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one ARCHITECTs
For the co-owners of One Architects, nothing beats a good glass of wine and a napkin sketch. With this down-to-earth approach, the firm has brought a new level of satisfaction to their clients.
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The husband-and-wife team at One Architects has a penchant for designing custom homes for those who like to live well; something that is never far from their offices located in the great outdoors of Telluride, Colo. by Paige L. Hill
One Love
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September/October 2011 3
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previous spread: Exterior of the Marnoy Residence, Mountain Village, Colo. Architects Bruce and Jodie Wright used the idea of a silo to give this mountainside home a sense of agricultural history. opposite: Interior of the Marnoy Residence. The architects chose to expose as much of the internal engineering of the home that they could get away with like exposed beams and cables, giving the home a more “bare bones” aesthetic. this page, top: One Architects likes to play with materials generally reserved for engineers like the cast acrylic on this balcony/hallway in the Ring residence. center: The master bath in the Marnoy Residence was carefully orchestrated so that none of the skiers could catch a glimpse from the nearby chair lift. bottom: Inside the Marnoy Residence’s “silo” is a spiral, wood-paneled staircase for which the residents had a large mobile/chandelier made. To the left is another angle of the open hallway which runs over the living room. Photos courtesy of One Architects.
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or the co-owners of One Architects, Bruce and Jodie Wright, nothing beats a good glass of wine and a napkin sketch. “That’s our preferred first meeting with a client,” Jodie said, a principal or “pioneer” as they prefer to call her at the small firm out of Telluride, Colo. “Sometimes I feel possessed by my pencil and I feel like architecture is somehow birthed from that love of what a pencil can do. Though we eventually end up at the computer, there are some things that technology simply can’t replicate.” That sense of good living paired with the Wrights’ “back to the basics” attitude permeates their portfolio stocked with custom and renovated homes which range from the sleek and modern to the hearty and earthy. One thing is for certain, these are not your standard Lincoln Log cabins. One of the firm’s recently completed custom homes, the Marnoy Residence, is neither wholly contemporary nor traditional, but what Jodie and Bruce call “edgy agricultural.” “This project began as a vacant lot at the end of a cul-de-sac not too far from a local ski resort’s chair lift,” Bruce said. The residents, an avid fly fisherman and an art enthusiast, were looking to turn the remote space into a tranquil second home; but, working in the small town of Mountain Village meant that the architects had to comply 4 Architecture Leaders Today
with the stringent building codes of the community, including obtaining special permission to connect the home’s driveway to the main road. They also were required to create an exterior that matched the nearby stone and wooden homes in the area. “We had a good palette to work with material-wise; and, we’re anti-stucco, so we were very okay with this formula,” Bruce said. A lot of the 7,550 sq. ft. home’s views are uniquely directed north and slope up the mountain, which fell in line with design’s emphasis on windows and passive solar lighting. “When the clients first sat down with us they did not come in with a strong list of requests or an image in mind,” Bruce said. “We came up with three distinct concepts and they chose neither the really sleek contemporary one nor the traditional one, but the middle ground. It is inspired by some of the coolest architecture in the Telluride area which is from 100 years ago. The kind of architecture that is very functional and beefy. It really speaks to the history here.” The “agricultural” part of the design is emphasized in a full-size silo which holds the home’s dramatic main staircase which spirals around a metal mobile/chandelier they commissioned an artist to create for the space. “They are very involved in the art scene and so they passed the dimen
High up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, dealing with the introduction of the natural elements into a closed space is a premium service. When both bone-chilling winters and broiling summers threaten one’s indoor comfort, one of the most important factors in guarding that comfort is the quality of the windows and doors in the home or business. For more than 14 years JB Window Specialties has been providing quality products & service for protection from the elements. “On a large majority of our jobs, we provide input for the architect, contractor and their client from the pre-design phase to final construction,” said JB Window Specialties owner and founder, Jeff Brown. “We’re able to assist them in specifying the desired products needed for their home. With our multiple window options, types and functions, including our unique German products, to our many door offerings such as bifold/corner doors, telescopic/pocket doors, retract/slide and lift/slide doors, we can be that specialist ensuring our part of the project is handled competently.” Having partnered with One Architects for 14 years, JB Window Specialties has endeavored to stay on the cutting edge of their industry. From the most energy efficient and insular products with LEED certifications, to new techniques and technological improvements, the firm’s competitive edge is much more than simply throwing out the lowest numbers. “A recent project with One Architects challenged us where the roof line was both pitched and angled back,” Brown said. “They wanted in-swinging casements to match the pitch, although that type of window is usually out-swinging. We provided them with tilt/turn trapezoids which met their desired function, aesthetics and solar heat gain requirements, with a durable shield against the weather.” Based out of Grand Junction, Colo., JB Window Specialties is poised to meet their customer’s window and door needs.
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this page, top: In taking a historic Victorian home in downtown Telluride and making it into a modern family home, One Architects decided to preserve as much as they could of the Ring residence and make a fitting addition. Part of the addition was making a kitchen with all the modern conveniences. center: This angle shows off the Ring residence’s staircase to the upstairs and a family sitting room. Making sure natural light filtered in unobstructed was the idea behind the translucent staircase out of cast acrylic. bottom: An exterior view of the Ring residence shows how One Architects reinvented the historic home shows how their careful editing earned them recognition locally for the addition. opposite: The master bedroom of the Ring residence’s balcony shows views of the historic downtown. The translucent sliding door provides extra space in the bedroom and lends an open, airy feeling. Photos courtesy of One Architects.
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sions along to an artist to create this hanging piece of art that doubles as a light fixture,” Jodie said. The bare wood staircase is also lit by strips of yellow LED lights which are hidden between the stairs and the interior walls of the silo. The staircase connects all three floors of the home. The exterior of the silo is covered in rusted metal, which speaks to the authentic look of “edgy agricultural”. “Again we were only allowed to use a material other than what the village prescribed on a third of the exterior, so that took up the bulk of that third,” Bruce said. The staircase does not connect with the guest suite, which is separated from the main house by a glass enclosed walkway serving dual purposes – giving the guests some privacy and allowing the residents to close off the space completely when it is not in use to save energy consumption. The idea of the walkway also plays into One Architects’ fascination with “interactive” design. “When you drive essentially through the building, under the walkway, you get to engage with it,” Jodie said. “And when you are on the walkway, you feel a part of the natural world outside without leaving the home.” The interior of the home also plays into the interactive quality of the Wrights’ work. Wooden beams run throughout the much of the home accenting the high ceilings and warm wood used on them. The beams are 6 Architecture Leaders Today
supported by industrial-looking steel cords which cut the beams on the diagonal, making geometric patterns and shadows. “We wanted to expose the inner workings of the building so that the residents could interact with the architecture,” Jodie said. “We work so closely with our structural engineer that I think we want to express that inherent efficiency which goes hand in hand with architecture. Especially with western architecture that really plays up aged wood, rusted materials and history of industry and ranches.” In designing the more refined spaces of the home, like the master suite and bathroom, the architects were challenged with keeping the rooms private from what could be onlookers from the nearby chair lift. They placed the windows strategically on the side that was exposed so as not to lose natural sunlight, and created a wall for storage. “We blended the master bath and closet and therefore created a boundary between that area and the bedroom,” Jodie said. On the protected side, they used a great amount of glass to frame scenic, mountain views for someone enjoying the free-standing tub or in the totally transparent glass-encased shower. “It all just hangs together in the end which makes them feel at home, most importantly,” Jodie said. September/October 2011 7
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opposite: Morton residence, Telluride. Colo. The exterior shows off the extensive stonework and mountain aesthetic which is fitting to the home’s location. this page, top: The master bedroom of the Morton residence features a two-way fireplace that opens to the bathroom, as well. center: The architects played with various planes of hardwood surfaces in the Morton residence. Here, the wood-paneled ceiling runs sloping upwards from the kitchen to the larger living area, creating a dramatic intersection. bottom: Another angle of how the many earthy materials traverse the Morton residence — a complete portrait of the home. Photos courtesy of One Architects.
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ecobuildingmaterials.com EcoSpaces of Telluride, Colo. is a premier supplier of design-conscious and environmentally friendly building materials. Working extensively with top firms like One Architects, EcoSpaces has developed a vast supply network that is built on advanced building products and strong relationships with builders, architects and homeowners. Designers and builders seek EcoSpaces for their distinct selection of aesthetically pleasing interior and exterior finishes such as wide plank flooring, countertops, wall finishes, windows, exterior siding and roofing products. These materials are made using highly-recyclable, sustainably harvested, non-toxic contents that bear little to no environmental impact. One Architects selected EcoSpaces as the supplier of strandwoven bamboo planks and paneling for flooring and floating stairs and BioGlass translucent countertops made from 100 percent recycled glass in the Ring Refuge, Marnoy Residence and Morton Residence.
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Keeping that main principle in mind, the firm did nearly a 180-degree turn with their next project, the Ring Residence – a renovation of an existing historical home in urban Telluride and an addition to the home to accommodate all the needs of a growing family of four. “The family needed the addition to fit within this tiny town lot and complement the historical home that is registered as a national historical landmark,” Bruce said. The architects worked with the local historical society in understanding how they could maintain that standing while adding new construction to make the house family-friendly. “There are certainly different requirements when you are designing a family home that is their main residence versus creating a vacation home,” Bruce said. And at 3,200 sq. ft., the home is also half the size of the Marnoy Residence for twice the number of residences. The Wrights resolved to not copy the original home’s Victorian style, but use complimentary, new materials and extend out to the back. The incorporated the existing, exposed brick wall into the palette of cool wood grains, brushed metals and a host of glass and glass-like materials. “Our main focus was openness and light, two things that go hand in hand when you are trying to make the most space you can,” Jodie said. A trans 8 Architecture Leaders Today
lucent staircase, made out of cast acrylic, leads to a suspended translucent walkway which hangs above the main living area. Translucent sliding doors in many of the rooms eliminate the need to provide space for a door’s swing nor additional light fixtures. “On even the lowest level of the home, the kids’ hangout, we brought in natural light from the deck above by using carefully placed windows and using that cast acrylic material on the walls to kind of reflect the light,” Jodie said. “It really captures and releases lights. It brightens a space and glows.” “We needed passive solar sources to offset the solid brick wall and bring in natural light, something that was not always emphasized in older buildings,” Bruce said. In the end, the home garnered the firm a prestigious award from the historical society for their complementary design to the original home. Though Bruce and Jodie enjoyed the acknowledgement, they said they have no plans to change their formula. “There was a time when we grew to nine people working under us, which is still fairly small, but Jodie and I felt that we weren’t as hands-on as we wanted to be. So, we throttled back to about three or four of us in the office, which is where we are today,” Bruce said. “You have to recognize what works for you and remember what you set out to do. We are architects who are deeply involved in our projects.” ALT
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