colorado - Kogan Builders

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DESIGN DICHOTOMY
WRITTEN BY
BRIAN LIBBY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
LIKE
CHRIS GILES
S PA N I S H
H AC I E N DA S
IN
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
OR
C A P E C O D C O T TA G E S I N N E W E N G L A N D , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N
LODGES
REPRESENT
THE
ESSENCE
OF
REGIONAL
STYLE.
But Alix Kogan, owner of Kogan Builders in Durango, has noticed an accompanying trend. “In the last five years, there’s been a move to a more contemporary
mountain expression,” he says. “It’s a mix of streamlined materials, clean trim
and lots of glass, along with some more rustic elements.”
The stone-and-glass house nestled on a small plateau near Durango that Kogan
and company designed and built for a retiring dean of engineering suits this
theory to a tee, quite literally. Overlooking a valley where elk migrate past and
wild turkey roam, the house extends outward with a T-shaped form—the best
way for the design team to maximize the 270-degree lake-and-mountain
panoramas. “The big thing was to capture the views,” the homeowner says.
“Originally I wanted to build something curving around the profile of the hill.
But, when push came to shove, it just didn’t work.”
ARCHITECTURE Alix Kogan, Kogan Builders, Inc.
HOME BUILDER Alix Kogan, Kogan Builders, Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Chris Loftus, Loftus Landscape
Studio, and David Schultz, Azteca Landscape, Inc.
BEDROOMS 3
BATHROOMS 4
SQUARE FEET 4,600
STYLE SELECTION
Designed by Mannelli & Co. for Stone
International, this leather-upholstered
chair is offered in an array of cover
options and available through Charles
Eisen & Associates in Denver. 0757, price
available upon request; stoneinternational.it
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 229
The house was also designed with an inside-out feel in mind, taking advantage
of southern Colorado’s mild climate with a covered outdoor living room surrounding a tall fireplace. “It’s not something I particularly asked for, but the way
the house is laid out, it became a perfect place for it,” the homeowner adds.
“Now, I do have to say that I love it.”
Coincidentally, the client was overseeing the design and construction of a highly
energy efficient LEED-rated university building at the time his own house was
being built, so the latter became a proving ground for some of the same sustainable
principles. Thanks to ample insulation, solar panels, an Energy Recovery
Ventilation system, heat pumps, water conservation products and other
design elements, it meets the most stringent Built Green Colorado standards
and is about 44 percent more energy efficient than a house built to code.
The home’s most architecturally dramatic space is its double-height great room
in the back, which takes advantage of floor-to-ceiling glass to accentuate views
of the landscape. Because it’s tilted slightly outward, the glass façade takes a
STYLE FUSION
The house rests on a mountain plateau with views
extending to a valley and lake below. Loewen windows
and glass doors allow the panoramas to penetrate
the great room, and they lend a modern contrast
to the rustic masonry. The stone for the façade was
quarried from a local mine in Telluride by Telluride
Stone Company.
EAT MODERNE
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 230
jewel-like form when viewed from outside. Inside, the canted glass makes the
panorama seem to go on forever. Large overhangs off the great room, supported
by slanted columns running parallel to the glass, help reduce glare and are outfitted with photovoltaic solar panels.
In the kitchen, an iridescent glass-tile backsplash from Tile Art of Durango shimmers
against cherrywood cabinetry from Aspen
Design Studio in Durango. Appliances by Sirius,
LG, KitchenAid, Sharp and Dacor, purchased
at Appliances, Kitchens, Jacuzzi & More in
Farmington, New Mexico, give the space all
the modern conveniences the owner needs.
The great room interior is also clad in the same locally quarried stone as the
exterior, continuing the inside-outside theme as well as the mountain lodge
feel. Ceilings are covered in select pine and floors in distressed white oak. Yet
contemporary elements, from an iridescent glass-tile backsplash to exposed
portions of the steel-frame structure, add modern yin to the mountain lodge
yang. Most dramatic may be a floating staircase situated against a glass wall.
ROUGH HEWN
An Access Lighting chandelier and Altura Furniture
chairs with Marvic fabric from Town in Denver continue
the rough-refined dialogue in the dining area with a custom
wood table fabricated by Gardner Woodwork in Durango.
The same dry-stacked stone from the exterior repeats
inside to underscore the indoor-outdoor relationship, and
distressed white oak from Cooperative Hardwood Flooring
in Durango runs underfoot.
SOLAR POWER
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 232
“It was designed to keep a floating effect so you could look through the staircase to the views beyond,” Kogan says.
The great room’s fireplace chimney
pierces through the rusty-metal standing
seam roof. Large overhangs supported
by slanted timber columns shelter the
great room from summertime sun while
providing space for photovoltaic solar
panels from Suntech in San Francisco.
In close collaboration with the owner, Kogan oversaw the entire project, including
custom cabinetry and even furniture, enabling a true synthesis of the creative
process. In the master bedroom, for example, a platform bed with a custom headboard and floating nightstands answers to the owner’s vision. Kogan designed an
alcove around the bed to emphasize its presence.
The design segregates the home into public and private spaces. While the
ground floor is mostly occupied by the common areas—a great room, dining
room and kitchen—the master suite provides a retreat that feels Zen-inspired in
HOT SEAT
A setting of wicker furniture creates an outdoor living
room off the dining room, anchored by an area
rug from Oohs & Aahs in Durango. A wood-burning
fireplace from Four Corners Stoves and Spas in
Durango gives the space cozy warmth. With the
loggia enclosed on three sides, guests can enjoy
the view while being protected from the elements.
SPA TREATMENT
To foster a spa-like feel in the master bath,
travertine climbs the walls and forms a surround
around a Kohler tub and Moen faucet. Alix Kogan
and his team fabricated and installed the teak
bench; the glass shower enclosure is from Pine
River Glass in Bayfield.
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 234
its comfort and spa-like in its materials. To this end, the master bath is clad in
travertine and features a teak shower bench and heated towel rack.
“I think the intent was always to have a warm mountain-contemporary
home,” Kogan says. “You tend to mimic some of the traditional form, but it’s
articulated in a cleaner way. We had a lot of back and forth and collaboratively
came up with the particular look and feel. It’s about taking all those different
images in your mind and incorporating that into a program specific for client
and site. That’s our passion.” L
AT REST
An alcove frames the custom-designed bed
fabricated by Gardner Woodwork in the master
bedroom. An Egg & Dart chair from the Denver
Design District offers a comfortable spot for
repose. The carpet, from Quality House Interiors in
Durango, is Green Label Plus with a Green Label
pad approved by the American Lung Association.
Hunter Douglas draperies open to reveal the view.
KOGAN BUILDERS, INC.
110 West 11th Street
Durango, CO 81301
PHONE 970.259.0195
ALIX@KOGANBUILDERS.COM
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Content for this brochure has been reprinted and/or repurposed from Luxe Interiors + Design™ magazine with the express permission of its publisher. © 2011 Sandow Media Corporation. All rights reserved.