Evergreen Custom Residence and ADU
Led the initial client interview and follow-up through proposal, then carried the project into programming and schematic design.
Organized the design around the site's existing trees and a rock outcropping, treating the outcropping as the focal point. Incorporated aging-in-place measures throughout: a future elevator shaft that currently functions as storage on multiple levels, doorways sized for wheelchair access, and a flush entry at one of the entrances.
Designed a garage ADU with the volume required for the client to practice aerial silks, a program requirement uncovered through conversation and developed through research.
Worked with the civil engineer to route the driveway and grade the site so retaining could be handled with boulders rather than engineered walls. Developed exposed structural details drawn from the client's inspiration images, bringing structural connections into the architectural language rather than concealing them.
Location: Evergreen, Colorado
House: 4,190 S.F.
ADU: 832 S.F.
Style: Mountain Modern
Phase: In Construction Documents
Role: Project Architect
Drawings and Details
Initial bubble diagramming is done by hand, overlaid on the survey to account for topography, site access, views, significant natural features and vegetation, existing conditions, and utilities.
Details from the initial programming meeting with the clients are incorporated alongside preliminary feedback from schematic design.
A future elevator shaft was intentionally designed in, aligned across two floors, with the elevator pit and framing coordinated with the structural engineer so the clients can install an elevator if and when they need one.
Client-provided inspiration images, paired with careful discussion about what specifically drew them to each one, shaped the overall aesthetic and the details that make up the architectural language of the home.
Photographs taken on site at various angles were integrated into perspective views, allowing the client to visualize the exact view from different locations within the home and fine-tune the building orientation.
The sketch was created in real time during a meeting with the structural engineer to convey the aesthetic and design intent for the slanted steel columns and the glulam beam saddle connection. The technical drawing is the engineer's resulting structural design, still being refined to meet the intended aesthetic.
The accessory dwelling unit pairs a compact, efficient living space with a large two-car garage that will function as a shop for the clients to work on their vehicles.
The garage also serves as space for the client to practice aerial silks. Research and coordination with the client established the required clearances and structural support so the silks could be used safely.
Elevations for the ADU and its overall architectural language were designed to match the main house.
Quick hand sketches early in design development help shape details and coordinate with the structural engineer.