Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Colorado Beetle Kill Wood as a Resource

Originally, my focus and research for this article was on beetle kill wood as a building resource.  It seemed that beetle kill wood was turning up in the construction industry as structural members, flooring, cabinets as well as unique furniture.   At first glance, it seemed like a good idea to utilize this source of lumber.  But as I investigated the subject further, it became evident to me that extracting, milling and/or preparing beetle kill lumber can be problematic.  Furthermore, the subject of the bark beetle epidemic is riddled with many political, economic and environmental issues.

We are all aware of the devastation the bark beetle has wreaked on Colorado forests either by witnessing it first hand or hearing about it on the local news.  In 2011 the U.S. Forest Service responded with a 6 year strategy that focuses on human safety, forest recovery and long term resiliency.  Although, the conclusion as reported from the U.S. forest service is that, since 1996 when there were the first signs of an outbreak, the epidemic has expanded and infestations have accelerated exponentially.  Fighting this epidemic and controlling the spread of the bark beetle is of the highest priority.  Removing dying or dead egg infested trees is part of this strategy.

But, before we can move on to a discussion of how to extract the millions of dead and dying pine trees in Colorado, let’s look at whether utilizing Colorado beetle kill lumber in the construction industry is a good idea.  Canada is our leading lumber competitor.  First of all, the trees in Canada generally are larger diameter than our Colorado trees, which makes it easier to mill larger lumber units.  Also, the Canadian lumber and milling industry is also much more developed than our own.  Canada has been milling beetle kill lumber for many years already.  With that said it seems doubtful that extracting and milling Colorado beetle kill lumber is a gainful economic venture.  As a matter of fact, a lot of beetle kill lumber being used in Colorado is from Canada

No matter whether we can utilize the dead trees for lumber, fuel or not, these “hazard trees” need to be cleared. Obviously dead, dry trees are a fire risk.  Dead trees are also at risk of falling on hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts.  Yet the greatest concern is the general health of our forests.  The mission is to regain control the bark beetle epidemic by eliminating infected trees, clearing forest floor of debris and thinning the forests. 

The Colorado Rockies are rugged and portions of the wilderness are not easily reachable. Thus access to downed trees can be challenging.  More roads could be constructed but that also has its issues. Two questions come up right away:  1) where do we get the revenue to build roads so as to clear millions of dead trees? and 2) what is the environmental impact of building more roads? 

It is obvious that this problem is underfunded.  The forest service has recently issued contracts totaling about $13.4 million to focus on converting the dead trees into some lumber, wood pellets and other biomass products.  These contracts treat about 20,000 acres, which is a small portion relative to the total infestation.  This issue is struggling politically to get the attention it requires.

The bark beetle has been around for a long time.  It is the change in climate that has allowed the populations to explode.  In the past the cold winter temperatures were enough to destroy the eggs that are lying dormant in the pine trees until spring.  The environmental impact of global warming is a worldwide issue worthy of a much more comprehensive discussion.  I more local and specific environmental problem is how do we extract the vast numbers of infected pine trees with as little natural impact as possible?  Do we destroy trees in place or remove them?  I am not sure we have answered these questions.   
 
It is clear to me that I am barely touching on a very complicated and overwhelming problem.  The winter of 2012-2013 has thus far been both very dry and warm.  Under these conditions bark beetles normally flourish. 
It appears the bark beetle epidemic has hit a point of crisis. 

My goal was to investigate whether it made sense to use beetle kill lumber as a building material.  What I unraveled was a problem way beyond this simple discussion.  It no longer makes sense to me to talk about beetle kill lumber.  What I will follow up with is another blog post regarding the epidemic itself; the actions of the forest service and our politicians, in addition to the studies of our scientist and ecologists. 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Speaking Architecture

Speaking Architecture
Imagine that every house is a poem, and every skyscraper is a novel. Imagine that each component of a building is a word: beams and columns are nouns; kitchens, stairs and showers are verbs while the windows and furnishings are adverbs; the flooring materials and light fixtures are adjectives.
It’s helpful for me to think of architecture as language, and of each style as a dialect. An architect can be fluent in Colorado Mountain Contemporary. A client likes to speak Bauhaus Modernism. A student learns the grammar of Spanish Mission and French Country. It’s not surprising that designers refer to the stylistic elements of a building (trim details, window types, finish materials, ceiling treatment, etc.) as the “vocabulary” of the architecture.

Christopher Alexander (Emeritus Professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley) suggests the idea of “pattern languages” by which we “speak” our built environments into existence.
Many architectural creeds constrain design by rejecting such-and-such traditions or prescribing this-and-only-this strategy regardless of context. Alexander’s idea of pattern language hinges on the freedom of being able to create an infinite variety of solutions to design problems, responding specifically to each unique situation. A design strategy that might be unacceptable in one context might be the perfect solution in another.
But this doesn’t mean that anything goes. Bad writing is still bad writing, and the rules of grammar exist for a reason. Most likely everyone can relate to the experience of being in a house and thinking “I would not have designed it this way.”
Over time, I’ve begun to suspect that what makes a design successful is the way that its composition responds to the needs and desires of its owners and users. I think about how I feel in a space. That porch makes me feel peaceful. This entryway feels grand and impressive. In the nook I feel secure and snug. I think simple intuition can be a useful judge of the quality of a design.

I think that learning how to “speak architecture” (how to design well) is an ongoing process that I’ll never be truly finished with. I’m slowly but steadily gaining insight and inspiration; I love every minute of it. Working at TKP Architects I get to collaborate with people who have “written” countless beautiful houses, whose experience has taught them what it is to speak architecture that is meaningful, appropriate, and satisfying to those who inhabit it.  



Thursday, May 10, 2012

Betts Lake at Colorado Golf Club


For more than 25 years, TKP Architects has been designing award-winning, custom homes for the West’s most discriminating clients.  Now TKP has brought its skills in working with custom home clients to bear on the design of a new luxury home neighborhood.  Betts Lake at Colorado Golf Club combines architectural style, quality craftsmanship and personal expression with the ease and comfort of main floor living and a low-maintenance lifestyle.  

TKP’s design process for the Betts Lake project, incorporated comprehensive input from targeted focus groups, and meticulous research and study on the lifestyle requirements and desires of today’s luxury home buyer.  We found that our buyers see today's luxury home as smaller, more efficient and more environmentally responsible.  Luxury homebuyers are increasingly casual, so the homes at Betts Lake feature flowing, flexible, open floorplans ideal for casual living and entertaining.

Outdoor spaces are fully integrated living areas, covered, and furnished with fireplaces, built-in barbeques, and even televisions.  Each TKP-designed home offers interior finish and exterior style options that can be selected to showcase the
unique personality of the buyer, and, each design evokes a sense of place, style, and comfort that makes them highly livable and timeless.

TKP Architects’ experience working with contemporary, mountain, and historical styles makes them one of the West’s most sought-after architectural firms.  Their skill, along with the spectacular beauty and quality of the Colorado Golf Club, and the Betts Lake site, has created a one-of-a-kind opportunity for today’s luxury resort home buyer. 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Have you ever wondered what Architects do in their free time?

Sitting on the Tipping Point
Hesitation between Rest and Reckless Abandon
Shifting of weight forward, Gravity taking You
To that place where your Kidneys fly into your Lungs
That first BUMP that shortens your spinal column
But you don't care
YOU want MORE!
                                                                                               
The sound of Snow
Shifting from slushy sun softened
to icy crusty crunch of that,
still, in the shade
Finding that BURST of fresh Snow
Full on Powder Facial.

Cruising through the trees
Do I bank left? Do I bank right?
Brake. Lap full of Snow, Sopping Wet.
Cheeks sore from Laughter.
Please, screaming knees; carry me back up the hill.
Just One More, my mantra.

Again and Again
for that one thing
that will make YOU laugh uncontrollably
despite what life has thrown at you
that day,
week,
month.
In that moment,
everything melts away
leaving PURE unbridled JOY.
Happiness in its simplest form.



 
Why do I do this you ask?

I do this so when you invite me to help create a home for parents, children, and grandchildren alike: we capture the perfect views; designate space for keys as well as Christmas trees; AND if so desired, find that perfect combination of slope, speed, and trajectory for those memories of pure joy.

Author's Note: Best results occur when shared with friends and family; and spf is applied under the nose and chin ;).






Wednesday, March 28, 2012

"Any darn fool can make 'em bigger ....."


.........written by Steve Sall:

That was a saying a successful small homebuilder shared with me when I was starting my career and something I will never forget. He is right in many ways. I learned to design homes that were very efficient and compact. I worked in the field building houses and I used what I learned in construction when designing and drawing those small homes. I had always loved to use my Dad’s and Grandfather’s tools to build things growing up but I had no idea until taking a few architecture and structural design classes in college that I would ever love residential architecture as much as I do now.

Designing homes is actually one of my life’s greatest passions. I cannot think of anything else I would rather do than what I am doing now. I find that architectural work does not really feel like work at all! During my career I had been a homebuilder’s “in-house” designer for 8 years then owned my own architectural design firm for almost 30 years before joining TKP Architects. Time flies when you are having fun and doing something you love!  There have been many personal rewards for me doing this kind of work. Although I love winning awards for homes I have designed, I really love hearing from someone living in a home I designed when they tell me how much they enjoy their home. It’s really rewarding to hear from a family that has lived in their home for 5, 10 or more years and have them share with me how much they still enjoy living in the home I had designed for them. I have also had the pleasure of designing two beautiful homes for the former Denver Bronco’s football coach as well as for other athletes and business leaders. I have to admit that it is often very exciting working with celebrities. 

 
Recently, I have found that working with TKP Architects over the last year has been very personally rewarding. Although I have worked with other Architects in my career, I have never worked with a group of Architects that are quite as talented and supportive.  

Another factor that helps make my profession stimulating is that my career has been focused almost entirely on residential architecture. When I work with different families, individuals or builders, it seems like everyone has something “custom” they want incorporated into their design. This makes most of the homes I have designed quite unique with its own special characteristics and style.


I wish everyone could be as fortunate as I have been and have a profession that does not feel like work. Architecture has brought a lot of happiness to my life. To be honest, the only other thing that’s brought this much happiness is the birth of my 2 kids and being able to watch both of them grow up to be such outstanding people.

So, that old saying, “any darn fool can make ‘em (houses) bigger”, has meant a lot to me. I’ve also discovered it takes personal characteristics like creativity, being a good listener, enthusiasm and flexibility to be successful in this business, and that the size or style of a home is not important; as long as it is designed well and it meets the needs and desires of our clients and their families.


Friday, February 3, 2012

Renovation for Several Generations


With a first grandchild on the way, the owners of this timeless contemporary home in the mountains made a bold choice.  They decided to renovate and to add on to their home, with the goals of being able to age in place and to host multi-generational gatherings for a growing family.

The house had three levels, and the addition was designed to step down the hillside to connect the home to a swimming pool at a lower level.  To provide for anyone, of any age or ability, to enjoy all levels of the home, an elevator became a necessity.



The stunning mountain site called for spaces for entertaining that allowed one to experience the scenery while enjoying the fire, the television, or the pool table.  The same spectacular views are seen from the raised bar with glass-enclosed wine room, and a tasting table, which overlooks the adjacent recreation room.  Backlit red art glass and wine bottles in the custom stainless steel rack, along with sophisticated lighting design, enliven the bar in the evening.

Rather than discrete rooms for various activities, our clients wanted spaces to be more flexible, and for families and functions to overlap.  Areas are minimally designated, usually by a few steps or a differing ceiling treatment.  The billiard area overlooks an exercise room with large skylights and beamed ceiling, a level below the family room and close to the pool.  This level also incorporated a pool bath/changing room, steam shower, sauna and massage room, all easily accessed from the swimming pool.



A detached garage with a guest suite above allowed the owners to move their collection of classic cars to their home.  Now a quick autumn aspen-viewing trip can be taken in a vintage Corvette convertible.  The guest suite allows family members to stay for short or long-term visits, while maintaining a sense of privacy.  The forms of the original house are reinterpreted on the detached garage, and the same exterior stone and stucco created a cohesive family compound.

The original home was award-winning when it was built, and the addition and remodel were recently honored as the Best Addition at the 2011 CARE (Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence) Awards.  Our clients now have the fun, casual home for family gatherings they wanted, and we hope they will enjoy it for many years!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Colorado Golf Club New Low-Maintenance Homes at Betts Lake

TKP Architects is very proud to have been chosen as the architect for a new enclave of smaller, elegant, low-maintenance homes clustered around scenic Betts Lake at the Colorado Golf Club residential golf course community.  These new designs target a golf community buyer seeking a smaller, flexible and accessible walkout ranch style home with a choice of ammenities, finish levels and styles, designed for an indoor/outdoor Colorado lifestyle.
A recent press release:

Colorado Golf Club Announces the Sale of Betts Lake, Plans New Low-Maintenance Homes

Colorado Golf Club Named #4 Residential Course/Community in America
PARKER, CO – November 17, 2010 – Colorado Golf Club announced today that the Betts Lake community – an enclave which will consist of 35 low-maintenance homes surrounding a nine-acre lake within the gates of the Club – has been purchased by New York-based Arendale Holdings. The company plans to break ground on the first of its new model series in early 2011. Two existing homes were also part of the sale, which closed in early November.


“Colorado Golf Club is a spectacular project,” says Arendale Holdings representative John Kunkel. “The golf course is internationally acclaimed, and the community is nationally recognized. What was missing was an alternative to larger custom home options. We spent a lot of time on the ground at Colorado Golf Club and the surrounding area, and we are thrilled to bring a new vision and new enthusiasm to the Betts Lake neighborhood and the larger Colorado Golf Club community.”


Arendale has selected award-winning architect Karen Keating of Golden, Colorado-based TKP Architects to design the Betts Lake homes and expects to offer four different floorplans and a choice of elevations, multiple finish and fixture packages, as well as a streamlined building process. The homes will range from 2,000 – 4,500 square feet in size on half-acre to one-acre lots.


Colorado Golf Club Ranks #4 on Top 100 Residential Course/Communities List


Colorado Golf Club has also announced that it was ranked #4 on Golfweek Magazine’s 2011 list of Top 100 Residential Courses/Communities, the highest of any Colorado residential community. More than 4,500 golf communities were evaluated as part of the rankings program. The 2011 list was published November 2, 2010 by Golfweek Magazine and can be viewed at golfweek.com/news/2010/nov/02/2011-golfweeks-best-residential-courses/.


We wanted to give you a preview of some of the new designs which can only be seen here.  The homes will be stucco, stone, and timber with large covered outdoor rooms on the lake and view sides.  They will have options like: large glass folding doors to outdoor rooms, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, stone decks, flush garage and entry thresholds, and other wonderful and practical lifestyle features.
Please contact us at kkeating@tkparch.com for more information on this new project for Betts Lake at the extrordinary Colorado Golf Club!