carney architects, jackson, wyo.
Because of a high-water table in the Snake River flood plain, Carney Architects designed this nifty little 300-square-foot wine storage room as a silo instead of a conventional cellar. So it's no wonder our judges gave it high marks—and a merit award. The silo, which holds 2,500 bottles, is the third installment of an evolving program that includes a main house and a secondary entertaining building with an office, gym, and pool room. Each structure is an architectural departure from the next. For the silo, the architects drew inspiration from agrarian structures, but they built it with 12-inch-thick insulating foam block and clad it with oxidized steel plates. Connected to the entertainment portion of the building, the silo's interior features warm reclaimed fir and exposed steel. “The silo is more than a place to store wine,” says architect Eric Logan. “Its roof deck provides soaring views [of the Grand Teton Mountain range].” “This is pure invention,” the judges said, calling it “beautifully detailed and very neat.”
