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OUR COMPANY

Who We Are

Founded by Jim and Karen Barney, Freestyle Architects is committed to designing spaces that connect people to this special place and allow them to realize their vision of home for themselves, their families and friends.

What We Do

We offer a broad range of experience in the design of residential, commercial, civic, and historic preservation projects, in the Gunnison Valley and beyond. Regardless of the size and scope of your project, we are able to guide you through the often complex and always collaborative process of designing and constructing, or remodeling, a building.

What We Do

We offer a broad range of experience in the design of residential, commercial, civic, and historic preservation projects, in the Gunnison Valley and beyond. Regardless of the size and scope of your project, we are able to guide you through the often complex and always collaborative process of designing and constructing, or remodeling, a building.

ARCHITECT, LEED AP

Jim Barney

University of Colorado Denver, Master of Architecture
U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Accredited

Jim was born and raised in Colorado. Having spent an abundant amount of time in the outdoors, Jim has come to appreciate architecture that unifies the built world with the natural landscape. Prior to training as an architect, Jim was a builder. His understanding of construction allows him to design efficiently. Easy going and flexible by nature, Jim has a hands-on, team-building approach that ensures both a smooth process and a successful end result.

ARCHITECT, LEED AP

Karen Barney

University of Colorado Denver, Master of Architecture
U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Accredited

A native of Virginia, Karen moved to Colorado in 1998 to study architecture. She completed her professional internship at two diverse firms in Boulder and Golden. Here she had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of structures, from complex medical buildings to historic preservation projects. Resourceful and articulate, Karen is dedicated to the design of buildings that are both beautiful and environmentally progressive.

We have lived and worked in Crested Butte for many years, are raising our family here, and are deeply invested in the community. We enjoy recreating outdoors, drawing and painting. Our art is inspired by nature and the magnificent local landscapes. We are proud of the projects we’ve designed and the strong relationships we’ve built with our clients.