A holiday trip to Denver's new Clyfford Still Museum

A big holiday tradition for us is to try and make it out to the museums.  So of course the new Clyfford Still Museum that opened here in Denver last month was at the top of the list.  
The form and massing of the building and the landscaping are simple yet stunning.
The variety of concrete textures & how they are used enhances the experience of the building by giving the building scale and addressing the visitor with their varied tactile qualities.  You just want to touch the surfaces.  And, as the light changes throughout the day so does your perception of the concrete surfaces.

The opening exhibit is a great introduction to the artists work.  It is a chronological sequence that begins with his earlier more figurative work and shows how his work evolves to the abstract expressionism that he is known for.  This museum has an incredible amount of his art in storage and such a small building to display it in.  I can hardly wait to see what the next exhibit will bring and I will need to go back to see how the landscaping matures over time-especially the trees with the peeling bark that suit the building so nicely.

Krisana Park Ranch Remodel Designs

Front elevation of garage addition/block walls

The schematic designs of the Krisana Park addition and remodel are complete.
After years of reading about this Denver neighborhood in Atomic Ranch, I have always wanted to work on project here and I am excited to be able to see this one completed.

Neighborhood turned block detail

The existing home has some wonderful original features characteristic of these Eichler-like ranch homes including floor to ceiling glass, exposed beams, open floor plan, and connections to the outdoors.  
On the other hand there are some more recent remodels & additions that will be removed.

Another challenge to this design project is that the owner wishes to make the one level ranch more accessible-so that if need be, you could easily drive around the house in a scooter.
This means removing all the thresholds where floors aren't flush, widening the doors from 2 feet to 2 feet 8 inches minimum.  The bathrooms will also be remodeled to replace the more recent unworkable bathroom remodels.

Before Photo of Existing Carport to become new garage

Before photo of front Elevation

North Corner Elevation

Another necessity for the new owner is to change the existing carport into an enclosed garage.  Instead of a side entry to the carport, we will keep the existing post and beam structure but add a garage door at the front.  The new garage walls will be built mostly from painted concrete block like so many of the homes in the neighborhood.  There is a detail of slightly turned block that is original and repeated throughout the neighborhood that we will use on the front of the garage.  


We will be removing the later added greenhouse window at the front which is not
energy efficient and is not original to this design.


Another characteristic element of the homes in this neighborhood are narrow floor to ceiling windows.  The new design features adding one of these narrow windows on the North side of the garage addition-at a key location where the owner enters the house from the garage.

Smallest Remodel Ever

I just completed work on this small remodel in Boulder on Shanahan Ridge.  In a space of about 25 square feet almost every type of trade was involved including a framing crew, drywall crew, window company, mechanical contractor, painter, electricians, masons, tile, plumbing, a metal fabricator, and a general contractor!  There were a lot of trades to coordinate in a very small workspace.  
Originally there was a very modest opening and it is amazing how enlarging this opening has transformed this space and brought the beautiful views of the open space into the dining room.  You can now see Devil's Thumb in the background.  The greenhouse is now completely filled with plants for the winter, yet you can still enjoy the view.  

The De Young and San Francisco Academy of Sciences

During a  recent visit home to the Bay Area I got a chance to visit two of the newest additions to Golden Gate Park, both done by
world famous architects.  The first stop was at Renzo Piano's Academy of Sciences building.  We started on the green roof, where he used the same coco fiber planters that we used on our green roof here in Boulder.  You can see the layers-membrane, drainage, filter fabric, soil medium, then plants that make up a green roof in the mock up below.  

 In addition to the green roof, Piano developed a very creative & and innovative strategy for making the rest of the building green.  Rather than simply following checklists of green features, he integrated new and tested elements of green design into the building design in a much more meaningful and resourceful way.
I grew up in the old part of the museum on many field trips, family outings and I actually won the Bay Area Science Fair here when I was a kid-so I enjoyed seeing this modern addition to the museum.

Across the way the DeYoung Museum by Herzog and de Meuron is another fantastic building to visit.  The view from the tower, which is free to visit, is phenomenal.  

view to green roof from De Young tower

The floor to ceiling glass and the glimpses through the randomly perforated copper skin afford a connection to the city that never existing from within the park before.  You can see the top of the Golden Gate bridge and out to see as well as the Pacific Palisades and back into the park.  Your sense of vertigo when you approach the glass is lessened by the fact that there is a small extension of the floor level at the edge.  My only regret was that the stair was closed as I wanted to experience traveling from that height through between the core of the building and the ever-changing copper skin.  


You can also see the roof of the museum wings below and how slivers of the park penetrate and separate the spaces.  You also
get views back to  the green roof across the way.
   On the way to the tower I was intrigued with these sculptures by Ruth Asawa and became an instant fan of her work.

Stop by and see me at the Denver Modernism show today and tomorrow!

hand made folded paper cards 

booth design

green roof plants

The Denver Modernism Show has been a lot of fun, although I am jealous that I am missing out on all the shopping as I see interesting finds passing by!    I got my booth together just in time with a lot of velcro and elmers and now I am enjoying the party!  I have been cutting and folding hand made cards that match the display almost non-stop and I will be surprised if I have enough to last out the day.  I built a 24" x 24" cube that seems to fold out of the corner and filled the roof with a display of green roof plants.    I have had some great conversations and have met a lot of new people that I hope to meet again.  The show runs until 3pm on Sunday and I have seen some great furniture, light fixtures, artwork, and many people dressed for the period.   I am already planning for next year. 

Come see me at the Denver Modernism Show! August 26-27-28

I am very much looking forward to this years Denver Modernism Show.  I have been designing and building my booth and preparing materials for the past couple of weeks.  
I attended last year and had a great time and made a few retro modern purchases.
I bought some Russell Wright pottery, a stunning orange glass bowl from the 50's and a collection of art books.
I can hardly wait to exhibit for the first time this year.

I also highly recommend the Arapahoe Acres home tour that takes place the same weekend.  Arapahoe Acres is a fantastic mid-century modern neighborhood in Denver-that is worth visiting.  There will be information about the tour at the Denver Modernism Show if you want to find out more.  Go to www.denvermodernism.com for more info!

Update on the Pine Brook Hills house in Boulder

Here are the first 3D sketches of the house I have been working on in Pine Brook Hills, in Boulder, CO.  The goal is to achieve a net zero energy home.
It is on a beautiful sunny lot with a lot of forested area (I have not drawn all the trees yet as they slow me down when I am working, but some of them are indicated as vertical lines) and the lot has a lot of rock outcroppings.  There are fantastic views to the south and the home and overhangs will be designed to take advantage of passive solar heating in the winter.  When you enter the house there is an unobstructed view straight through the house to the landscape beyond.  The schematic design phase and design development phases are a lot of fun as you get to see your ideas take shape!

view from front entry/driveway

view from uphill

view from southeast

view from south

view from lower on the lot

view of the west facade

view of the east facade