Choose your view. Select your layout. Revise the plan to suit your lifestyle. There is grace in simplicity and freedom in convenience, and Jamie Mackay wants to simply and conveniently change how we live, one luxury home at a time.
You may know Mackay from his wildly successful Fireside Resorts in Jackson Hole and Buffalo Valley, both located in western Wyoming. Additionally, you’ll know him for his strikingly simple modern ‘Wheelhaus’ cabins. Sweetened with the luxuries and amenities of a beautiful hotel suite or a miniature version of a custombuilt home, these thoughtfully designed modular 400-square-foot spaces have done more than boast national reviews from TIME, The New York Times, and Forbes, just to name a few. They have also effectively transformed what we think we need in our living spaces, and more importantly, what we think about the aesthetic of modern mountain modular homes.
The specific design known as “The Wedge” began as a conversation Mackay had been having in his head for over a decade. He realized that we live incredibly busy lives, both in our urban and mountain settings, and that what we all crave is more time. More time to live our lives with intention among nature, our family and friends, and within our communities, and less time thinking about the experience of designing, building, and maintaining a traditional stick-built home.
His thinking was correct and timely. Over the years, Mackay listened carefully to his resort guests who claimed that they had ‘everything they needed,’ in The Wedge, however what they truly desired were a ‘few Wedges’ as an expression of the structured, yet layered living environment they ultimately sought. Mackay realized he could literally and figuratively heighten a homeowner’s experience by ‘stacking’ the structures. With his eye on the future and a collaborative vision with two national furniture and design companies, the Wheelhaus Stack Haus was born.
Although this idea is not entirely new among modular builders, its execution is a powerful and nuanced transition. “I love architecture,” states Mackay. “But, I want to remove the stress from our clients’ lives. I want to offer a homeowner the experience of living in a home with clean lines and high-end materials that is well-built and durable, taking less time to build and conserving more resources in our Mountain West.”
Live here now.
Before you log in to Mackay’s website to take a virtual tour, or schedule a visit to view the model units located in Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls, let’s first clear up any questions about the difference between a modular home and a manufactured home.
Both modular and manufactured homes are built in sections in a factory. However, manufactured homes carry the distinction of being built on a non-removable steel chassis and are transported to a building site on their own wheels. They are built to conform to a Federal building code (commonly known as the HUD code), and oftentimes the segments are not always placed on a permanent foundation. Alternatively, modular homes conform to local, regional, and state building codes at their destinations, are transported via truck beds, and joined together by local experts. There is great potential for diversity and the opportunities for customization are seemingly endless.”
The takeaway here? You can frame your scene of the Tetons, Wasatch, Sawtooths, or wherever your mind’s eye rests with the peaceful and energizing look of the Stack Haus. By shifting your perspective from ‘standard issue’ to ‘wellcurated life,’ you’ll begin to grasp the idea.
Reclaiming an authentic life is the first step in choosing how you’d like to configure your Stack Haus. For instance, where do you feel best in the morning? Do you prefer gazing out your bedroom window at the sunrise or do you enjoy taking in the view from the deck with a cup of coffee? By siting your view you begin to take advantage of the Stack Haus. Are you a cook who dreams of spending more time concocting new recipes? Then perhaps you’ll select the superior kitchen package, which comes loaded with a professional range and stainless steel appliances. (Even if you’re not a cook, you’ll still have the option of a fully-equipped kitchen designed to order!) Or maybe you host every family holiday and need that third bedroom or even a mother-in-law suite that can later double as a rental unit. The point of modular design is about defining your living style and refining it by choosing what works for you. Modular living in its essence compels us to furnish (again, literally and figuratively) our lives with inspiration.
If there is a sound bite to take from all this, then it is to “live here now.” Because Mackay has thought of it all in terms of providing the best turnkey home experience, there’s no pondering the vast amount of decisions that accompany building a traditional home. Instead, those decisions resemble more of an exercise in creativity. Choices in hardwood floors, fixtures, lighting, and décor are approached with ease because energy efficiency, quality control, a reduction in the building supply chain, and LEED certifications have all been considered and confirmed. Focusing on a low carbon imprint and overseeing the production process means every designed home is produced with the highest level of quality. The micromanagement and the guessing game that often describe a homeowner’s building experience is completely redefined, as in, “Your home will be designed exactly the way you envisioned it. It will be on time, on budget, and you’ll be living in it within a week of its delivery.”
As Mackay further elaborates, “Even if you were to design the Stack Haus with every single option we offer, you’d be hard pressed for its cost to exceed $350K.” Floor to ceiling windows and expansive decks provide natural lighting and a seamless integration with the outdoors. Smart technology, soundproofing, and a roof constructed for any snow or wind load, these are not extras—this is forethought, an acute attention to detail, and precision engineering.
The Stack Haus as seen here is comprised of three living spaces—750 sq ft., 1,000 sq. ft., and 650 sq. ft. Designs range from a minimum of 750 to 2,500 square feet and beyond. Mackay knows from years in the construction and home-building business that each homeowner relates to space on a personal level. Color, texture, and light are key focal points in his design offerings that include complete furniture packages. Add an outdoor fireplace or pool to the natural beauty of your property to enhance your home’s visual story. The modular revolution is well on its way to your neighborhood. Be one of the first to embrace it and honor your lifestyle with the best in luxury modern mountain modular design.
