Cushing Terrell Designs First Cold Smoke Homes
Big Sky Community Housing Trust has selected the Bozeman firm to design the first 30 single-family homes in the Cold Smoke project.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Residential
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The Big Sky Community Housing Trust selected Cushing Terrell, a Bozeman-based architecture firm, to design the first 30 single-family homes in the Cold Smoke development. The project will add 264 apartments and 125 single-family houses, making it the largest affordable workforce housing project in Big Sky.
Why it matters
Big Sky's median home price reached $2,612,500 in September 2026, placing homeownership out of reach for many local workers. The Cold Smoke project aims to expand attainable housing by deed-restricting purchased homes so they remain affordable on resale.
The Cold Smoke project includes 264 apartments and 125 single-family houses, with the first 30 homes designed by Cushing Terrell. Pricing for the homes and final unit mix were not specified in the announcement.
The players
Cushing Terrell
A Bozeman-based architecture firm that previously developed a master plan for a 389-home development with Lone Mountain Land Company and worked on the renovation of the Montana Heritage Center in Helena.
Big Sky Community Housing Trust
The local housing organization overseeing the Cold Smoke development and selecting its architect.
The details
Cushing Terrell will design a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom attached and detached houses for the Cold Smoke development. Short-term rentals are prohibited, and purchased homes will be permanently deed-restricted.
Timeline
September 2026: Median Big Sky home price recorded at $2,612,500.
October 28, 2026: Housing trust announced the Cushing Terrell selection.
Late 2027: Vertical construction of the Cushing Terrell homes is scheduled to begin.
2029: First home sales are expected to begin.
Residential Context
Cushing Terrell previously developed a master plan for the 389-home Lone Mountain Land Company project in Big Sky, positioning the firm to extend its local planning experience to the Cold Smoke workforce housing development. This continuity suggests the firm's prior large-scale work in the resort community is shaping how attainable housing is being planned there.
Buyers interested in attainable Big Sky housing should note that purchased homes will be permanently deed-restricted and short-term rentals are prohibited. Prospective buyers should plan around the projected 2029 timeline for first home sales.
The takeaway
Deed-restricted homes are designed to remain affordable on resale, which can preserve workforce housing access over time in high-cost markets like Big Sky.
What happens next
Vertical construction of the Cushing Terrell homes is scheduled to begin in late 2027, with first home sales expected in 2029.
Further reading
Explore more Montana residential real estate coverage for context on housing developments across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Explore Big Sky.
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