the story
the story
At Wind River, our mission is to create attainable housing solutions that are of the highest quality in craftsmanship and design, and to do so with integrity, innovation, and stewardship. We care about who we are and the impact we have on our customers, our Wind River team, and our community.
history
Wind River was born when our founder, Travis Pyke, built and moved into a tiny home with his family.
I was drawn to tiny home living by the simplicity. My now-wife and I were starting our life together and it just felt practical and achievable, setting us on the right path to be debt free and not feel tied down. We lived in our tiny home for 4 years and it enabled us to save so that we could reach our next dream of buying a piece of land in the country and building our homestead to raise our family.
Working for a general contractor, Travis was always drawn to building, designing, and creating.
Our family built a cabin when I was in 7th grade. I was homeschooled that year, and my dad and grandpa let me help. My math classes were related to the project: calculating square footage, estimating loads of gravel, material lists, etc. Our family took long road trips to the Wind River Range in Wyoming, or to the Appalachian Trail, which drove home the importance of freedom and the allure of open spaces.
His career has spanned the full set of skills needed to take construction projects from napkin sketch to final nail.
Through high school and college I worked for general contractors and tradesmen, learning skills in everything from concrete work, plumbing and electrical, and framing and finish work. It was all of these experiences that gave me complete confidence to build our first tiny home.
The company’s fascination with tiny homes is rooted in values like simple living, minimalism, and practical functionality.
I spent time overseas in Africa as a missionary on three different occasions; that opened my eyes to simple living and living with less. There are many very real hardships for those living in third world countries, but there is also a beauty in the simplicity of daily life living with less. More energy and time can be focused on relationships and things that bring joy. In America, we are driven to work more and have more, which consumes so much of our time and energy and leaves less time for doing the things that bring us joy and relieve stress.
For Travis’ family, and for many families, going tiny helps them grow.
A lot of people are looking for a simpler and more free lifestyle. For my wife and me, living in our tiny home for several years was a stepping stone; most people aren’t deciding to live in a tiny home for the rest of their lives. This is the beauty of tiny homes and downsizing, it can be a reset for those looking to get their feet back under them and find a freedom they have been desperately searching for, or a launching point that helps get them on the right path to achieve their dreams.
the shop
With 11,000 square feet built around tools, technology, and talent, our Shop brings together the best of design and artisan craft to build your home. We have a complete cabinet shop and painting room on site, to make sure that every storage space in your tiny house is built right, as well as a Design Showroom complete with samples of finishes and fixtures.
