trails. To address the terrain, the architects designed a structure that sits at ground level near the street but extends cantilevered over the lower lawn at the rear.
The home’s layout revolves around an angled courtyard featuring steps, plantings, and a koi pond. Key living spaces, including the living room and primary bedroom, occupy the cantilevered rear section, which offers treetop views through windowed walls framing the dining area. The architects employed a folded roof design, coined “pitch and roll,” that creates varied ceiling heights and energizes the interior while defining distinct spaces within an open plan.
Externally, the house features charred cypress wood siding and white-painted concrete block, with the cantilevered dining room creating a covered outdoor patio and kitchen area beneath. The landscaping, by Phoebe Lickwart of Forge Landscape Architecture, incorporates sandstone pavers, native grasses, a courtyard flower garden, and a backyard space with a vegetable garden and fire pit.
Construction commenced in early 2020 after adjustments to reduce costs, concluding in May 2022. The completed 2,800-square-foot residence cost approximately $1.3 million. The location now allows Rod Bigelow a nine-minute walk or a four-minute bike ride to work.
Beyond convenience, the couple values their connection to the local community. Their front porch serves as a social gathering spot with neighbors, while the rear overlooks trails frequented by mountain bikers, runners, and visitors to the museum’s Skyspace installation by artist James Turrell. The home has also become a point of interest in itself, often attracting passersby who stop to admire its distinctive design.