After living in Jackson, Wyoming, for nearly two decades, writer and athlete Dina Mishev was ready to build her dream home. She invited her friends at Carney Logan Burke Architects to design an inexpensive residence that made strategic use of her landlocked, view-challenged property. The project’s tight budget (approximately $500,000 to build and furnish) prompted a simple rectangular frame.

“We asked ourselves, 'How do we make this box a beautiful box?'” principal Eric Logan says. They carved away corners and added rhythmic glazing to provide maximum views and natural light. In response to the site’s limited buildable area, Logan’s team ingeniously pushed the living areas up to the second floor, creating an upside-down version of a traditional home. A garage and two bedrooms comprise the lower level, with an open kitchen and living room on the top floor with the master suite. Features like standard-sized windows, drywall ceilings, and exposed concrete floors kept costs down. A climbing wall, Mishev’s idea, provides roof access from one side of the house.

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A Fun, Cost-Conscious Home with Bright Interiors and a Climbing Wall