Mountain Majesties
The Ninth Annual ASID Colorado Interior Design Awards
BY DEBORAH PADDISON
The Denver Center for Performing Arts once again proved a stylish setting for the annual ASID Colorado Interior Design Awards celebration, held this past spring. More than 150 designers and architects throughout Colorado submitted their work, which was judged by members of the ASID Arizona North Chapter.
In the end, 19 praiseworthy projects garnered First Place kudos in their categories, and 27 won Honorable Mention recognition. In addition, two First Place projects, one residential and one commercial, were honored with Judge's Awards.
Here we present a sampling of the First Place winners.
Residential Winners
Urban Residence | Judge's Award, Residential
Harvey M. Hine Interiors, Boulder
Low on doors and high on curvy, free-flowing design, this 3,400-square-foot loft residence in downtown Boulder garnered not only First Place in the category of Urban Residence, but also the Judge's Award in the Residential category. The design team of Kate Ohle, Allied Member ASID, IIDA; Harvey Hine, AIA; and John Clarey, AIA, left the mechanical structure exposed, specified concrete floors and utilized sliding walls to separate spaces. Warm, rich colors contrast nicely with the mechanical and stainless-steel elements. At the loft's center, kitchen planner Margie McCulloch of Red Pepper Kitchen + Bath designed a state-of-the-art kitchen that echoes the design theme of curves and circles. It features white anigre cabinets (over formaldehyde-free Agriboard), curving walnut countertops with bar seating, a circular stainless-steel range hood and a hidden storage pantry behind the circular wall.
 Urban Residence and Judge's Award, Harvey M. Hine Interiors. Photograph by Ron Forth.
Residence Under 3,500 Square Feet
Boulder Associates, Inc., Boulder
For DiAnn Sherk, ASID, and Darren Pecharich, Allied Member ASID, the challenge was to transform a dated condo in downtown Boulder into an intimate, contemporary home for a retired empty-nester couple. The clients were seeking a smaller home that would bring the Boulder lifestyle within walking distance and showcase their art collection. Their artwork inspired color selections, such as multicolored mosaic glass tiles and quartz surface countertops in the kitchen. So as not to compete with the condo's dramatic views of Boulder Canyon, the team chose muted neutrals for the floors and walls. A floating cherry hardwood floor dampens sound transmission, and the stairway was redone with a sleek maple handrail and a steel post and cable system. To solve privacy issues, decorative resin panels on a sliding track were installed between the bedroom and kitchen. The designers updated light fixtures and appliances and replaced the wood-burning fireplace with a low-maintenance gas model; in the bath, brushed-chrome grab bars and a teak bench in the shower will assist the couple as they age.
 Residence Under 3,500 Square Feet, Boulder Associates, Inc. Photograph by David Goldwasser.
Kitchen
Bulthaup by Kitchen Distributors, Inc., Denver
Industry partners William Landeros and Jed MacKenzie did it again. This year, it was a kitchen in a Boulder residence that earned them kudos. The clients wanted a unique, minimalist design that was efficient and ergonomic, but required maintaining the original plumbing and electrical footprint to stay within budget. To contrast with the dark wood floor, the duo specified easy-clean laminate with chamfered aluminum edges for the fronts, side panels and countertops, and utilized clear anodized aluminum wall panels, which serve as the backsplash and provide shelving. An aluminum shutter unit hides small appliances. Adjacent to the island, a black oak bar top with data ports is great for quick meals or light work. Open and airy, the kitchen and adjacent buffet, which features suspended cabinetry, are highly functional as well as aesthetically appealing.
 Kitchen, Bulthaup by Kitchen Distributors, Inc. Photograph by Jason Jung.
Single Space Special Function-Residential
ABD Designs, Fort Collins
Their design of a home theater for a residence in Greeley earned honors for Rita Peterson, ASID; Amy Fink, Allied Member ASID; and Dennis Gehrke. Uniting form and function, the space features high-tech audiovisual equipment hidden behind custom millwork, along with stadium-style seating, acoustical panels, dark-hued carpet and a raised wood floor stage to enhance the theater experience. Columns on either side of the screen hide operable theater curtains, while the media equipment room is situated behind the screen to allow access without distracting from the design. A unique fiber-optic ceiling treatment creates the effect of a star-filled night sky, capping the overall effect of an evening out at the theater.
 Single Space Special Function-Residential, ABD Designs. Photograph by The Image Engineer.
Renovation Design
Kimberly Timmons Interiors, Denver
To take a home from 1980s America to 17th-century France, your only hope might be a time machine—unless you call Kimberly Timmons, ASID; Ann Perry, ASID; and Craig Johnson, who managed to pull off just such an architectural and design transformation in this private residence in Cherry Hills Village. Channeling the spirit of Versailles, the design team began in the entry, replacing the L-shaped oak staircase with a sweeping curved staircase featuring wrought-iron detailing. Red onyx marble columns with 22-karat gold-leaf capitals flank the entries to various rooms, and walls were covered in Venetian plaster. Woodwork and wall panel moldings break up the volume in the rooms and frame painted murals, including a trompe l'oeil, "The Gardens of Le Grand Trianon." In the great room, a two-story cantera stone fireplace is the focal point, while rich fabrics and hickory parquet floors with granite and red onyx insets add detail. The kitchen is done in more casual Country French style, and lighting throughout includes elegant wall sconces, cove lighting and chandeliers.
 Renovation Design, Kimberly Timmons Interiors. Photograph by Ron Ruscio.
Technology Integration
Jeffrey P. Elliott Interior Design, Denver
The geometric carpet, ambient lighting, relaxing sectional with custom ultrasuede ottomans and pair of cantilever club chairs wrapped in a textural fabric would be enough to garner an award for this space. But the key lies behind the scenes: This is actually a dynamic media room boasting an elaborate audiovisual entertainment system. Designer Jeffrey Elliott worked closely with the audiovisual company to design a custom walnut cabinet to house a 110-inch-wide screen, five speakers, three sub-woofers, six equipment components and a small wet bar. Companion pieces include a wall-mounted floating sideboard and shelving for the client's pottery collection. Acoustics were addressed through metallic vinyl and grass wallcoverings on the ceiling and walls, as well as upholstered wall panels that serve as removable covers for in-wall speakers. The visually clean, contemporary space complements the look of the Denver home's main level.
 Technology Integration, Jeffrey P. Elliot Interior Design. Photograph by Estetico.
Commercial Winners
Single Space Special Function | Judge's Award, Commercial
BurkettDesign, Inc., Denver
The client's assignment for Amy Burkett, AIA, ASID, IIDA; Michele Ponicsan, AIA; and the BurkettDesign project team was to create a state-of-the-art conference center for a navigational mapping business in Englewood. The hitch was that the space was an old warehouse area that needed to shed its back-office persona and morph into an attractive, modern meeting venue. Utilizing the warehouse's long, narrow footprint, the designers organized the conference rooms, restrooms, coffee bar, library and trainer offices around a linear circulation spine defined by an 11-foot-high canted wall. Flexible, multi-functional environments support audiovisual equipment for videoconferencing, presentations and training needs. Materials and colors complement the adjacent office area but give the conference center a unique identity.
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Single Space Special Function-Commercial and Judge's Award, BurkettDesign, Inc. Photograph by Frank Ooms. |
Adaptive Reuse/Renovation
RTA Architects, Colorado Springs
Transforming an old laundry building into an attractive and functional space to house the financial services department of a Colorado Springs hospital was the charge given to Anne M. Smith, Associate AIA; Margaret Gilbert, AIA; and project designer Tom Thompson. After a hospital addition and space reorganization, the old laundry building—complete with concrete floors, exposed pipes, garage doors and a boiler smokestack—was the only space left for the department to occupy. Rather than disguise its industrial past, the designers played up its potential. Featuring high-end materials but retaining an unrefined quality, the result is an "industrial chic" space where the reception area and workspaces mirror the curve of the smokestack, the garage doors serve artistic functions, and brick walls and frosted glass define the 24 offices and conference room.
Adaptive Reuse/Renovation, RTA Architects. Photograph by Ed LaCasse. |
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Design Details/Elements
BOX Studio, Denver
To enhance teamwork and the employee experience, a major energy-exploration company based in Denver asked for an artistic connection between its two floors in a high-rise. Lynn Coit, Allied Member ASID, and Jim Graczyk responded by designing an elegant floating staircase. Uniting form and function, the staircase features a two-story curtain wall of polished wood, stainless steel and translucent art glass which serves as support for the handrail, a visual screen for the office doors beyond and a balustrade at the mezzanine level. Natural stone surfaces complement the mineral exploration work performed by the client. Structural challenges included fully supporting the stair only at its endpoints, dampening noise and vibration, and fitting the stair between existing structural steel beams in the floors. Though it had to be constructed through the 10th-floor windows using a crane, the final result was worth the effort.
 Design Details/Elements, BOX Studio. Photograph by Ron Johnson.
Healthcare Over 50,000 Square Feet
Davis Partnership Architects, P.C., Denver
Davis Partnership was recognized for its work on the Mercy Medical Center East Tower in Des Moines, Iowa, a 234,000-square-foot addition to an existing hospital facility, for which it acted as architect and lead designer. Team members David Rhyne, AIA; Wendy Ekborg, AIA; Robyn Linstrom, AIA; interior designer Christina Shuford, Associate AIA; and design consultant Amy Elbert, IIDA, created a new six-story glass atrium entrance for the facility, divided by function into two three-story volumes: the lower one for the new critical care unit, and the upper one for the new Women's Care Center and neonatal intensive care unit. An open staircase in the atrium creates continuity between the two volumes, but each is defined by its own unique feature: a monolithic, 35-foot water feature in the lower volume, and a playful stained-glass sculpture by Colorado artist Judy Gorsuch Collins in the upper volume. The upper volume features a more feminine palette of colors and finishes to signify its identity. The project also included clinical areas, patient rooms, a conference center for patient education, a 300-seat auditorium and an executive boardroom.
 Healthcare Over 50,000 Square Feet, Davis Partnership Architects. Photograph by Jerry Swanson.
Hospitality Under 10,000 Square Feet
Slifer Designs, Edwards
Senior project designer Lori Gleason and Catherine Grasch, project coordinator, of Slifer Designs cast their lines into interesting waters when they took on this project, the "cast-off cabin" for a private residential golf-course community in Gypsum. In this cozy space, encompassing a living room with fireplace, kitchen, a library/fly-tying room and outdoor area, members gather to talk fly-fishing strategy, meet their river guides and trade stories about the one that got away. The design challenge was to create a rustic, antique feel in a space that is actually brand new. Reclaimed barn wood from the property and logs from trees felled by the U.S. Forest Service bring in the desired warmth and character (not to mention sustainability), while twig chairs, a leather sofa and rustic lamps with bark shades add mountain appeal. Accessories include an antique fly-tying box, a trout painting and fishing baskets.
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Hospitality Under 10,000 Square Feet, Slifer Designs. Photograph by Rick Stovall. |
Healthcare Under 50,000 Square Feet
Lynne Thom Architects, Denver
Calming elements of Japanese culture create a serene atmosphere in this dental surgery office in Denver, designed by Lynne Thom, AIA. The open plan, with eight treatment rooms around a central sterilization area, features a wide, curving circulation path and incorporates shoji screens as sliding doors, lanterns and screens. Light gold and warm grey hues, dark millwork, indirect and fluorescent pendant lighting, backlit shoji screens, sophisticated air circulation, sound-absorbing tiles and carpet, and a sound system throughout create a peaceful and soothing atmosphere for the dentist, assistants and patients. Dental sinks are metallic bronze glazed concrete vessels mounted on ebony stained walnut decks, standing out as little jewels.
 Healthcare 50,000 Square Feet, Lynne Thom Architects. Photograph by Frank Ooms.
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