The challenge was that the Resort at Paws Up had grown into a property dominated by families in the summertime thereby alienating couples in search of privacy, serenity and a more adult-centric experience. The challenge, or as Lipson saw it, the opportunity was to identify a way to cater to couples and, at the same time, continue to attract more and more families to the resort. How to do both? Lipson proposed a new adult-only resort nestled away behind a set of private gates in a remote part of Paws Up Ranch only accessible to its adult guests.

From its conception, the green o was envisioned to be a place that could provide adult guests with the ultimate getaway featuring design-forward architecture, award-winning cuisine and unforgettable adventure.

As the creator and visionary of the concept of Glamping (Including having coined and trademarked the term “glamping,”), Larry Lipson was very familiar and well-versed in designing and building experiential accommodations for the hospitality industry. A tented encampment was considered for the green o for a nano-second, but the concept was quickly abandoned because one of the primary objectives of the new property was to cater to adult guests in all four seasons. Needless to say, tents are not ideal for the frosty harshness of a Montana winter. It was also Lipson’s goal to increase the level of luxury as well as to push the boundaries of design and architecture for the resort.

Lipson imagined a collection of 12 intimate dwellings dominated by massive panes of glass and clad in environmentally friendly Shou Sugi Ban, a traditional Japanese wood featuring a charred-black surface. Larry chose each structure’s individual location to integrate with the environment and to enshroud it in a cocoon of natural beauty and privacy. Throughout the design process, there was a goal to depart from the horizontal lines that dominated the accommodations at the Resort at Paws Up. The mission for the new property was to build “up”. As part of the collection, Lipson designed an assortment of soaring modern tree houses that would perch guests at the top of the forest canopy giving them commanding views of the surrounding landscape.

In choosing a name for the new resort, Larry turned to the past. A story about Paul Greenough, the land’s first rancher, had always captured his imagination. It was said that Greenough had painted large green Os on his sheep, a humorous reference to his surname. These “decorated” sheep were known to sleep and graze in the shade of the majestic pines that populate the forested hillside that make up the green o, today. Now it’s the fortunate guests who enjoy the luxurious sleeping quarters and the fine dining provided in this exquisite remote and refined enclave.