Sunshine Canyon house

This house is located on a very steeply sloping boulder field in the foothills west of Boulder with spectacular views back through the foothills down to the plains. The design combines the owner's desire to extend these views to as many rooms as possible and to create a courtyard-type plan, while synthesizing the owner's interest in Italian hill towns and modern technology.

By stretching the major living areas along the slope, including extensive outdoor terraces at each end, the house takes advantage of the otherwise daunting site. The building's form steps up to the children's bedrooms and then again to the master suite, allowing views over the roof of the rooms below.

By orienting each room simultaneously toward both the outward distant views and the internal courtyard, the house reiterates the public/private, individual/family dynamic of the themes of the design.

Designed as Principal at Arcadea, Inc. Mark Gerwing, Project Architect Project completion by M. Gerwing Architects Builder: Cottonwood Custom Builders Landscape Architect:  Hidelly Kane Structural Engineer: Nicols & Associates

south Boulder renovation and addition

The project consists of a renovation and pop-top addition to a classic 1960's ranch house in south Boulder, Colorado.  The newly-formed family required enough bedrooms for everyone but especially wanted to create a larger, more dynamic set of living spaces where the family could come together for cooking, eating and reading.

New bedrooms were placed on the two extreme east and west ends of the house and the center of the building was opened up and extended vertically to create a new kitchen and dining room, expanded living room and expansive family room.  A new curving privacy wall was built outside between the street and the house to create a semi-private terrace, capturing for use some of the typically wasted spaces of suburban front lawns.

Designed by M. Gerwing Architects

Mark Gerwing, Project Architect

Builder:  Cottonwood Custom Builders

Structural Engineer:  Gebau, Inc.

Highland Farmer’s Market competition, Denver, Colorado

This is our submittal to a design competition for a year-round farmer's market in the Highlands neighborhood of  Denver, Colorado.  Sponsored by Sprocket Design/Build, the task was to design a flexible farmer’s market for a narrow, urban site in the Highlands neighborhood, west of downtown.  Rather than limit the site to a seasonal market, we proposed a porous building that can house the market, but also be available year-round for art classes and community events.

With the generous graphic design and branding contribution of Susan Everett, our project became The Highlands Hub and included a ground level open market hall with retractable garage doors, a pair of toilet rooms, elevator office and a large, open community events room.