Boulder Modern Architecture

A holiday trip to Denver's new Clyfford Still Museum

2011-12-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-25T14:50:00.000-06:00

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

2011-10-19T15:01:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-08-27T14:07:00.001-06:00

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

2011-08-19T08:56:00.000-06:00

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

2011-07-29T16:21:00.001-06:00

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

How to work with an architect, how fees are calculated, etc

2011-07-22T16:24:00.000-06:00

I often refer to this article from Sunset magazine to describe the process of working with an architect to my clients, so I thought it would make a great blogpost. It is a well written article-especially the description of how the standard design phases of Pre-design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Bidding & Contract negotiation, Construction Documents, and Construction Observation are described, how fees are calculated, the guideline percentages of the total fee structure for each phase. It is a great concise description of how to work with an architect.

Blind Cafe & Architecture for the blind

2011-07-13T10:09:00.002-06:00

I have been fascinated by the idea of architecture for the blind since a friend in graduate

school at Michigan worked on a thesis project that was a school for the blind.  The ideas

about architecture and designing for the blind have been in my mind ever since.

And then I got a personal email inviting me to the Blind Cafe Event in Boulder.  Here

is a description of the event:

"We serve a 3 course, family-style dinner in the pitch dark, all the waitstaff are legally

blind leading the guests in the dark and there is also a full set of original music performed.
A local Chef, Marcus McCauley will be preparing the meal with volunteers. The meal will be

gluten and dairy-free. Proceeds from the event we donate to help the blind community in

Boulder" The charity is a group that raises puppies that are being trained as guide dogs

and you can meet the puppies at the event.  The website for more information and

tickets is:

http://theblindcafe.com/boulder-blind-cafe.htm

There are some great videos about this on the website.  My favorite description from

the videos is a guy walking in to find a seat in the dark and he approached a table of

people talking and said "Are there any seats free at this table?"

And the group responded, "We don't know!"

The practice of architecture as I know it relies so heavily on vision.  Sure there are

exceptions but in most cases many decisions are made based on appearance.

Imagine designing a space that captures an experience based on using all of the other

senses instead.  Texture, sounds, smells, hot and cold, obstacles, and how it feels to

move through such a space would become the primary consideration.  I think the

possibilities for such a space could create a really compelling architecture.

The dates for this event are July 14-16.

New door hardware discovery

2011-06-29T12:35:00.000-06:00

I love discovering new products or just products that are new to me. I keep tabs on all the design magazines and websites to keep up with the lastest products on the market. The discovery of this hardware came to me from the contractor, Cottonwood Custom Builders, that I have been working with on the Martin Acres Project in Boulder. The hardware we used there is from Emtek and I was impressed with its quality, modern design choices and all at an affordable price. My favorite hardware for doors has always been German made FSB, also a very high quality item but it comes at a high price as well. I am excited to be able to spec this product as well when the budget is more of an issue. I have seen lots of foreign copies of high end hardware, but the quality has always been a concern. Not the case with this Emtek hardware. I even noticed that the local locksmith sells and recommends this product and they know best about the mechanisms of a lock. It is also readily available on the web, where you can see the pricing. Happy hardware shopping!

Martin Acres Ranch in the home stretch!

2011-06-01T15:30:00.002-06:00

The Martin Acres addition is almost complete now, down to the punch list items. The floors have been finished, the kitchen cabinets are in and final painting, electrical, and touch up work are being performed. The owners plan to build the new attached garage & front porch in a future phase and will finish the two new bathrooms at their leisure.

The countertops the owners have chosen are Caesarstone-and I believe the color is Dusty Stones. The owner remarked that the finish reminds them of an Australian Shepherd! It does have that Blue Merle effect, which is really quite nice to look at.

Kitchen before and after

2011-05-04T10:18:00.000-06:00

The kitchen at the Norwood house is complete. I included the before photo so you can see the transformation. All of the oak floors were reclaimed from the Resource Yard.
The cork colored granite counters were also reclaimed. The appliances are GE Cafe, and the faucet is a beautiful Dornbracht faucet.

before photo

Cork flooring being installed

2011-04-21T11:14:00.000-06:00

My clients at the 31st street house have chosen cork flooring for the entire second level and luckily Go Green Flooring in Boulder was having a sale as well so the cork is not only beautiful & eco-friendly but very affordable and easy to install. The homeowners have installed this material themselves and did so rather quickly. This particular product comes in 1'x3' rectangular pieces that snap lock together and it was installed as a floating floor.

I have provided a link below to a nice short article listing the benefits of cork flooring.
http://www.corkflooringpros.com/cork-flooring-benefits/

Norwood house on the market today!

2011-04-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

Here is the flyer for the Norwood house listing all the green features and showing
several possible layouts. Go see it this weekend!

Corner details

2011-03-16T10:44:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the smallest bit of care and attention to detail yields some nice results. We used HardiePlank fiber cement lap siding with a 4" reveal on the lower level of the Martin Acres house.
Often you see a corner detail with a big trim board on each side of the corner which really seems inappropriate for this style of house. It is much nicer to let the material turn the corner to emphasize the horizontal shadow lines that this material creates. I did some hunting around to find these metal corner pieces that are made for this use. You can even get them prepainted to match the standard colors available for prefinished HardiePlank. The photo on the left shows the corners installed on the house prior to finishing, then you see the painted corner, and thirdly, a close up photo of the corner piece.
Below is a recent construction photo. The owners have decided to change the color on the front entry as it came out a little more yellow than they were expecting. We also chose a color for the stucco on the upper level last week.

Martin Acres Addition Progress

2011-02-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Exterior colors are being chosen-the Hardiplank siding will be a blue/grey that looks great against the window colors. The panels of Hardipanel siding have been prepainted (below the window) a yellow/green, as it is tricky to finish the edges around the aluminum fry reglets after installation. The stucco color on the upper portion is still under consideration, but the owners are looking to choose a rusty metal color.......perhaps something like the image below.

The master tub framing is in and drywall has gone up in two days. The smooth drywall, really makes the original vaulted ceilings stand out.

These are the most recent exterior photos. The "brown coat" for the stucco has gone up on the second level and the last of the windows was installed. The corner trim boards are to be painted the same color as the windows so that the corner windows appear to be a one piece assembly.

Finishes are underway at the Norwood house

2011-02-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Kevin is laying out some possible tile patterns in the kids bathroom, and we are looking at tiles and colors for the master bath.

The kitchen installation is almost complete and light just pours into the South facing front entry.

Reclaimed building materials

2011-01-26T10:30:00.001-07:00

In light of Dwells most recent issue regarding reclaimed/recycled building materials, I thought I should talk about all the reclaimed materials being used in two projects I am working on at the moment.
The image above shows the reclaimed tongue and groove decking we are using at the new porch roof on the Martin Acres addition. The existing house had vaulted ceilings throughout, which informed the design of the new addition. We kept the wood beams and ceilings in the kitchen, dining and reading areas, and where the second level was added we saved the ceiling materials to use for the new porch ceiling. The random pattern shows where the decking had been connected to beams, and I think it could add a nice pattern and texture to the new ceilings, once painted over in a single color.

My client for the Norwood house has proven to be incredibly resourceful as he frequents the Resource Yard and found-all the reclaimed oak flooring for the main living areas, the cork colored granite countertops for the kitchen, some skylights that were new/never installed, and a steel spiral staircase. All of these were purchased at a fraction of the cost of new materials, and saved from the landfill. He also found a tub for the master bath for $65 but that got purchased out from under him unfortunately. Using reclaimed materials feels great and is easier than you think but you need to know what to look for and have a bit of time to search for them and also a bit of luck. The Resource Yard also has a feature where you can subscribe to get emails that list new materials that have arrived.

The link below is to Dwells issue on reclaimed materials:
http://www.dwell.com/magazine/Rethink-Recycling.html

Front porch roof

2011-01-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

The front porch roof is being framed, windows are being installed, roofing, siding, and insulation and all the plumbing, mechanical & electrical rough ins are underway.

The front porch roof is at the same pitch as the existing vaulted roof at the rear of the house which really ties the design together. The vaulted ceiling at the entry gives a nice open feeling at the front door and the lower roof on the front of the building helps bring the scale of the building down to keep it it scale with the neighboring buildings. The underside of the porch ceiling will be wood decking reclaimed from the original one story ceilings removed & stored when the second level was framed. Eventually, the porch roof will continue on the north side of the building for a future garage. The garage will be set back from the front of the building, to line up with the two story mass behind the entry.

Progress on 31st Street

2010-12-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

The second level framing has progressed so that the upper level roof
is constructed. The lower level porch roof is still to come and will really enhance the front facade.
There are some fantastic views from the windows. The corner windows in what will be the master tub and shower room, frame the Flatirons nicely. The view from the main bedroom also faces the mountains, yet feels very private, as it screens the house behind. Devil's Thumb is framed in the kids bathroom window, and the view from the top of the stairs, as I have mentioned frames just sky from the lower level and is a surprise as you move up the stairs to see Green mountain.

The Styrofoam Man

2010-12-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

We made a trip to the Denver Art Museum yesterday. Daniel captured one of my favorite pieces there-the Styrofoam man. I love it! Today is members only gift shopping-20% off the cool stuff in the store. My favorite is the Mikro House model by Sam Buxton.
See it here http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/doityourself_mi.php

Framing is well underway at the Martin Acres Project

2010-12-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

The second floor platform has been framed and the walls are chalked out on the ground so you really get a sense of the spaces and the views from each new room.
The stair feels very comfortable. There is a great view framing the sky from the entry, and as you move up the stairs, there is a nicely framed view of Green Mountain in the distance.
I kept the stair wide, at about 4 feet and used my ideal indoor stair rise and run of 7:11, so it feels generous and comfortable. I think these types of details are important, as we have all walked up residential stairs that feel cramped, too steep, or the run is to shallow. The 7:11 rule is a good one to follow for indoors, outdoors I prefer the feeling of a 6:12.
The front facade wall is two stories tall and has been balloon framed.
More to come soon, as the walls and roof should go up quickly now.

Martin Acres home starts construction!

2010-11-03T14:09:00.000-06:00

Construction has begun on the Martin Acres remodel/addition. It will be a take on an Eichler style home, which is appropriate for the neighborhood. I still think, with a bit of creativity, Martin Acres could be more like Denver's Arapahoe Acres or Krisana Park neighborhoods. How wonderful would that be for Boulder and for the neighborhood.
The sketch shows the concept for the addition-highlighted in pink. The stair, entry, and porch will be at the front... a big improvement on entering the house from the side straight into the livingroom.
There will be a second story addition which includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry area. This will open up the lower level for a larger kitchen, living room and dining area, and leaves room for an office. We will be keeping the vaulted wood ceilings and beams in the living area, and one bedroom and bathroom remain on the main level.

These early construction photos show the first pour of the footings that happened this morning. The entry and stair to the upper level will be framed as soon as the foundation walls are poured.

Painting and insulation are underway at the Norwood house

2010-11-02T15:04:00.000-06:00

After some discussion, some color studies, head scratching and several paint samples the client and I developed this paint scheme which I think turned out very well. The plan at the moment is that the front door will be a red wine color, and I am hoping that that will carry over as a stripe on the bottom 3rd panel of the garage door. It looked very cool in the studies. We missed each other today as I drove past to take these quick photos today.
Another modern residential project I have been working on has also started construction as well so I am hoping to post photos of that tomorrow.

Progress at the Norwood house

2010-10-21T10:42:00.000-06:00

A lot of progress has been made at 1895 Norwood! The 10'x12' entry addition has been framed,
windows are all in now, the roofing and siding work have begun.
My client has been doing an excellent job sourcing reclaimed materials.
He has purchased many things from the Resource Yard including all of the hardwood flooring, the granite counter tops for the kitchen, and he even found some new Velux skylights.
You can see from the photos that the house is really cleaning up nicely with new siding, roofing to replace the outdated T-lock shingles, flues removed and all new energy efficient windows.

Local group offering free architectural & other design services for firefighters who lost their homes in the fourmile fire

2010-09-28T15:52:00.000-06:00

Please see the link below where we will be posting more information about this offer.

The list of firms contributing to this effort will be kept updated on the site below.

http://rebuildit.wordpress.com/

Since joining and meeting with this group of local design firms-we have thought of some additional ideas and ways to help. We plan to build a community site model of the entire fire area-showing existing and proposed structures-on Google Earth that is free and available to everyone. Since the landscape has changed so dramatically, we hope this tool will help people to locate structures in relationship to their neighbors, to their sites, views, and surroundings and perhaps make more informed decisions about where to rebuild and perhaps rebuild a more cohesive community. We are working furiously and planning our strategy right now. Soon we will have a public website where we will post the models and use as an interface for this project. I will post the link as soon as it is live.

Fourmile Rebuild Forum

2010-09-24T12:52:00.000-06:00

Last night I attended the first of two Fourmile Rebuild Forums to hear the latest on what the county had to say about the special regulations being crafted for the rebuilding efforts:
Here are some of the most important points from my notes:

The county is working to act on erosion control with one large effort-instead of having one person do something that then sets up a problem for the next property, etc. They are working with the BLM and the Forest Service and doing extensive mapping of and planning for the area.

The county is working to pass the new regulations by October 21.
The first proposal (draft) includes the following:
1. plan to extend the rebuilding period to a multi-year period instead of 6 months as it reads now.
2. if rebuild is slightly bigger,no site plan review
3. new location-small staff review-maybe two weeks
4. single point of contact from the county will help walk the project through instead of visiting separate departments for septic, etc.
5. demo permits will not be required if no walls are standing but they urge the homeowners to advise the city that the clean up process is underway. They believe asbestos is likely gone or no longer harmful.
6. Build smart will likely include the items related to the efficiency of the building envelope, but may not include some of the other regulations. An exception would be for homes over 6000 square feet, of which there are four.
6. county regs will include provisions for temporary structures
7. the county is also looking at funding sources-like SBA loans and shifting some grant funding
8. The county is putting together home owner packets for each property

They spoke about two scenarios they are looking at for the regulations:
a) if you rebuild the same house or smaller (same=same size, place, & height, but not exactly the same footprint) then the period to rebuild extends from 6 months to 2 years, they will be assigning permit teams to expedite the process, by arranging meetings with all the reviewing parties to go through the project at one time
b) if you want to change-example-increase size by a limited amount, change location, increase height, or do something that works better on the site for solar orientation, energy efficiency, etc-there will be extra requirements but they are looking at ways to expedite the process.

On Development Credits-if the property was at 6000 square feet before the fire, there will be no purchasing of TDC's, but if it was below 6000 square feet and will now be larger then TDC's will need to be purchased.

Remember-this is just a draft of what they have been working on so far and there is a public process underway.

The next county meeting is on Spet 30th at 11:30 at the Main Courthouse on Pearl in the BCC Hearing Room.

The next Fourmile Forum event is October 2.

I have attended several such meetings since the fire just to listen, learn and keep informed of the new regulations. I tend to sit quietly in the back and just listen. I think the presentations were well done but they could have done without the booths and just had the presentations only. The BGBG handed out lists of architects and contractors and I think this would have been enough. One homeowner asked me if this was just an advertising seminar and looked as if she was ready to leave.

Nederland house photos!

2010-09-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

We recently visited the house in Nederland to take some photographs of the completed home. Our clients moved in about six weeks ago. We had a great time taking shots from the park along Boulder Creek at night.
There is a red room and red accents throughout-like the AGA range- It has a warm feeling inside and everyones skin looks good in the red room!
I love how the red room glows and is visible outside at night. It is very inviting.
A couple of green features include-the reclaimed snow fence siding from Wyoming, and the energy star metal roofing.

Foundation walls were poured this week at Norwood!

2010-08-26T16:25:00.000-06:00

The foundation walls were poured this week at the Norwood project. There is also an image of what the massing will look like...we are still choosing the final color scheme.
It is always exciting to see a project get set in concrete! The addition consists of a new front entry and a new garage. There will also be a dormer addition on the back side of the building. The whole house is being completely remodeled inside and out. The windows and kitchen have already been ordered including the appliances.
We got a great deal on appliances and chose the GE Cafe line-for its professional styling. Framing should start next week...can't wait!

Not to be missed!

2010-08-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

Denver modernism show is this weekend along with the Arapahaoe Acres Home Tour.
More info can be found here:
http://www.denvermodernism.com/

An update the H-house addition

2010-07-17T14:34:00.000-06:00

I realized it we have done a lot of work on finishing the landscaping and interiors since I last posted on this project. The courtyard patio has been build as well as a strip succulent garden to create a nice view from the dog window.
Now that the weather is nicer we enjoy having the whole living area opened up to the courtyard
and you can get more of a sense of the space inside. We bought an FSC certified new couch and are enjoying the new space. We have also been working on the landscaping at the front of the house and bought a new wide angle lens that should let us take some good photos of the front courtyard and entry spaces.

Two current projects on the boards

2010-07-17T13:55:00.000-06:00

Here are two schematic designs for the whole house remodel/additions I am working on.
Both are in Boulder. The first home is on Norwood and consists of a whole house remodel-including adding a lot of new green features. We are also adding an entry addition, a garage addition, new flooring, new kitchen, and new efficient windows throughout, as well as several other things.

The second image shows a 50's ranch in South Boulder where we are adding a second story, a garage, and updating the existing home to be more energy efficient. It is an Eichler inspired design and we are saving and likely repeating the vaulted wood ceilings in the main living area.

Atomic Ranch in Martin Acres!

2010-06-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

This photo shows the home in Martin Acres that we are currently redesigning. The images below are the first schematic designs for the addition and remodel of this 50's ranch style home. We are bringing out the best of the ranch with this Eichler inspired take on the ranch. The home already has some great details like the vaulted wood ceilings in the living areas, which we intend to keep. More to come on this home as we develop the design further!

Tandem Architects Collaborative

2010-06-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

Michelle and I had a lot of fun handing out green balloons at the BGBG Product and Service Fair yesterday. It was fun seeing the green balloons everywhere downtown and I can't tell you how many people said we made their child's day! That was the whole point. We wanted to do something fun, in the spirit of how we like to work. Creative, outside of the box thinking, eye catching displays, and something that a lot of people can relate to.
Balloons if you are wondering are 100% biodegradable, and we made certain to use string made from sisal which is also 100% biodegradable. Daniel developed the black and white film when we got home last night and these are some of the first images taken with the new wide angle lens. Michelle is working on posting some fun images on our new collaborative blog called
Tandem Architects Collaborative. My favorite is the woman who tied a green balloon to each of her two poodles. It looked like they might fly off!

BGBG Product and Service Fair

2010-06-03T20:06:00.000-06:00

Stop by and see us this Saturday, June 5 next to the Boulder Farmers Market at the BGBG Product and Service Fair. We have been working hard the last few days coming up with some creative solutions to the 10x10 booth. We didn't just want to show up with a table and a couple of presentation boards. We bought some materials at the Resource Yard that we are having fun modifying. We think this booth will be a good illustration of who we are and our creative approach to projects whether it is ours or yours. We will have free balloons while supplies last and we are launching our new collaborative blog. It should be a lot of fun! For more information on the event and to see a list of exhibitors visit the BGBG website.

Green roof

2010-05-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we added some mini Irises and pink Delosperma to our green roof above the living room. It is filling in fast and still the special soil mixture was holding enough moisture to keep the plants happy. Green roofs provide several environmental benefits including-added insulation value, reducing storm water runoff, cleaning the storm water run off and reducing the heat island effect as it is a cool roof assembly. Plus it is much nicer to look at than most roofs-especially if you have an area where your roof is visible from upper levels. Eventually the roof plants will completely fill in the exposed area and should create a mosaic of color year round from a combination of evergreen foliage, foliage that changes colors with the seasons, and from flowers. I designed the planting plan and have been growing and propagating plants for the roof for about a year now. Soon I will be planting a smaller version of the green roof at grade level-around the front walk and between the driveway tire tracks so that the variety of roof plants will be visible from the street. I have also recently attended two conferences on green building in NYC and Rocky Mountain Green in Denver and have a lot to post from those. There was a lot of talk about green roofs. In NYC there are rebates and incentives for green roofs available to offset the cost. I wish Boulder would catch on and catch up! Also, the City of Boulder needs to include green roofs on their pervious/impervious surface calculation form, that is required for a building permit-because a green roof reduces the impervious area of your lot. Right now-they have no factor in the form for green roofs. Who can I convince that this is important?

BIG SALE at Studio Como

2010-05-13T16:21:00.000-06:00

SALE
My favorite kitchen and furniture showroom, Studio Como is having a
big sale on all their display pieces! Their are some fantastic deals on
the beautiful kitchens and appliances in the showroom, as well as furniture & lighting.
This is high end product at a large discount. Check it out!
http://www.studiocomo.com/sale

A phenomenon!

2010-05-06T12:47:00.001-06:00

And they say architecture is the art of catching light. This is how I like to do it! This amazing light pattern is from the sun reflecting off my polished concrete floors.

Plant Sale!

2010-05-06T12:30:00.000-06:00

Recently I attended the plant sale for the North American Rock Garden Society and here are the plants I picked up. Many of these are for my new green roof and others are for elsewhere in my garden. I have already started planting. There are several Delosperma, Carex, Agave, Erigeron & Sedums. I am especially excited about the white Spatula plant-it looks like a paddle plant but is supposedly hardy. Tomorrow is another sale at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I plan to get there as they open for members only shopping. I need a lot of plants for my new planting areas which will be landscaped this month.

Ellie's List-Ellie's Eco home store

2010-04-06T13:46:00.000-06:00

It's official-I have been approved by Ellie's Eco Home Store to appear on Ellie's List of architects.
They are a wonderful source of green building materials. Check out some of their products here!
I am excited to have this resource here in Boulder under one roof! The contractor's yard and showroom on Walnut Street is a nice place to take clients to look at many different options for green building materials. There are many more products available at the showroom that haven't made it to the website, so it is definitely worth a visit.

I have used and will continue to specify their products, such as insulation made from recycled blue jeans, no VOC paints, reclaimed flooring materials, recycled rubber flooring, etc.

Currently I am working on a project using the reclaimed redwood patio tiles made from old pickle tanks. I will plan to post photos of the installation when they arrive in a few weeks.

Interior shots of the livingroom addition

2010-03-24T13:50:00.000-06:00

We had a photo shoot and here are some of the first interior photos. We stayed up late to develop the black and white film in house, which I have yet to scan in or print yet.

The driveway and front landing have been poured!

2010-03-24T13:42:00.000-06:00

We chose dark grey concrete for the front landing as part of the indoor outdoor continuity since the interior floors are also black concrete. To take full advantage of the concrete pour we poured the driveway tire tracks at the same time. The tire tracks allow us to reduce storm water run off by reducing the amount of impervious area. We plan to plant the center and up to the edges using the many of the same green roof plants that we have installed on the green roof.

NCAR photos

2010-03-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

Daniel and I both enjoy black and white photography as a hobby. Daniel shot this one recently at NCAR where he works as a scientist. For me it is about an alignment between architecture, nature and art.

Fantastic animation

2010-03-23T12:55:00.000-06:00

This is a beautiful video about architecture and photography. especially if you like Louis Kahn, the Barcelona Pavilion, and/or just plain beauty.

http://vimeo.com/7809605
His description is below:
"A FULL-CG animated piece that tries to illustrate architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects are already-built spaces. Sometimes in an abstract way. Sometimes surreal."

shingles and roofing are being installed

2010-03-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

The energy star standing seam, metal roofing is being installed. This is the same product I used on the house in South Boulder, just a different color. Another few advantages of this product are zero waste, as the panels are cut to length on site, it is made from recycled content and can be recycled at the end of its useful life.

The shingles are also being installed on the gable ends. Drywall and fireplace rough ins are also well underway.

The view of the South side of the house from the park across Boulder Creek.

First Street house

2010-02-16T16:40:00.001-07:00

Every good construction site has a dog. This one can wedge a chunk of wood between your knees until you give in and throw it!
The first windows are being installed.
This is a view from the park behind Boulder Creek.
An interior view of the new windows and cathedral ceilings.
The living room fireplace is framed.

Orange front door and hardware are in!

2010-02-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

The orange front door has been painted and looks great! As you can see we are waiting to pour the front door slab and we have a lot of landscaping planned for the front courtyard once the weather warms up. There is also a lot of painting for soffits, and the garage door and touch up work which we can also start working on in the spring. See Charlotte in the window?
The second photo shows the interior entryway with the concrete floors and the new wood step to the dining area. The wood step replaces the original front door.
The corner details for the siding are an "x" type of detail which is used throughout the exterior to avoid large trim pieces at the corners.

Snow fence siding

2010-02-11T11:26:00.001-07:00

The snow fence siding is being installed on the lower level of the building. There will be a stone base and cedar shingles at the gable ends and second level. I really think the choice of materials will help blend the house into the surroundings nicely. The siding has marks where the boards were removed from the original snow fence.
When installing the snow fence siding you have a choice as to whether you want to expose the marks or not. We chose a reverse board and batten detail for the siding.

lighting has been installed

2010-01-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

The final light trims have been installed. These are some of the fixtures we have chosen.
The wall sconces are fluorescent and the incandescent fixtures are all on Lutron dimmers.
According to Lutron, an incandescent dimmed to 25% will save more energy than a compact fluorescent and you don't have to worry about the mercury issue when disposing an incandescent bulb as you would with a compact fluorescent.

We took used a combination of fixture types. LED's for the doorbell, a few carefully placed incandescent fixtures on dimmers and we choose to use all fluorescent fixtures in the garage as well as for the wall sconces.

House in Nederland is underway!

2010-01-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

The house we have been working on in Nederland is already well on it's way!

We submitted the permit drawings around Thanksgiving, the foundation and footings were poured, underground utilities installed, and backfilled before the holidays.

Now the framing is underway as you can see from the images. I will be making a trip up there tomorrow and will post more photos soon!

Green roof is installed at last!

2009-12-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

After many times of scheduling the green roof and then canceling again due to weather or availability of equipment we finally got the green roof installed. Most of the plants were planted in the coconut fiber boxes last spring, some on the Renovation Nation television episode. The weather actually made the installation easier as the planted boxes were like solid ice cubes and easy to move around.
The first step was to install the extra layer of tpo roofing material. Then the stainless steel edging was assembled to create a 14'x14' square. Then the drainage trays were set in the frame. The trays allow water to drain and also have special reservoirs that hold water in the driest of times for the plants to draw from. The next layer is the black filter fabric that prevents soil from draining out through the holes. Then 2" of special soil is added. On top of the soil the 4" planter boxes were set in place to create a grid of color. Then soil was filled around them and at the edges. We also set concrete stepping stones randomly so I can maintain the garden.
I have a lot of plants growing on in the green house that I will use to fill in when spring comes.
It is just a little too late in the season to plant them out now. In spring and summer this should make for a spectacular show and I can hardly wait to see it!

Zero voc paint & color choices

2009-12-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

We chose to use no VOC paint and primer for the interior. They have worked out great and it is wonderful to have no odor in the house or worries about off gassing. VOC's are volatile organic compounds that be harmful or toxic and can lead to poor indoor air quality. Most paint companies now offer low or no VOC paints and primers. The orange paint tray is biodegradable and cost about $3.

I have also put together a color pallette. This is a key step in choosing the right colors as I find it necessary to pull all of the project materials together to get a cohesive look. The orange is for the front door and must go well with the floors, the siding, the brick, and interior & window colors. I can hardly wait to see my orange door!

Drywall prep coat

2009-12-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

The drywall finishers have been here all week, adding several coats & sanding to achieve a smooth drywall finish. This morning they applied a Hamilton prep coat which can be sanded, and touched up if needed before we prime and paint next week.
It is looking awesome. We have had a couple of very cold days which have delayed our concrete pours and the green roof install, but we have never been in a hurry with this project. The old saying says time, quality, budget-pick 2. I would gladly choose quality and budget over time.
There is no need to rush anything-even though this build has gone incredibly fast. This allows us to not worry about any delays.

A diversion

2009-12-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

We visited the Denver Art Museum over Thanksgiving weekend and took lots of great photos of the Embrace exhibit, where artists transformed the angular spaces in the museum.
I also love the double poke in the eye piece.

The metal siding is going up quickly

2009-11-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

The metal siding has been going up quickly, and is looking good.
The mason's have been back and have finished with the brick. They will be back soon to clean the brick. The garage door has been installed as well.
It will eventually be painted the same color as the siding.
The dogs, just love the warm concrete floors! The drywall and reveal base details are in for the most part so the drywall finishing can start tomorrow.

Black concrete floors

2009-11-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

The floors have been dyed black, polished and sealed. They came out quite nicely. The surface is shiny, clean, and warm to the touch, and resembles granite without any seams. It has a lot of character as it has more variation than granite would and it feels like it has been here forever. The whole process was a big experiment and I am pleased with the results. While this was more expensive to do than honed concrete, it is still an affordable way to get a high level of finish. Terrazzo probably would have been twice as much to install.

Concrete grinding & polishing

2009-11-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

After three days of grinding the slab with industrial diamonds, and then polishing it smooth the aggregate is exposed and we can see what the floor will be like. You can see the black granite that we added to the local aggregate mix during the pour. The local aggregate from Boulder Ready Mix was mostly tan. I was crazy enough to drive to the ready mix plant and ask for a handful of aggregate so I could decide what to add to achieve the finish I had imagined. The floors are very smooth and I think it will be awesome when it is finished. Tomorrow they will return to dye the concrete-midnight black. The dye should take to the concrete but not the aggregate. Then it will be sealed. I think it will look a lot like a black terrazzo, with the black granite toning down the colorful mixture just a little. The black granite will likely be much darker and shinier than the dyed concrete. Charlotte is a bit cautious around these big noisy machines.

Smooth hardie panel siding

2009-11-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

The first of the hardie board siding I painted is already installed in the rear courtyard. The fry-reglet reveals are the aluminum pieces at the joints. This makes for a very clean modern look.
In the second image you can see the hardie panel also used as soffits above, and the metal fascia has also been installed on the roof edges. Hardie panel siding is considered a green product and is very affordable. We are using it at the entry area where the new and existing buildings connect.

Perfect alignment

2009-11-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

look at how the new brick wall aligns perfectly with the window!! I love it when it all comes together as planned. The second image show the mason raking the joints with his special little wheely tool-and I thought they used their fingers!

The masons arrived to start the brick work!

2009-11-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

The mason's started laying the brick last Saturday. The brick wall in front creates a small entry courtyard that we plan to landscape nicely. We found a brick that was almost a perfect match with the brick on the existing house. However, when the brick arrived, there was some variation in the colors of the different pallets so we chose the bricks that were the closest match to existing house. I think when it ages a little and the mortar dries properly it will look great!

Loewen bifold door

2009-11-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

The big bifold door was installed yesterday and it is now warmer in the addition than in the existing house. Late last night it was 75 degrees in there and we were able to open the whole house up. We cleaned and Charlotte and I checked out the dog window which is already her favorite place to be in the new space. She goes straight there every time she visits the addition. It's great when a designer hones in on her clients needs! The door will allow us to open the whole room up to the outside in nice weather. The opening is about 10' wide by 9' high and the door has a low U-value, which is a very important factor to consider in this climate when choosing a bifold door. Some of the other manufacturers don't offer a door with such a low U-value. It glides open effortlessly. There is also one panel that opens like a regular door so we can open just that door to let Charlotte outside, in cold weather, without having to open the whole wall up and lose the heat in the room. We chose Loewen windows for their overall quality
and excellent performance. The windows are triple glazed Low-E and have a U-value of .19 which is exceeds code by a great deal. The current energy code calls for a U-value of .35 or less.
The lower the number the better the window. U-value is the reciprocal of R-value, which measures the thermal resistance of the material. Many people are familiar with R-value as it applies to the insulation in your walls and roof.

Brick has arrived

2009-11-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

The brick has been deliverd from Robinson Brick. We looked at several samples from local brick yards to choose the closest match possible to the existing house.
The masons plan to be here tomorrow to lay the brick.

Icynene open cell foam insulation

2009-11-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

We passed our rough inspections and were able to insulate on Monday. We used Icynene, an open celled foam insulation. It was fun to watch as it looked like a scene out of Woody Allen's Sleeper as the foam was sprayed in. It is very toasty in the living areas now and feels cozy in there now that the in floor heating system has been turned on.
You can read more about Icynene here: www.icynene.com Icynene is one of the many green products used in this home.

painting the siding

2009-11-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

There are 8 smooth hardie board panels for the siding at the entry/breezeway with fry-reglet reveals. We heated the space with propane temporarily and I painted them on Sunday morning. It was a bit of an ordeal to get the paint matched, as Guiry's could not do it in a reasonable amount of time. Sherwin Williams came through in the end-I dropped of the metal siding chip on a Friday night and they had my match ready first thing on Saturday morning. It came out very well. The weekend was my only opportunity to complete this, when no subcontractors needed the space.

structural details

2009-10-30T12:44:00.000-06:00

This is one of the many benefits to being an architect working on your own house. We needed a quick sketch to hand to a fabricator to fix a minor structural issue and the engineer was too busy to draw it up in time.
So, I stepped in to do the drawing myself. So far the process is working great. The contractor and I are working side by side on every little detail and as a result the project is moving along at record speed and accuracy as there is no delay time waiting for answers or making assumptions. All of the trades have been at their best and working really hard to get all the little details right. I couldn't be happier!

potty tipped over

2009-10-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

Not sure if this was the storm or some neighborhood kids, but we woke up to find the potty tipped over. Luckily it was empty!

big snow for October!

2009-10-30T12:25:00.000-06:00

Yes, this was a big snow storm. Things got quiet for a couple of days which was great for me as I got a ton of work done on the house I am designing with Studio Archive in Nederland.
Look at how the snow cornices off of the standing seam roof.
This is a great water test for the tpo on the flat roof! No leaks so far and the fascia and gutters are not even on yet.

temporary doorbell

2009-10-30T12:23:00.001-06:00

our temporary door bell.
The real one will be
http://www.unicahome.com/catalog/item.asp?id=25145&PartnerID=SLI
in white with satin aluminum trim. Can't compete in color with my orange front door!

the storm before the storm

2009-10-30T12:14:00.000-06:00

There has been a flurry of work done before the storm comes. The tyvek & windows are all installed except the huge bifold door which will be installed by the window manufacturer due to the complexity (64 pages of installation instructions!) The house wrap goes in, the roof is dried in, there is a chaos of tools in the living room as the electrician runs around as well. The plumber has also been here to rig the boiler and set up this manifold for the in floor heating.

checking out the roof

2009-10-30T12:06:00.000-06:00

The white tpo roofing is pulled back to show the layers-there is densdeck and tapered insulation above the roof sheathing. We will be adding a second layer of tpo just in case as the slip sheet between the green roof and the main tpo layer. Green roof install is coming soon! I have do draw my planting plan soon.

framing is complete (day 5)

2009-10-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

Aftern 5 days the framing is complete until the windows arrive and you can really see the building taking its shape.
I must have spoken to 15 people passing by asking questions about the project. What a great way to meet some of the neighbors!
Monday is roofing, electrical rough ins, plumbing work for the in floor radiant heat, and a few minor framing adjustments.

I think the style of the building fits in well with the neighborhood.
It is a modern take on the original modern qualities of the existing ranch house. In scale it is still subordinate to the older house but it has its own character and they complement each other well.

Framing-day 1

2009-10-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

Charlotte inspects the first days framing (third image) ! We are really gaining a lot more privacy from the next door neighbors and they will also benefit from having more privacy. I can hardly wait until Friday when most of the framing should be complete.

concrete step

2009-10-12T15:14:00.000-06:00

I am very excited about how smooth and sharp this stair came out. I wanted a square edge rather than a bullnose. Ask and you shall receive! I can't wait until it all gets polished.

garage slab

2009-10-09T15:15:00.000-06:00

The garage slab follows last. It ended up being about a 7" thick slab. It won't be going anywhere! All three slabs were poured, with special aggregate sprinkled on and worked the first time in less than an hour. Time for lunch! After lunch it gets worked and troweled smooth a few more times.

entry slab

2009-10-09T15:10:00.000-06:00

Now they move on to the entry way slab. They protect the existing brick with a sheet of plastic during the pour. The aggregate is added and then smoothed over.

2009-10-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

After the special aggregate has been added, the surface is worked smooth.

living room slab pour

2009-10-09T12:59:00.000-06:00

Above shows the pour started, and troweled as they go. They run a board across to make it smooth. Below you can see we hand broadcast black granite into the slab to achieve a salt &
pepper finish. When it is ground down in about 3 weeks the shiny black granite should show through.

Final tweeks before the pour

2009-10-09T10:20:00.000-06:00

George grinds smooth the concrete at the threshold so that the polished slab and bifold door meet perfectly flush.
He installed a wood block that will be the temporary door threshold so that the slab is poured right up to it.
The pour is delayed about an hour-until 11:15. More posts then!

Ready for the big pour!

2009-10-08T11:50:00.000-06:00

The infloor pex tubing has been installed & tied to the rebar which sits on chairs to hold it above the slab insulation. The tubes are pressurized to that we will be able to hear and read the gauge to be sure there are no leaks in the system. Below the insulation is a layer of OSB and then cardboard void forms on top of plastic sheeting. All of this was inspected today by both the structural engineers and the city. Tomorrow is the big day we pour the structural slab! We are going to broadcast 3/4" black granite into the top surface so that when they grind and polish the finished floors we have more of the black colored stones exposed. The local aggregate also has some black, but is mostly tan and white colored stones, so we will hopefully get the desired salt and pepper finish to the floors. I made a special trip to Boulder redi-mix to collect a hand full of aggregate. It is raining again today, so we have covered everything in blankets to keep it dry for tomorrow's pour.

rain day

2009-10-07T16:40:00.000-06:00

The backfilling is done so it is much easier to walk around the site now.

We had a mud rest day yesterday, as it rained the day before, but the slab insulation and void forms are delivered and protected and are being installed now as I write this. More photos of that, the steel and the tubes for the in-floor radiant tomorrow.

The big slab pour is Friday!

Arapahoe Acres Home Tour

2009-10-07T16:37:00.001-06:00

If you have ever seen the book Atomic Ranch, then you know the Arapahoe Acres neighborhood
in Denver. Here are a couple of shots from the tour I went on last weekend.

View from our old living room

2009-10-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

It's Saturday morning and they should finish the backfill today. It's odd to wake up and see a Bobcat in the window!

Bobcat in our living room!

2009-10-03T09:19:00.000-06:00

On such a tight lot, they build a temporary ramp over the concrete walls in order to backfill the West end of the lot.

foundation insulation

2009-10-03T09:14:00.000-06:00

The foundation wall insulation is installed prior to back filling.

aluminum forms removed

2009-10-03T09:12:00.000-06:00

Here is an overall shot of the foundation walls, now that the forms have been removed. We passed our first inspections for the underground work and now we can backfill.

foundation walls

2009-10-03T09:10:00.000-06:00

The forms have been removed , underground plumbing installed and the white pipe in the background is for the passive radon system.

orange construction fence

2009-09-28T13:28:00.000-06:00

driveway view

2009-09-28T13:27:00.000-06:00

this is the view from the driveway. it will make a good before and after shot.

concrete forms

2009-09-28T13:25:00.000-06:00

after the pour, the concrete cures over the weekend
before they come back to strip the forms

concrete pour-walls

2009-09-28T13:18:00.000-06:00

pouring the foundation walls.
check out how these guys just run around on the thin form edges.
the concrete pump just reaches from the street

aluminum form art

2009-09-24T16:57:00.000-06:00

I took this photograph wishing I could be more like Richard Serra. More info on his sculptures can be seen below.
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2007/serra/
This sculpture was created while the concrete crew was unloading forms for my foundation walls.
I was just lucky enough to see the beauty in it.
Taking photos of the aluminum form work laying around is an art project in itself. If only I had more time-they will all be set in place tomorrow.

footings & formwork

2009-09-24T16:51:00.000-06:00

The aluminum forms have arrived and are waiting for tomorrows pour of the foundation walls.
I have some minor detail work to sort out today-like the final heights of the brick ledges, the location of the passive radon system pipework, and the blockout elevations for the massive door in the living room so that it will get set perfectly level with the polished concrete floors

Footings

2009-09-24T16:49:00.001-06:00

George, now Jorge, from Grant Place Builders, watches the pour.

concrete pump

2009-09-24T16:46:00.001-06:00

Look at that concrete flying out of the pump!
The footings were filled & worked in about an hour.

Excavation

2009-09-24T16:42:00.001-06:00

I asked if I could drive, but was not successful at convincing them. Next time!

Excavation

2009-09-24T16:39:00.000-06:00

Nixcavating and their cool equipment show up to start digging!

2009-09-20T11:24:00.000-06:00

This image of the surveyors mark is so pretty I may have to frame it!

Stakes!

2009-09-20T11:16:00.000-06:00

Surveying and staking have begun! I did the original design layout with just a tape measure and it turns out the actual placement of the building and it's alignments were dead on what the surveyors calculated. They were very surprised at how accurate I was with such simple tools.
Also, it turns out our property line has nothing to do with the fence locations, they are well inside the property line.
Lesson learned:
When planning a project please take this into account and get a real survey. The fence lines can be way off of the property line on one side or the other. It can really change your assumptions and cause a lot of unnecessary re-design expenses.
In my case I had plenty of room, and can still build the building as planned with the right setbacks.

2009-09-03T17:43:00.000-06:00

Watch us on tv beginning construction on the greenhouse, green roof and energy star metal roof! along with CSI Hobby Greenhouse, Boulder Roofing, Harlequin Gardens, & Green Roofs of Colorado. See the Planet Green website for more details. The show is called Renovation Nation. The episode is below-just click on the link to find it on the schedule:

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, Co—It's Called Boulder for a Reason

Host Steve Thomas travels to Boulder, Colorado where he constructs a backyard greenhouse.

2009-09-03T17:30:00.002-06:00

new
job sign!