Skycastle Construction & Rodwin Architecture were recently featured in an interview with CNTV, with in-depth questions on the firm’s philosophy and capabilities. Check out the full interview here.
Art Box
The Challenge: How Green Building Passed the Tipping Point
Creating a physical environment that supports life instead of destroying it – what tougher and more important problem could we choose to tackle? For a long time, we were pushing a boulder up a hill, but now we have passed the tipping point…it is unstoppable [read more].
Coco's Art Box
This unique remodel and addition is for a one-of-a-kind client. Coco is a prolific artist with an eclectic, exuberant, rebellious and decidedly quirky approach to life, art and architecture. Perhaps more than any project we’ve ever done, this house truly embodies our client’s personality and mission. The Art Box is a tall, sunny, versatile loft, with funky windows punched in seemingly random patterns to create surprising and delightful views. {Read More}
“It is a living-sculpture dream come true!”
– Coco
Re-building after the Flood
Home and Hood Magazine – Rebuilding after the flood. Huy Lam dug his shovel into the deep sand and continued to excavate the buried play-structure in what used to be his family’s back yard. Twenty feet away, the creek that used to be on one side of the house now flowed swiftly down the other. When the stream moved, it dumped hundreds of tons of sand and rock all over his property and it tore away a good chunk of the house.
“I’m not sure what comes next. It all depends on what the County decides to do with the creek”, Huy said between shovels.
For six months from the time of the flood, the County is allowing flood victims to bypass the daunting Site Plan Review process (as long as the re-constructed house is the same size as the original), but all new construction must still meet all local building codes. The green building codes are some of the most rigorous in the Country, and many of the older homes that were damaged will require a substantial upgrade to their envelope and mechanical systems in order to meet them.
The Lams have a long way to go before they can get back into their home: County reviews; navigating insurance and mortgage requirements; figuring out how to best rebuild with the insurance settlement; getting a building permit; re-building the house; moving back in; and perhaps most important of all, repairing the land that made them want to live in this beautiful, but (every 500 years) dangerous place in the first place.
We are currently assisting them to reconstruct their home to begin living after the flood.
Understanding the Rules for Building Homes in Boulder
We offer this workshop and has excellent feedback so we’ve been asked to bring it back for a repeat performance. Want to know what you are allowed to do with a property? Scott Rodwin and Kirsten Snobeck will be presenting this fast-paced and essential class through the Boulder Area Realtor’s Association. It is an overview of all the rules for City and County – the Compatible Development Ordinance, Greenpoints, Solar Shadow rules, Ignition-resistant construction rules, the County Site Plan Review process, Buildsmart, EnergySmart and a brief overview of the cost of construction and current building codes. The rules are complex, rigorous and constantly changing. Get all the latest information so you can speak with confidence when clients ask you what they are allowed to do with a property.
BARA (Boulder Area Realtor Association)
We have had a very positive and long-standing relationship with Boulder Area Realtors, which recently culminated in our complete remodel of their new association headquarters. We provided full design/build services for their 10,000s.f. building. BARA sought to dramatically transform the dysfunctional and dated existing building into one that was professional, inviting, and green. It had to accurately express their brand, support their mission, and do it cost-effectively and quickly.