We are just getting ready to start construction on a new house in the Dakota Ridge Village neighborhood of north Boulder. The project is a design/build collaboration with Cottonwood Custom Builders with whom we have executed a number of past projects.

The house consists of an extensive main level which houses all the primary functions of the house as well as the master bedroom for a barrier-free design. This necessary horizontal datum of the floor is offset by a series of interrelated vertical spaces linking the main level to the other floors of the house. These vertical spaces generated a tall, narrow proportion that is reflected on the exterior of the building, creating dormers and projections that articulate the building while still adhering to the homeowners association's guidelines.

The property is an unusual corner situation with the corner spanning approximately 135 degrees instead of the usual right angle relationship. This flaring of the site luckily corresponds with the view opening up from the rear of the property's densely populated alley condition to the west edge facing the rolling undulations of the Boulder foothills. This span across the site from alley to street also has a fairly consistent slope, rising 10 feet from back to front.

MT model figure ground

Pending the receipt of our building permit, we are finalizing budgets and finishes and are looking forward to executing another project with the folks over at Cottonwood Custom Builders. Designing buildings is fun and inspirational, but pales in comparison to the real event - making a building.