Hotchkiss, Colorado

Situated on 200 acres along the north fork of the Gunnison River, this ranch complex was first homesteaded in 1882. By the 1990s the original ranch house, except for one small log cabin, had been replaced with a mobile home, and the ranch lands and remaining agricultural buildings had fallen into poor condition. In 2005, the ranch changed ownership and plans were made for the restoration of both the structures and the land, and for the building of a new 2,500-square-foot house.

Design concept and solution: From the onset of the project, the clients and architects were committed to building in a modern vocabulary that was respectful of the traditional, agricultural construction vernacular of the area and to preserving the remaining historic farm buildings and incorporating them into the home plan. The plan is organized around a simple open rectangular frame with a rectangular enclosure. The enclosure does not sit directly within the boundaries of the frame; it is partially shifted out of the rectangle. This basic concept—of separation of structure and envelope—sets up the primary spaces of the house. On the western side, the shift results in a generous covered patio. The house is entered under this large roof. On the east side the volume of the envelope moves outside the structural frame and creates a long internal gallery that organizes the plan from the inside. All the main rooms of the house are connected to this gallery space. The living room was made from the existing log cabin. This is a traditional western room with dark wooden finishes within. The cabin is detached from the house and is accessed by going out under the protective roof. The plan also includes a bathhouse, garage, work studio, and pavilion all made from the reconstructed and relocated existing farm structures. The house is well insulated, and sited and constructed to minimize heat gain in the summer. An active solar array on the south roof of the garage building uses a series of glass tubes with reflective coatings on the underside that heat a transfer medium to high temperatures. A heat exchanger picks up the heat and loads it to the domestic system. In the first summer of use, the 5-by-10-foot solar array was easily providing all the domestic hot water used. It is also expected to contribute a minimum of 20 percent of the winter heating needs.

Total construction cost: $1.5 million

People

Architect:
Bone/Levine Architects
561 Broadway #8d
New York, New York 10012
(212) 219-1038 T
(212) 226-8056 F

Partner in Charge: Kevin Bone, AIA
Design Team: Netta Cocos, Paul Dallas

Engineer(s):
Lindauer-Dunn Structural Engineers
8020 Rood Ave.
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 241-0900
Partner in Charge: Jeff Dunn

General contractor:
Steve Rubick Construction
10310 3200 Road,
Hotchkiss, CO 81419
(917) 201-7152

Photographer
J. M. Kucy
Jack Kucy|jmk-gallery.com|©2009
(917) 991-2096

CAD system, project management, or other software used:
ArchiCAD

 

Products

Structural system:
Inland Douglass Fir for main framed structure
Structural Insulated Panels (S.I.P. Panels) for walls and roof
Kermit Log Works
Delta, Co.
Big Sky Insulation-RControl
Grand Junction, CO 81506

Exterior cladding
Masonry:
Natural Cement Plaster Stucco

Metal/glass curtainwall:
Steel and Mahogany
Rubick Construction
Hotchkiss, CO 81419
Welfelt Fabrication
Delta, Co 81416

Concrete:
Polished Architectural Concrete

Wood:
Western Cedar Siding
EIFS, ACM, or other:

Roofing
Built-up roofing:
Corregated steel

Metal:
Corrugated Galvanized Sheet Metal Over S.I.P. Panels

Windows
Wood:
Various: - Mahogany and Yellow Pine

Glazing
Glass:
3/4”-1” PPG “SolarBan” insulated glass
Chucks Glass
Montrose, CO 81410

Skylights:
Velux suntube

Doors
Entrances:
Wood/Steel/Glass
Rubick Construction
Hotchkiss, Co 81419

Metal doors:
Sliding wood/glass/steel w/Hafele Hardware

Wood doors:
Various: - Mahogany and Yellow Pine

Sliding doors:
Mahogany/glass w/fabricated sliding system

Hardware
Locksets:
Rocky Mountain Hardware
Contract Locks/Dependable Lumber
Hotchkiss, CO 81419

Hinges:
Hafele

Closers:
Steel Fabricated
Welfelt Fabrication
Delta, Co 81416

Additional Steel systems:
Door pulls, Wall panels, stairway, structural, and cabinet panel systems.
Welfelt Fabrication
Delta, Co 81416

Pulls:
Steel Fabricated  
Welfelt Fabrication
Delta, Co 81416

Cabinet hardware:
Hafele

Interior finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork:
Long Leaf Yellow Pine recycled from beams of Old New York City Warehouses

Millwork by:
LB Woodworking
Larry Braverman
6210 River Road
Beach Lake, PA 18405
(570)729-0000
lbwoodworking72@yahoo.com

Steve Rubick Construction   
Hotchkiss, Co 81419
kukadesign.com

Paints and stains:
All exterior wood surfaces Stained/sealed w/”Defy” water borne epoxy sealer
Alpine Lumber
Montrose, CO 81410

Wallcoverings:
All walls surfaces plaster finished

Special surfacing:
“Ceasar Stone” contertop and back splash.

Resilient flooring:
Cork tile Flooring in loft
ECO Spaces
Telluride, Co 81435

Furnishings
Office furniture:
Steel Fabricated  
Welfelt Fabrication
Delta, Co 81416

Fixed seating:
Bench of Long Leaf Yellow Pine recycled from beams of Old New York City Warehouses
Rubick Construction
Hotchkiss, Co 81419

Lighting:
All lighting systems designated by owners w/numerous suppliers
Interior and Exterior systems
Steve Rubick Construction   
Hotchkiss, CO 81419
             
Interior ambient lighting:
Controls:
Pratt Electrical
Hotchkiss. Co 81419

Plumbing
All heating and domestic systems:
J & M Plumbing and Heating
Hotchkiss, CO 81419

Domestic water system filtration:
EWS-Environmental Water Systems
Las Vegas, NV 89117

Domestic Solar Heating:
Viessmann Solar Panels
Vitosol 300-T by Viessmann:
Evacuative tube system
In floor/slab hydronic heating throughout