Remodeling an entire home may seem ambitious and expensive in the current real estate market. With mortgage rates still hovering near record lows and a tax credit of up to $8,000 available to first-time homebuyers, it might seem like the right time to walk away from the fixer-upper and buy something new. But before getting swept up in the buy-now bustle, consider a few of the reasons why the older home might hold rewarding potential.
For Rex Heibi, those reasons were obvious. His fishing cabin west of Lyons rested along side the St. Vrain River in a beautiful canyon setting full of pines and potential. He envisioned the property as the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors, entertain friends and raise a family in the ambient bliss of nature. The cabin was built in 1987 and was only 1,120 square feet. In 2006 Heibi launched remodeling and expansion plans. During the renovation Rex married his girlfriend, Heather, who shared his vision and also worked diligently on what would be their new home of more than 3,300 square feet.
Terra Verde Architects of Boulder was selected to oversee the design and construction, which would later draw accolades from the remodeling industry. The project was honored in the Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence in the Whole House category.
Charlotte Grojean, who was one of the three principal architects at Terra Verde, worked on the project. Grojean, who has since launched her own firm, Wildgrass Architecture in Boulder, said the project posed some specific challenges. “This site was particularly difficult due to many physical restraints,” she explains. “But Rex and Heather were exceptional clients for this project. Their steadfast commitment and willingness to consider alternative options as obstacles arose was met with genuine enthusiasm.”
Several obstacles did arise. The property was divided by the river and the cabin was near the flood zone. The bridge over the river needed to be rebuilt to mitigate for flooding, the septic field had to be on the same narrow piece of land as the house and there was a steep rocky cliff next to the cabin.
Boulder County also has stringent planning requirements to protect wildlife and water quality in sensitive ecological areas. “There were 13 major objections and many minor roadblocks to be navigated,” says Mark Queripel, founder and principal of Terra Verde Architects. “But over time and with a little creativity, we were able to overcome all the county’s concerns and still achieve the owners’ desires.”
At the initial meetings with the Heibi’s, the architects asked questions to help focus their planning. Like most projects, Queripel says they asked about architectural design preferences, the homeowners’ lifestyle and goals, budget parameters, the function of each space and if the possibility existed that rooms might be changed in the future to serve a different need?
With some direction, plans were drawn up and the real work began. At Terra Verde, one of the principals oversees the project from start to finish, but all principals provide input on major issues.
“Usually we try to come up with a minimum of two to three concepts,” says Queripel. “We show them to the clients and based on their feedback we may combine some aspects of the plans or completely redo the drawings if the first ones don’t work.”
For the Heibi’s and most other clients who want to tackle an entire house remodel, Terra Verde believes it is important to start with the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the house. For the Heibi’s they wanted their living space to be an engaging atmosphere where they could entertain guests and raise a family.
To accommodate this lifestyle, Terra Verde wanted the kitchen to open up into the great room. They decided to add on a second story to the cabin and build the great room into the granite cliff to avoid the flood zone.
Although the original fishing cabin was, as Grojean describes it – small, dark and uninspiring, there was still a desire for the newly renovated home to maintain some of the same rustic qualities. The finished product was more than an award-winning project – it was a family-friendly home built to meet the needs of people who appreciate nature.
