My past three years of extensive travel and study of architecture and design has left me with equal questions and answers. One question I’ve carried throughout this whole experience has been: what makes certain architecture great? “Great” does not have value assigned to it, like “good” or “bad.” Rather, “great” is the experience of a metaphysical connection. Through exploring vernacular architecture, I uncovered a means to great architecture through a heavy consideration of geography, earth, space, time, and site. I used this research to learn vernacular methods, then I researched a site in Coalmont Colorado, and designed a house. The research paper outlines my findings and conclusions on vernacular architecture.