Ridge House Aspen: 1960s Home Reimagined
Ridge House began life in the 1960s, as the Aspen residence of the Norwegian-born Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen, and was designed by Ellie Brickham, the town’s first practicing female architect; the house sits on some 35 unspoiled acres (one of a compound of R+B-designed buildings) and overlooks all four ski mountains. The architects, as committed preservationists, understood the significance of Brickham’s Aspen Modern design, yet the structure was deteriorating and no longer conformed to local building codes. Consequently, R+B’s solutions preserved the spirit, if not the letter, of the original.rnrnThe entry façade, comprised of ‘found’ cut-stone walls, combines the region’s building traditions with a modernist sensibility. The obverse – the western, view-facing façade – does precisely the opposite: fully glazed with full-height doors and windows, it showcases the remarkable view in its entirety.rnrnWithin, R+B transformed what had been Brickham’s organizing hallway into a 126-foot-long, eight-foot-wide, end-to-end north-south axis that constitutes, for all of the architecture’s neo-Scandinavian modesty, a celebratory event that feels almost palatial. Entering through the front door, one is greeted by a sunken double-height living room, which conveys both a midcentury swank and the grandeur of the west; the primary suite occupies the entirety of the structure to the south; the living, dining, and media rooms, and the kitchen/breakfast area, sit in the center; and the children’s zone, with craft and game rooms, lies to the north.rnrnThough utterly transformed, Ridge House retains the alternation between opacity and transparency that had been the original’s essence, remains nearly within the preexisting footprint, and maintains the former house’s four wood-burning fireplaces, which, as they predated the current code, were allowed to remain. Thus did R+B preserve the presiding spirit of the past within the pristine precincts of the new.
u003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eProject Completionu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e2017u003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eProject Sizeu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e8,250 SF (8.5 AC)u003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eProject Awardsu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2019 Luxe Magazine – RED Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2018 Colorado Homes u0026amp; Lifestyle – CARE Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2018 Colorado Homes u0026amp; Lifestyle – CARE Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2018 American Society of Interior Designers – Crystal Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2018 American Society of Interior Designers – Crystal Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003e2018 International Design Awardu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ePublicationsu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022https://a.co/d/fNOzg6Zu0022u003eDesigning Aspen The Houses of Rowland+Broughtonu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022http://rowland.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-JuneJuly_HOTY_Ridge-House.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eColorado Homes u0026amp; Lifestylesu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022http://rowland.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019_Mountain-Homestyle_Midwinter_Ridge-House.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eMountain Homestyleu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022http://rowland.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018_October_Gentlemans-Journal_Ridge-House.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eGentleman’s Journalu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022http://rowland.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018_Dezeen_Ridge-House.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eDezeen.comu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003ca href=u0022http://rowland.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018_August_Featured-Homes-Online_Ridge-House_web.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eArchitectural Recordu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eR+B Servicesu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eArchitectureu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eInterior Designu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eFurniture Selection/Procurementu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eRenderingsu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003ch5u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eCollaboratorsu003c/spanu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eLandscape Architect: Bluegreenu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eLighting Designer: 186 Lighting Design Groupu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eStructural Engineer: KLu0026amp;Au003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eMEP Engineer: REGu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eCivil Engineer: Schmeser Gordon Meyeru003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAudio/Visual: Xssentialsu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ePhotographer: Lisa Romereinu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ePhotographer: Brent Mossu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003ernu003ch6u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eContractor: Schlumberger Constructionu003c/spanu003eu003c/h6u003ernu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003e