In a time of rising land prices and energy costs, these three townhomes fit on what was an underutilized single family home lot in western edge of Boulder. The design ensures that each of the townhomes has equal access to the famed Flatiron views, natural ventilation and southern exposure, making them the perfect downtown idyll. In addition to private outdoor space, the three townhomes share outdoor dining space. The entry paths to each are designed to foster casual interaction between the occupants. The townhomes present an example of the future of sustainable land use, design and living in the New West.Each house has two bedrooms with two-and-a-half bathrooms―and unit sizes range from about 1,500 sf. to 1,900 sf. The architects sited each townhouse to capture views of the surrounding landscape, but it was not an easy task. There had to be equity of views and square footage for each household. The modern design gracefully knits together each client’s desires within a cohesive language of form and materials while the interiors are reflective of the three client’s personalities. Ms. Green concludes in her New York Times article that the project is, “ a clever and elegant land-use solution, spatially economical, practical and lovely.” In Boulder, Colo., three households recently moved into an Arch11-designed townhouse project built on a small lot in a funky light industrial area near Boulder’s downtown area. The project– a design/build collaboration between Arch11, a commercial and residential architecture firm with offices in Boulder and Denver, and Hammerwell, a Boulder construction firm – was recently featured in The New York Times Home section.The New York Times article, written by Penelope Green, describes the three houses, which share a single Boulder lot in the West Pearl neighborhood, as having “a Case Study House feel about them, with their flat roofs, open-plan living areas and glassy expanses. Since the 9,800-square-foot lot was zoned for a 50 percent floor-area ratio, Mr. Sands (Hammerwell) and Mr. Meade (Arch11) had 4,900-square-feet to divvy up among the three houses. They carved out space underneath the lot to create three two-car garages and room for storage and mechanical equipment, which, since they were underground, were not included in the floor-area calculus.”
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