Dezeen Magazine

Fish Creek house by Dynia

Fish Creek residence by Dynia captures views of Wyoming mountains

Tall living spaces in this single-storey house close to Jackson, Wyoming, are oriented to make the most of views of the nearby Teton Mountains.

Designed by local architects Dynia, Fish Creek is surrounded by a rugged landscape that is designated as national park land.

Fish Creek house by Dynia

The area is popular with skiers, and home to many vacation properties including an estate for a New York family and a rural residence comprising low-lying volumes.

Dynia aimed to make the most of the natural beauty, arranging the building so the most frequently occupied rooms face the most dramatic vista to the south.

Fish Creek house by Dynia

They then tilted the section of roof over this volume to create a high glazed wall in the desired direction.

"To respond to this topographical edge condition, the form of the primary living space rises to capture this view," said Dynia.

Fish Creek house by Dynia

In its entirety, the residence is L-shaped in plan. Areas for hosting guests are situated in the tall section, while private rooms like sleeping quarters and a home office occupy the lower, longer branch.

The master suite is tucked away in the corner where the perpendicular volumes meet. The end of the low-slung portion is taken up by a garage, reached via a covered porch.

Fish Creek house by Dynia
Photograph by David Agnello

Another, separate garage building is offset from the main house so that it doesn't interrupt the views, but sits close enough to form a semi-enclosed outdoor space from which the front door is accessed.

"The entry sequence begins by arrival into a south-facing 'courtyard' defined by the house and an outbuilding," the architects said.

"A linear porch accessed from the garage or the exterior leads to the entry illuminated by an east-facing light monitor."

Fish Creek house by Dynia
Photograph by David Agnello

Both buildings are clad in cedar wood, which will age naturally with patterns created by rusting fasteners.

Many of the internal walls are angled, resulting in non-rectangular rooms that are sparsely decorated.

Wyoming's expanses of rough terrain provide a backdrop for similar residential projects, like a home that wraps around a giant boulder, and a house built from salvaged wood and other rustic materials.

Photography is by Ron Johnson, unless specified otherwise.

More images and plans

Fish Creek house by Dynia