K2 Ranch in the Works

Over the past few months our team has been working with an incredible family to design their LEED certified family home in Aspen, Colorado. They selected a site with tremendous views, open space and an inspiring history. The design encompasses family entertaining space, expansive outdoor living areas, clean, contemporary architecture and abundant light.

We look forward to seeing this project through to completion and sharing this with you. We extend our thanks to our clients who inspire us everyday!

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A Peak Inside Giorgio Armani’s Saint Moritz Retreat

A world away from the hustle and bustle of Saint Moritz, Giorgio Armani finds his alpine retreat. Melding a 17th century architectural façade with far more cosmopolitan interiors creates a sense of history and formal grace. Polished mahogany planks are combined with pops of orange and red, minimally furnished with Armani/Casa sofas, chairs and lighting. His own team designed the spaces with perfection in detail. “As a rule the qualities that appeal to me most in Asian style are its precise lines, pure aesthetic, geometric shapes, and wealth of exquisite detailing,” Armani told Architectural Digest, who referenced kimonos and mother-of-pearl in two recent runway  collections.

Photo via Architectural Digest

Photo via Architectural Digest

Photo via Architectural Digest

You can swing by his home in La Punt, Chesa Orso Bianco or simply visit the recent article in Architectural Digest: www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2012/03/giorgio-armani-home-switzerland-slideshow#slide=1

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Guess How Fast The Fastest Elevator Travels?

As skyscrapers get taller, the need for faster elevators becomes more prevalent. The record for the world’s fastest elevator currently rests with the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It can travel at top ascending speeds of 10 meters per second, or 36 kilometers per hour.

Mitsubishi Electric plans to beat that record with their latest design for the Gensler’s Shanghai Tower set to be completed in 2014. The Shanghai Tower will stand at 2,073-foot and become the world’s 2nd tallest building, after the Burj Khalifa.

Photo via Architect Magazine

“In response to the increasing height of high-rise buildings amid continuing urban population growth, the role of elevators is gaining even greater importance,” the Japanese company said in a statement. “In response, Mitsubishi Electric is developing advanced solutions incorporating technologies and equipment for enhanced drive and controllability, safety, super high-rise cable mechanics and passenger comfort.”

Photo via Mitsubishi Electric.

Mitsubishi’s state-of-the-art “bullet elevator” will be able to travel at record-breaking speeds of 40 miles per hour, or about 1,080 meters (3,543 feet) per minute. Sounds more like a roller coaster than an elevator. But occupants of the Shanghai Tower should have nothing to fear, Mitsubishi claims that the air pressure inside the elevator will be controlled to eliminate discomfort such as popping of the ears.

To read more about this record-breaking elevator visit www.architectmagazine.com.

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The World of Architecture Right At Your Fingertips

With the popularity of Apple’s iPad and iPhone it isn’t surprising that there is an app for pretty much anything you can think of. From tools on measuring square footage to picking out paint colors, an iPhone or iPad user has everything they need right at their fingertips.

Now there are apps that appeal to architects and designers alike.  The New York Times recently highlighted several of iPhone and iPad apps that focus on “specific works of architecture, like Richard Neutra’s VDL Studio and Residences, Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House #22 and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.”

Timothy Sakamoto, founder of in-D media, recently told the New York Times “I think the ideal platform is a mobile app: it gives you intimacy, a connection. You interact with it more like a book, but it comes with advantages that you just don’t have with books, like being able to watch video or take an interactive tour.”

These types of apps are running anywhere from $5 to $10 at the iTunes store. Do you think apps are an “ideal platform” for architecture?

To read more visit mobile.nytimes.com.

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Have you checked out Luxe Colorado’s Directory?

Partnering with Luxe Colorado has been a great venture for Charles Cunniffe Architects. The magazine offers a directory for all fascets of home design. It is literally a  wealth of resources right at your fingertips.

Look for us under Architects in Colorado. Click through to see a portfolio of images and learn more about our award winning firm.

To see our profile on Luxe Colorado visit: www.luxesource.com/profile/charles-cunniffe-architects

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Charles Cunniffe featured in Western Home Journal

After winning the American Institute of Architects Community Service by an Architect award for the Colorado West region, Western Mountain Journal sat down with Charles to “speak about his views on the importance of community service and to discuss why this work inspires him.”

WMJ: Why is community service important to you?

Charles Cunniffe: Aspen and Telluride are our home and our base. We have been given a lot of opportunities here both personally and professionally. I see it as both paying back and paying forward. There are great deserving populations that because of circumstances need help. With time, money, and a personal commitment we can make a difference in their lives. We will donate or provide services to almost any worthy cause.

WMJ: Has your work on these community projects in any way changed you or your approach to design?

Charles Cunniffe: Certainly. It has broadened our perspective, and we have different motivations. It provided us a more balanced view of the life in our community. We have enjoyed partnering with the community and that has enhanced our ability to collaborate and given us greater awareness of the value of everyone’s contribution—the whole of a group offers much more than one individual. There have been so many satisfying moments like seeing people enjoying facilities and creating healthier organizations, which have provided great meaning and a sense of fulfillment. The work has been a reward in itself.

To read more on Charles’ interview with Western Mountain Journal please visit: westernhomejournal.com/2012/02/honored-for-inspired-community-service.

On the cover, our 389 Ridge Road project in Aspen.

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