Interior

• Kitchen Remodeling
• Door Installation/Replacement
• Framing
  The A. R. Smith Cabin is located on the banks of the Roaring Fork River, outside of Aspen, Colorado on land not considered for development until the 1920s, when the enjoyment of outdoor life began to be seen as a desirable pursuit. The Collaborative was retained to prepare the nominations to the State and Local Registers of Historic Places, and provide preservation plans and design services. This vernacular wood frame cabin with random rubble foundation retained its historic integrity in that, both the structure, and the site remained as they were in the 1940s, retaining the original location, setting, design, and materials. Built in 1941 by Rev. A. R. Smith, a prominent Colorado pastor, who had come to Aspen between its days as a thriving mountain mining town and its transformation into a world-class ski resort, he sought to establish his land as a renowned Baptist boys camp. This idea was supported by some of Aspen’s leading residents, among who were organizers of the Aspen Park Association. The Association sold land to Smith and he began by constructing a cabin for use as his family residence. The A.R. Smith Cabin is a significant example for the type of architecture typically built around Aspen in the 1940s: using stone from the site for the foundation, and constructing the remainder of the cabin using basic wood framing skills. The structure is utilitarian with few frills or decorative features, but with everything needed for basic comfortable living.

Construction

• New Construction
  In order to provide objective standards for communities to evaluate the appropriateness of alterations to their buildings, the Collaborative prepares design guidelines for historic structures and districts. Design guidelines identify and illustrate the site and building elements that are most significant, such as building height, distance separating structures, and size and shape of the openings. These guidelines provide the delicate balance that is necessary to a changing community; the difference between strict adherence to particular architectural styles and incompatible new construction. The use of design guidelines can ensure that visual continuity of the streetscape will be maintained, without unduly restricting the creativity of the designer.
• Demolition
  The Astor House was built in 1867 by Seth Lake in anticipation of the need for lodging by those coming to do business in the state capital, which Golden then served at. Originally called the Lake House, it was soon renamed after the famous New York institution. The Astor House served as a hotel or boarding house throughout its history, until 1971 when it was purchased by the Golden Downtown Improvement District and slated for demolition. A citizens’ group opposed the demolition and provided an alternative plan, which was accepted and led to this restoration project. The Collaborative, along with JVA Structural Engineers, were retained to complete an assessment of the Astor House and to oversee the restoration process. This all-encompassing project included masonry repair and repointing, repairs to wooden front and back porches, balcony, doors, and window restoration including hardware replacement, paint analysis, and a return to historic colors amongst other things. The Astor House is now a premier house museum in the city of Golden.

Landscaping and Fencing

• Landscaping
• Retaining Walls
  • 5893 Baseline Road Documentation, Boulder, CO • Chapman Drive Retaining Walls Assessment Study, Boulder, CO • Corn Crib Stabilization Plan, Boulder, CO • Flagstaff Mountain Road: Scoping Study for Bridge and Retaining Walls Conditions Assessment Study, Boulder, CO • Hartnagle Ranch, Boulder, CO • Historic Structures Assessment on Four Flagstaff Structures: Halfway House, Panorama Park Outhouse, Flagstaff Shelter House, and Green Mountain Lodge, • Ice House Historic Structure Assessment, Hedgecock Property, Boulder, CO • McGilvery Cabin Condition Assessment, Boulder, CO • Milk House Historic Structure Assessment, Hedgecock Property, Boulder, CO • Van Vleet Ranch Stone Farm Shed Historic Structure Assessment, Boulder, CO • Weiser House Conditions Assessment, Boulder, CO

Exterior

• Porches
• Residential Roof Repair
  Maintenance plans were developed for each one of the properties, and historical materials analysis was performed on mortar, paint, plaster, roofing, and wallpaper samples. A general history and description of the architectural styles in the area was also provided. The architectural elements that contribute to the local style, a vernacular architecture characterized as “Mining Town Victorian,“ were identified. A guide to this style was also prepared to provide information to local residents, and materials conservation techniques were developed for the maintenance and curatorial staff to follow. An overall maintenance document was developed for each of the properties. As the properties did not previously have any systematic restoration plan, the firm also provided a prioritization model to be applied to all of the structures. The result of the properties study was $400,000 in construction work. tCi served as project architects for that construction work, and has continued to provide architectural and historic preservation consultation as needed.
• Residential Roof Replacement/Installation

General

• Masonry
  For example, using a different mortar mixture from the original often causes accelerated deterioration of original masonry units. In some cases, materials analysis is used for the purposes of historic documentation; paint color sequences can indicate the order of additions to the original structure and replacement elements, for example, a non-original window.