Located an hour and a half east of Atlanta, The Gathering House is a lounge and multi-use event space for residents and guests of The Homesteads - Reynolds Lake Oconee community. The surrounding site is heavily forested and uniquely defined by the abundance of large granite boulders scattered throughout the landscape. Due to this unique environmental condition, the building’s programmatic components were required to be situated and nestled between existing boulder locations. The result is a building that is intentionally dispersed while simultaneously framing, and framed by, the context it occupies. The simplistic open floor plan framed by glass and strategically placed natural stone walls allow the heavy timber members to serve as both a primary structural element and finish material. Transparency between programmatic elements maintains visual connectivity and wayfinding allowing visitors to flow naturally between interior spaces and the surrounding landscape.