Jim Walton
Inspiration for a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
Design ideas for a large traditional full sun backyard stone garden path in Miami.

Jim Walton
Inspiration for a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun front yard outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

European Pavers Southwest
Design ideas for a modern full sun backyard brick outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Phoenix.

Jim Walton
Inspiration for a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Designed and built by MAADKreatif™ Studio, this home in Northern Colorado is an on-going conversation with the wild, expansive, and awe-inspiring nature just outside its door. Standing at over 6800 feet above sea level on a 40-acre property bordering more than 650,000 acres of forest land and the Rocky Mountain wilderness, Marc Gerritsen, principal architect of MAADKreatif™, had to contend with wind factor exceeding 150 miles per hour, massive snow loads, extreme danger of wild fires, water shortage, dry climate, and intense year round sun exposure in designing the sprawling headquarters. “Instead of dictating, acquiescing or adapting to Mother Nature, I engage her in a friendly banter”, Marc says with a smile. “We designed and engineered the main building to withstand extreme conditions, but nature had plenty to say in regards to the location, form, orientation, and cladding of the massive structure. “Although we have 40-acres of land to work with, much of it is too steep, exposed, or impenetrable to build on” Marc continues, “the building stands on the only location where we could carve out a large enough area without inflicting too much damage on the land. As it happens, it is also the best location we could hope for. From this location, we have a Southwest orientation that gives the building the optimum amount of sun exposure in the winter, protection from the strong easterly wind, access to water, and a vast, un-interrupted views of the bright city lights, vast plains and the majestic snow-capped mountains”. The building’s frontage features two sets of 24 feet long panoramic windows to take it all in, and its slightly sloped roofline allows high wind to glide over the building and sends melted snow into a 1800 gallon underground concrete cistern. And, to protect the building from wild fires, the entire structure is cladded in raw steel. Exposure to the sun, wind, rain, and snow has begun to corrode the raw metal and transformed its cold, polished, steely surface into a warm, rusty patina that will continue to darken overtime while the extremely low humidity in the air will stop the rusted steel from withering away. And so, the friendly banter between man and nature continues. “Our home embodies the philosophy of Resilient Design + Living,” said Adria Lake, “it is built to last and thrive in any condition, not by force or concessions, but through an on-going conversation and collaboration with nature.”

Jim Walton
Photo of a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
This is an example of a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
Photo of a large traditional full sun backyard stone garden path in Miami.

Jim Walton
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary full sun front yard outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Photo of a full sun courtyard stone water fountain landscape in Jackson.

Jim Walton
Photo of a large traditional full sun backyard stone garden path in Miami.

Believe it or not, this award-winning home began as a speculative project. Typically speculative projects involve a rather generic design that would appeal to many in a style that might be loved by the masses. But the project’s developer loved modern architecture and his personal residence was the first project designed by architect C.P. Drewett when Drewett Works launched in 2001. Together, the architect and developer envisioned a fictitious art collector who would one day purchase this stunning piece of desert modern architecture to showcase their magnificent collection. The primary views from the site were southwest. Therefore, protecting the interior spaces from the southwest sun while making the primary views available was the greatest challenge. The views were very calculated and carefully managed. Every room needed to not only capture the vistas of the surrounding desert, but also provide viewing spaces for the potential collection to be housed within its walls. The core of the material palette is utilitarian including exposed masonry and locally quarried cantera stone. An organic nature was added to the project through millwork selections including walnut and red gum veneers. The eventual owners saw immediately that this could indeed become a home for them as well as their magnificent collection, of which pieces are loaned out to museums around the world. Their decision to purchase the home was based on the dimensions of one particular wall in the dining room which was EXACTLY large enough for one particular painting not yet displayed due to its size. The owners and this home were, as the saying goes, a perfect match! Project Details | Desert Modern for the Magnificent Collection, Estancia, Scottsdale, AZ Architecture: C.P. Drewett, Jr., AIA, NCARB | Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ Builder: Shannon Construction | Phoenix, AZ Interior Selections: Janet Bilotti, NCIDQ, ASID | Naples, FL Custom Millwork: Linear Fine Woodworking | Scottsdale, AZ Photography: Dino Tonn | Scottsdale, AZ Awards: 2014 Gold Nugget Award of Merit Feature Article: Luxe. Interiors and Design. Winter 2015, “Lofty Exposure”

Inspiration for a full sun courtyard stone pond in Jackson.

Jim Walton
Photo of a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
This is an example of a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.

Jim Walton
This is an example of a large traditional full sun backyard stone garden path in Miami.

Jim Walton
Design ideas for a large tropical partial sun backyard concrete paver outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Miami.