Darcey and Mike Prichard, longtime residents of Wilson, Wyoming, near Jackson Hole, recently undertook a project to downsize without leaving the community they cherish. Facing high real estate prices that have transformed the area into a haven for affluent buyers, the couple opted to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on their property while renting out their existing four-bedroom home.
Their 0.76-acre lot in this mountainous region posed both regulatory and environmental challenges. County rules restricted the new unit’s size to 1,000 square feet, prompting Ms. Prichard, a marketing director and partner at CLB Architects in Jackson, to initially consider prefabricated homes. However, after consulting with Eric Logan, a fellow architect and CLB partner, she decided a custom-built structure would better meet their needs and integrate with the site’s natural landscape.
Ms. Prichard and her husband, who owns a homebuilding company, concluded that prefabricated options would limit design flexibility, particularly for creating outdoor living spaces and elevating the unit to capture views among the aspen and cottonwood trees. Transporting a prefab home through rugged mountainous terrain also raised cost and durability concerns. Instead, they chose to assemble a custom two-story home onsite using corrugated metal and cedar wood, materials selected for their resilience in Wyoming’s harsh climate.
Construction began in September 2024, relying largely on weekend labor from the Prichards and subcontractors familiar to Mr. Prichard. The project was completed by June 2025, with costs contained to approximately $450 per square foot through a combination of sweat equity and borrowing equipment from Mr. Prichard’s company. The couple’s son also contributed, particularly to an unusual feature: a two-story exterior climbing wall integrated into a cedar-paneled niche on the side of the house. While unexpected, the climbing wall quickly became a favorite design element.
The ADU’s layout follows an “upside down” plan with bedrooms and a combined living, dining, and kitchen area on the upper floor, opening onto decks on both east and west sides. The lower level features a four-car garage, storage for outdoor gear such as skis and bikes, and a recreational room. Though the design requires frequent stair usage, the family remains active and prepared to install an elevator or lift if necessary.
Inside, the interior balances simplicity and warmth without a rustic tone, relying on expansive windows and covered outdoor spaces to create a sense of spaciousness beyond the 1,000-square-foot cap. According to Mr. Logan, these design choices effectively expand the functional living area by connecting indoors with the surrounding landscape.
Finding tenants quickly for their main residence further supported the couple’s decision to downsize in place, allowing them to maintain their lifestyle in a community that has become increasingly challenging for middle-income families to remain in.