The hidden craft behind being a Colorado residential architect

As a Colorado residential architect,  I specialize in creating modern custom homes for people who enjoy well-crafted environments. Now, if you are like me, you may think of “craft” as being something done by hand, and generally being more decorative in nature. When you think of craft in terms of architecture, you might imagine a Craftsman-style house, where there is a lot of attention to detail, where the house feels well planned and executed. The Farnsworth house, for example, designed by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, has a simple clean form with connections that are not covered by trim. While the house looks very simple, it actually took a lot of effort to achieve. This—to me—is what defines craft in modern architecture; it boasts the actual structure and materials used in the building versus covering them up with ornate designs. This is why most modern designs feature elements of wood, steel and glass, in order to show off these industrial structural materials. It’s about a seamless integration with the architecture. It feels refined, but you wouldn’t pinpoint it the same way you would in a Craftsman-style house.

To achieve craft in modern architecture, it takes extra care in the planning and execution and requires a higher level of collaboration between the architect and contractor on trades. Generally speaking, modern craft comes down to three categories:

• Clean lines

• Material

• Form

Clean Lines

When we think of areas of craft in a traditional house, it’s where the trim and paneling cover the connections between the ceiling, wall and floors, but in modern architecture, we work to minimize these connections with clean connections of materials—little trim, slab faced cabinets, etc. This requires extra precision during the installation. You might have noticed that window walls are quite common in mountain modern homes in Colorado. This is because they not only look incredible but also create a better connection to the outdoors and necessitate extra engineering. There may also be a need to create a curtain pocket, in which case we’d need to lower the ceiling or recess the window pocket in the floor structure. On the exterior, we like to create a clean façade by concealing roof gutters and hiding vents behind parapet walls.

Materials

I am always looking at new materials and how to create patterns that look simple and seamless, yet this is not as straightforward as it sounds. While board form concrete allows the texture of wood to be an impression on the concrete, a lot of math and collaboration is required when making things look simple. Random copper siding can provide an organic feel, with varied widths, lengths and weathering. However, I can tell you that as a Colorado residential architect, there is no such thing as random when it comes to good architecture. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it has to be determined ahead of time and meticulously executed. 

Form 

There is a little bit more breathing room when it comes to form. Form in modern design can be about creating something expressive and sculptural, perhaps less about clean lines and more about a piece of art. Think of a custom spiral staircase—another example of how an effortless aesthetic takes extra care and planning. The sculptured form of the stair is emphasized by the folding steel plate treads, closely spaced pickets of the railing, and the circular opening into the floor above. These elements contrast with the rectilinear form of the house making it a focal point of the design.

The craft of modern architecture is elevating the overall design through a seamless integration of planning and execution. Everything works in concert to establish a feeling or sense of overall refinement but not necessarily one where you’re noticing the details.

As said by one of my favorite men of the modern movement Charles Eames, “The details are not the details, they make the design.”

Are you a fan of modern architecture? If you’re looking for a Colorado residential architect, I’d love to talk about how I can help you craft your ideal home.