A guiding principle behind Surround’s work is material and structural honesty. Every material, besides having physical properties that allow stone to bear the weight of the structure, or steel to span across a space, also have a metaphysical character. A favorite quote of architects everywhere, attributed to Louis Kahn, states “even a brick wants to be something.” Every design begins by asking the question – what does blank want to be?
Take stone - Massive. Solid. Strong. As old as the earth itself. One of the first building materials. It wants to be grounded. It provides even a new home with a sense of gravity and permanence. With its high compressive strength, it is a foundational material upon which everything else rests – structurally, and compositionally.
Informed by the grounded, permanence expressed formally via elemental stone volumes, the stone lay is intended to evoke a similar sense of history. The interlocking, dry-stack assembly harkens back to primitive stone structures, where stability was achieved not through mortar and grout, but through tight tolerances requiring each stone to be worked by hand. It involved working closely with the craftspeople who bring the vision to life. We rely on their material mastery to execute and often enhance this design vision. Through an iterative exchange of mockups and sketches, we arrived at a beautiful, intricately crafted stone lay.
Steel, while also structural in nature, expresses a contrasting character. Its high strength to weight ratio is what allowed the first open plans and skyscrapers. It is light on its toes and wants to fly. Like ribs framing space for the lungs to breathe, steel creates volume for light and air to permeate.
Steel moment frames work quadruple-duty – carrying the load of the roof above, resisting Boulder’s gale-force winds, elevating an interior catwalk that connects upper-level bedrooms, and a supporting the cantilevered exterior patio covering. Integral to the form and function of the home, they were left exposed to celebrate their structural efficiency and elegance.
Like steel, wood plays an essential structural role, but it is equally vital as a living, breathing skin. Wood mimics our own skin in the way it reacts to its environment and gracefully ages with time. It is both a barrier to the elements, and a comforting touchpoint. Wood’s soft, organic warmth and texture is grounding and familiar – the feel of oak on bare feet is synonymous with home.
Douglas Fir Tongue-and-Groove ceilings were custom finished on-site to match the structural timbers crafted by Spearhead in Canada. Boards were carefully reviewed to ensure subtle, intentional variation.
The primary bedroom enjoys wood on three planes, with the ligneous intimacy of a cabin and a refinement worthy of the rest of the home. Material harmony was preeminent here, where the four adjacent wood finishes risk being monotonous or discordant if off in tone.
Clear Vertical Grain Cedar, stained both naturally and deep charcoal, functions as a secondary and tertiary cladding material, establishing hierarchy between volumes. By subordinating these volumes, the elemental permanence of the stone structure is emphasized.
Finally, glass, almost immaterial, wants to disappear – visually, and occasionally physically – blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living into one expansive space. It plays two antagonistic roles - protecting from Colorado’s harsh, ever-changing elements, while inviting that beautiful dynamism in.
As an avid swimmer, the owner requested two pools. An existing indoor pool was renovated into a private, four-season lap lane, while a new outdoor pool occupies the central courtyard. A spa visually connects the two, spanning inside to outside beneath a 11’x11’ glass vertical bi-fold door.
In a home with clean, modern detailing, materiality provides warmth, intrigue, and character. Organic materials compose a rich and varied palette of tones, textures, and movement that remind us of our roots. Interior flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tile, hardware, et cetera, are all selected to harmonize with the home’s chorus of stone, steel, wood, and glass.
Viewing each material in various contexts, combinations, and lighting conditions is an iterative process toward a final cohesive composition.
Through this question, “what does blank want to be,” a floor plan emerges in three dimensions. This structural and material hierarchy translates to spatial hierarchy, helping to define volumes and delineate space in an otherwise open plan.
The primary structure is anchored at both ends by solid masses of limestone masonry emerging from the earth, forming the literal and formal foundation. These stone anchors cradle and conceal private spaces and vertical circulation. The stone terminates as dueling chimneys, bookending the glassy nave of the greatroom.
The entry is situated centrally as an appendage to the transparent core. A low ceiling and blackened steel coat closets create compression as a threshold into the expansive greatroom.
Between chimneys, stone structure gives way to two steel moment frames, vaulting the roof over the airy dining and gathering space. This transparent core visually connects the front and back courtyards, encouraging indoor-outdoor continuity.
The horizontal beams supporting the catwalk and patio covering also serve to break down the grand vaulted space to a human scale. A playful, looping light fixture over the dining area adds to this intimacy, while guiding the eye toward the beautiful wood ceiling.
The concept of material character and hierarchy was extended to interior forms, as demonstrated in the kitchen. The homeowner requested two islands, their functions differentiated via form and finish. One, composed of blackened steel and sooty marble sits on feet, like you might find in a commercial kitchen. It features an Ilve range embellished with traditional Italian knobs and a blackened steel range hood suspended from the ceiling. It is the “object of fire;” the chef’s island. The other sits grounded by blocks of white stone, intended for seating, serving, and gathering.
The utilitarian function of the blackened steel island is echoed in the surrounding charcoal-glazed oak cabinetry, save the dining nook, which has been hollowed out in rich walnut, subtly highlighting a refined moment within the working kitchen.
In the Powder Bathroom, the refined expression of walnut and steel is found in the floating vanity and screening partition.
In the Primary closet, clean-lined walnut cabinetry extends an organic handshake with carved walnut pulls.
As you descend the stairs to the basement, you pass through the foundational stone mass that extends three stories as the chimney above. The threshold announces a special moment of arrival into the rec room, complete with a sport court, table games, bar, lounge, and a custom home theater by Aurum Home Technology.
The design and construction process always involves real-time, creative problem solving. One of the challenges the team encountered was phasing and site access on the narrow suburban lot. Structures toward the back of the property needed to be built first in order to preserve construction access, however excavation for the primary wing needed to occur concurrently. The builders solved the impass by erecting a wooden footbridge, spanning the 40’ wide, 15’ deep excavation. It was a fun bit of ingenuity. A moat and drawbridge might just work its way into our next project.
Team Roster:
Builder: Harrington Stanko Construction
Landscape Design: Marpa
Timbers and Exposed Structural Steel: Spearhead
Structural Engineer: JVA
A/V: Aurum Home Technology
Stair: Ironbound Metalworks
Custom Cabinetry: BKI Cabinetry