For those who love to entertain, home needs to function as both venue and haven. During events, it welcomes guests and comes alive with food preparation, conversation, activities, eating, drinking, and all the joys of a good gathering. Outside of events, it provides an opportunity to rest, share quiet moments with family and close friends, and enjoy small doses of privacy.
The tricky thing is, sometimes these needs overlap, especially when kids are involved.
Our newest project in south Denver is a 10,000-square-foot home designed for a family of three with a vast community and a penchant for entertaining. From cocktail parties to family holidays, fundraising luncheons to themed events, our clients regularly welcome guests into their home. They also have a small child, and value their privacy.
In designing their home, our goal was to optimize the space for both events and privacy, taking into account the various ways in which homeowners and guests alike will interact with the space. Keep reading for our top five tips on crafting a home for the frequent host.
Designing for Flexibility
The home was designed to accommodate various types of events—large and small, indoors and out, casual and formal—in addition to the basic needs of day-to-day.
On the ground level, we placed a dramatic, open kitchen at the center of the property, surrounded by several indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. Knowing that gatherings often start in the kitchen, we intentionally crafted it as a hub. To the south, floor-to-ceiling glass walls open to an outdoor patio, fire pit, pool, sculpture garden and mountain views. To the southwest, a blend of open space and seating areas radiate out, allowing small groups to gather, large groups to mingle, and homeowners to enjoy quiet moments without feeling swamped by the vast space. The ceiling height was kept at 15 feet, creating a volume that pairs the drama and openness of an expansive space with the intimate qualities of a cozier environment.
Focusing on Function
The best gauge for understanding how someone will live in a new house is to understand how they live now. The questions can be as simple as “What works?” or “What doesn’t?,” and as detailed as “Who wakes up first? Do you close the door when you sleep? How many steps do you take from carport to kitchen?”
In this case, the new home will be nearly twice the size of the current home. But, we didn’t want homeowners to feel like their movement throughout the space was Fitbit worthy. The goal was to fully understand how the space would be used and how each activity could be optimized.
To that effort, we conducted a study: tracking steps, laying out functions, event types, and movement patterns, and then planning the space accordingly. Whether the homeowners are putting away the groceries or prepping for bedtime, directing the caterer or welcoming large parties, the space was designed to aid and enhance each process.
Mapping Out Zones and Paths
Zones are where you gather. Paths are how you get there. Knowing that the home would second as a venue, we expanded the hallways, increased the number of powder rooms and added a large porte-cochere to house a valet station during events.
The primary event space is a 1,000-square-foot sunroom on the second floor that opens to a large outdoor terrace and delivers sweeping views from mountain peaks to downtown Denver. The remainder of the second floor is reserved for bedrooms and private living quarters.
To allow for adjacent but distinct functions, we crafted the path from valet station, to front door, up the grand staircase and into the sunroom so that guests needn’t interact with the remainder of the home. Guests arriving on the property will have a view of the terrace as they enter the valet station.
Near the porte-cochere, we installed an elevator to serve both guests with disabilities and catering/event services. For additional food and beverage service needs, we enlarged the garage and included a small support kitchen on the second floor.
During large events, the sunroom, event support and private areas can effectively function as separate zones using well-defined pathways to both guide and delineate.
Designating Private vs. Public Spaces
Even the most gracious of hosts sometimes need their privacy, especially if children are involved. When events run past bedtime, conversations veer towards business, or anything of the like, it’s important to have a place where one can go, feel safe, and escape the festivities.
To allow ample opportunities for privacy, we designed the second floor to include bedrooms, private bathrooms, and private family room that can be completely closed off from event activities, and still allow access to downstairs areas. A private staircase runs between kitchen and bedrooms. First-floor ceilings were lowered and well insulated to minimize sound and smell transmission between public and private spaces. And second-floor bedrooms were positioned (in some cases, cantilevered) to maximize views without compromising privacy.
The Making of a Well-Crafted Experience
For this home, we carefully crafted the guest experience from the moment they arrive on the property.
The primary benefit of building a custom home is the opportunity to craft an experience tailored to the specifics of your lifestyle—how you eat, sleep, relax, play, entertain. The most effective designs address the whole, and don’t yield privacy in exchange for event space, nor grandeur in exchange for comfort. It requires honesty, thoughtfulness, testing and retesting, but it is possible to craft a home that supports you in all of your functions, from quiet nights alone to vibrant social affairs. If you’re looking to design a home, contact us for a free consult.
Gone are the days of low-ceiling office environments draped in beige hues and fluorescent light. Developers and business owners alike are realizing that good design is good business, and plays a vital role in both attracting and maintaining tenants and employees.
The new paradigm for office design includes:
— Innovative technological advancements
— New organizational models (think open floor plans, co-working spaces and private pods)
— Comfortable, home-like environments
— Elements that promote a healthier lifestyle
A grand porte-cochère welcomes guests at 50Fifty DTC.
Technology as Steward for Innovative Design
This shift in office design is not simply a trend; it’s a reflection of rapid technological advancements in architecture. From a software standpoint, CAD and energy modeling software have:
— Accelerated the speed at which we can develop new ideas
— Simplified the realization of custom, innovative solutions
— Deepened our understanding of sustainability in architecture
The multi-faceted exterior of 50Fifty DTC is designed/oriented for passive temperature and lighting control—inviting solar heat gain in the winter and minimizing solar heat gain in the summer. This saves money for the client and reduces the building’s environmental impact.
From an engineering standpoint, advancements in glazing, acoustics, building envelope, floor plates, etc. invite continued architectural innovation.
— New fabrication processes and coatings allow for large glass panels optimized for insulation, reflectance and transmittance.
— Advancements in acoustic management and adaptive interior design support open floor plans and mixed-use office environments.
— An increased focus on material placement and building envelope promotes efficiency in architecture.
Through all of these advancements, we’re learning the benefits of daylighting, airflow and passive temperature control in contemporary office design.
“It’s paramount that employees have a connection to the outside environment. Through new technologies, we can take advantage of expansive Colorado views and natural light without compromising the efficiency of the building.” —Robin Ault, Director of Design
In 50Fifty DTC, we used floor-to-ceiling windows and strategic lightwells to ensure that tenants have a continuous connection to the surrounding environment.
Shape Shifter: Designing for New Organizational Models
There’s no one-size-fits-all for the modern office. Instead, the layout includes a mix of area types that all serve separate purposes. Think: co-working spaces, open floor plans, collaborative environments, mixed-use environments, private pods.
As architects, it’s important that we understand the dynamics of a specific organization in order to create environments that are well tailored to their long-term needs. The primary questions we ask with every client are:
— What is the current workflow, climate and culture of your organization?
— How can we use design to support and/or shift any of the above?
— What are the primary functions of the space?
— What adjacencies will best support those functions?
— What level of privacy vs. collaboration is appropriate for your organization?
— How do you want people—executives, employees, clients, guests—to feel in the space?
In general, open floor plans feel bigger, simplify use of natural light and foster connection between employees. Fewer walls also equate to lower costs, allowing us to allocate additional resources towards furniture and finishes.
But, zero-wall office spaces aren’t appropriate for every organization. Not only do open floor plans present new challenges around acoustics and privacy, but they often weave disparate functions into a single environment, requiring us to employ alternative solutions (lighting, dynamic screens, etc.) to create nodes of space within.
“If people don’t feel good in their workspace, they will leave to find something that better fits their preferences and philosophies. Our goal is to create environments that benefit the organization within by promoting individual and collective well being.” — Kristen Tonsager, Head of Interior Design
For an upcoming project, we’ve employed sliding glass partitions to create different atmospheres within the central space while allowing for shared daylight throughout.
Your Home Away From Home
The average American spends more weekday, waking hours at work than at home, so it makes sense that we’re seeing an increased emphasis on comfort, atmosphere, materiality and craftsmanship in the work environment. We’ve created conference rooms that double as dining rooms, workspaces that feel like hotel lobbies, and far-from-utilitarian community environments marked by high-end detailing and luxury design elements.
More and more Denver companies are seeking out iconic designs that inspire and draw people in while more and more employees are seeking healthy work environments that mirror the comforts of home. It’s an exciting time to be in design.
The office kitchen and dining area at Fios Capital will feature high-end appliances and quality finishes typically found in custom homes.
Health-Conscious Design
Perhaps the most effective way architecture can be used to advance healthy work environments lies in creating continued opportunities for connection between indoors and outdoors:
— Expansive views
— Daylight
— Circulation of fresh air
— Outdoor walkways and/or work areas
— Rooftop gardens and terraces
Architecture can further promote employee well-being by supporting behaviors such as biking to work, taking the stairs, or seeking a moment of solace in the midst of a busy workday.
— An increasing number of Denver employees are commuting to work via bicycle, public transit or ride-share programs. This trend is expected to continue throughout the 21st century, and should be reflected in how we allocate space.
— No longer an afterthought in office design, stairwells can be used to promote movement while reducing energy usage and reliance on escalators/elevators. To encourage the climb, stairwells should be widened, centralized and finished with a level of detailing consistent with the rest of the design.
— Even collaborative workspaces should consider including separate pods or quiet rooms where employees can enjoy a moment of privacy, take a phone call, nurse a migraine or simply gather their thoughts.
The Hensel Phelps office redesign employs full-length skylights to pull natural light into interior spaces.
Interested in giving your office a modern makeover? Contact us.
With sweeping vistas of the Front Range, The Denver Tech Center is the city’s hub for business and economic trading. Shining brightly among the sea of office buildings is Clutch Design Studios’ latest project. Slated to open Fall of 2018, 50 Fifty is a Class AAA, 12-story tower with 185,000 SF of elegant design elements and world-class amenities.
The Concept
Our client approached us with the directive: “I’m not interested in designing just another building.” This set the stage for our team to innovate.
Inspired by the client’s love of sailing, the exterior evokes a feeling of looking over the edge of a ship to see the wake dissipate into the horizon. Inside, the design brings visitors “onto the ship” recreating the experience with a variety of marine-inspired materials, patterns, and finishes throughout.
Lightwells
The integration of natural light throughout the building—both interior and exterior—is a signature feature of 50 Fifty. In traditional office tower design, the interiors rarely get natural light. Clutch solved this common challenge by integrating two energy efficient East and West lightwells that illuminate almost every corner of the interior, including the restrooms, which have frosted glazing glass to let the sun shine in.
Customer Experience
High-tech glass on the exterior creates an almost invisible boundary between the interior lobby and the exterior porte-cochere. As a result, the main lobby not only engages the tenants within the building, but also engages passerby on the street. Lobby lighting elements inspired by ocean wind current patterns suggest a strong sense of motion against a backdrop of chevron marble floors and wood accents.
Design Challenges
Just as every project has its challenges, 50 Fifty was no exception. Our biggest hurdle was creating a remarkable lobby within a small footprint. The space wasn’t large enough for ample seating or restaurant, so we carved out purposeful areas to create a sense of place for those waiting for clients or an Uber. Throughout the design process, we designed several iterations of the lobby, and the final design and materials create a dynamic experience, utilizing a minimal palette that makes a big impression.
50 Fifty is scheduled to open in September 2018. Please follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the grand opening date.
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