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How One Architecture Firm Is Remaking Colorado Ski Country

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For the past decade, one architecture firm has been quietly redesigning Colorado's fanciest ski town, from custom homes to big-name hotels and cozy, locally owned restaurants. Take a stroll in downtown Aspen and you'll see the work of the husband-and-wife team at Rowland + Broughton Architecture and Urban Design everywhere. Now, with offices in Aspen and Denver, John Rowland and Sarah Broughton are taking their sustainable and contemporary designs to other mountain communities. The firm has just recently been selected to develop the interiors of the new Limelight Hotel in Ketchum, Idaho, scheduled to be built by Aspen Skiing Company near Sun Valley's River Run base. Rowland + Broughton are also designing two DoubleTree hotels, one in Park City, Utah, and one in Durango, Colorado. In honor of Rowland + Broughton's recent success, Curbed Ski decided to take a tour through some of the firm's prettiest, most unique, and well-known designs.


Black Birch Modern, Aspen, Colorado: R+B completed the architecture and interior design for this 6,400-square-foot custom home with four bedrooms. Calling it a "modern interpretation of the traditional gable house," the firm had to maintain 60% of the walls and roof in the home's redesign.


Justice Snow's, Aspen, Colorado: As the cornerstone of the historic Wheeler Opera House, Justice Snow is one of the most popular restaurants and bars in town. R+B took inspiration from the buildings original design as a bank, moving the vault door to a more prominent location.


Otto's House, Woody Creek, Colorado: R+B performed an extensive remodel and addition to this 1970s timber and stick frame. By popping the top and supplementing the square footage with an addition, the firm added a new master suite, three bedrooms, offices, and an alfresco dining area.


Woody Creek Distillers, Basalt, Colorado: Winner of the 2014 ASID Crystal Award for Commercial Award Under 20,000 sf and Judges' Merit for Best Overall Commercial, this 10,700 square foot commercial space now boasts one of Colorado's best distilleries. Originally a furniture warehouse, R+B transformed the space by repurposing existing materials and a focus on showcasing the state-of-the-art stills. The design is also an excellent example of the use of Colorado beetle-kill pine. Photography by Derek Skalko.


White House Tavern, Aspen, Colorado: One of our favorite restaurants in Aspen, the White House Tavern was originally constructed in 1883 and is a historic landmark in the city. R+B worked with Aspen's Historic Preservation Commission to restore and rehabilitate the miner's cottage and alley shed into the new restaurant.


Funnel House, Aspen, Colorado: This 10,000 square foot home is located on lake-front acreage in Aspen's Meadowood subdivision. According to B+R, "the design responds directly to the client's desire to create a central funnel bringing together family and friends. The house consists of two masonry bookend walls. As one flows through the house, they are continually passing through and experiencing these walls."


The Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado: One of our pick's for the best hotels in ski country, the Little Nell was recently renovated by R+B. The team updated 86-guest rooms, junior suites, and public corridors in the most comprehensive remodel since the hotel's opening in 1989.

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