Meet Our Team – Ivan Gonzalez

Howdy, I am Ivan Gonzalez, Project Manager at TAB Associates since 2016. I began life in the metropolitan mountainous city of Monterrey, Mexico and had the privilege of being raised in The Lone Star State, Texas. After attending Texas A&M University and graduating with a Bachelors of Environmental Design, I spent some time working with a medium sized commercial architecture firm in Houston.

An opportunity for a lifestyle change presented itself and I jumped on it like a dog on a bone! I have been in the Valley a few months shy of two years and have been loving it! Being able to learn and contribute to the growth of the valley has been an incredible experience and I feel very fortunate to be working with committed, talented and imaginative minds (both in our office and the teams we collaborate with). Since moving to Colorado I have been enjoying this thing people around here call “snow”, as well as trying to indulge in the lush Colorado forests by way of camping and hiking. During college I got to experience living in Barcelona and got acquainted with several other European countries and cultures, and ever since then I try to keep traveling to new cities and places (foreign and within the US) to continue expanding my knowledge of other cultures and the human interaction across the world.

Since working at TAB Associates I have been able to work on different building types that have greatly contributed to my building construction experience. Upon first arriving at TAB I helped work on some Wendy’s restaurants located in the greater Denver area as well working in construction administration for the remodels of some of the Roaring Fork’s middle and elementary schools and the relocation of ECSD Transportation and I.T. departments in Gypsum. In addition to this I have also worked on a small, off-the-grid cabin near Piney Lake in Vail. Most recently my time has been going into the Red Sandstone Parking Garage that will be opening for the Town of Vail at the end of the year. It is an exciting time to be working at TAB with a variety of project types and clients we are working on, it is extremely exciting to be able to contribute to the development, growth and physical change of the Eagle Valley. Stop on by and say “Hi!” anytime!

 

 

Meet Our Team – James McDonough

Valerie and I moved from Crystal Lake, Illinois to Eagle, Colorado in 2015.  We came to be closer to our kids. We came to ditch the untenable economy of Illinois. We came without jobs and took time off to explore our new world. We came to get away from urban stress. We came to the mountains.

And we love it here.

I didn’t work for the first year I was here.  I had never taken that much time off, but I fought through the guilt and golfed, fished, babysat my granddaughter and just putzed around the house.  It was great.  In the fall of 2016, I was invited to play golf with a group of guys who I mostly didn’t know.  On our way over Cottonwood Pass the driver, Patrick, pipes up … “so James” he askes “ what do you do?”

“Well I don’t do anything,” (Yea, a smart-ass reply because that was what I was doing then)

“OK, what did you used to do?” Patrick persists.

“I’m an architect” I replied, “I designed and built schools in Illinois for 25 years”

“You have to meet Tab Bonidy! He’s got the Eagle schools”

And so I did.  I met Tab and Greg and started at TAB Associates in December of 2016.  Who would of thunk it?  We quit our jobs, sold our house, picked up all our toys and moved to this incredible place, and I land a job doing what I built my career from and love.  Designing and building schools. Go figure.

In Illinois, I helped Boards of Education and School Administrators through needs analysis, visioning, programing, budgeting and successful community referendums.  From there, I led architectural teams through design and construction of school projects.  At TAB, I provide construction administration for the projects while they are being built;  In the trenches, working with the district and contractors answering questions, reviewing products and helping make the myriad of decisions, big and little, that go into the complex, multi-use and very public building called a school.  It’s the greatest.

Thinking back, there are a lot of favorites:

Niles Township High School: A STEM Lab before STEM Labs were popular

 

Woodstock SD 200: Bringing a second HS to a small town.

 

Wauconda SD 118: The first theater in the community.

Mundelein HSD 120: I must have spent at least 15 years to finally get an addition to their High School.

Now I’m here.  Building the new schools on 3rd street where my grandchildren may attend.  Very exciting.

Valerie and I love living and working in this valley.  We golf, bowl, hike, fish, camp and try to take advantage of all the high country has to offer.  We’ve made new friends and are building new relationships.

Meet Our Team – Rachel Hill

Hello, I am Rachel Hill a Project Manager at TAB Associates.  I have been with the company for a year and a half and adventuring in Colorado for the past five years.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. After I graduated I started working for a local non-profit on the Mississippi Gulf Coast teaching under privileged women general construction and trades skills. This experience helped me gain hands on experience with the construction process as well as onsite architectural detailing. It was this unique experience that helped shape me into a well-rounded designer. I am currently LEED Green Associate certified while I am also working towards completing my architecture licensure exams.

I enjoy working on a variety of different architypes throughout my career, which has created a wide range in my design background with a concentration in hospitality and multifamily design in resort communities. I have been a key design team member on numerous resort villages, hotels, condominiums, retail stores, and restaurants. While at TAB Associates I have been focusing on K-12 educational architecture in the High Rockies of Colorado. Most recently, I lead the project team as we wrapped up the design phases for an extensive renovation and addition at Red Sandstone Elementary School (Vail, CO) and will continue to watch the project take shape as it heads into construction. What I find so unique about educational architecture is how rewarding and personal the experience feels. The students, faculty, and staff are so enthralled and excited about the entire experience that their energy really has a way of inserting itself into the design. My attention to detail and organization skills make me an asset to any team especially in the later phases of design and throughout construction. However, it’s really in the conceptual stages of design that I enjoy watching an idea take shape and form into the building it will become.

While not at the office, I enjoy traveling and getting out to explore the wonderful opportunities that living in Colorado provides. While I moved to the Colorado mountains for the winter activities, summer is my favorite Colorado season. My hobbies include hiking, kayaking, skiing, yoga, painting, and eating quesadillas. And you can always find me cheering on my Mississippi State Bulldogs, Hail State!

How to Choose the Right Window Treatments for Your Home

choose window treatments

In general, the homes we design are done so with no window coverings in the main rooms of the home.  We believe the outside environment should be brought inside and that God provides the art, en plein air art, if I may.

But for those rooms which need window coverings, you have so many choices when it comes to window treatments for your home! Rather than letting that overwhelm or confuse you, there are simple and effective ways to narrow down your choices and add much to your home’s décor and functionality through window treatments. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when you’re deciding on window treatments.

Style of Home

Think about the style of your home when thinking about what window treatments would be best for your home. For example, if your home is modern and sleek, you might choose something different than the window treatments in a home that’s traditional and country style.  You may want window coverings that are automated and motorized.  For your best and most satisfying results, work with architects who can help to streamline this process and narrow down your options.

Color of Décor

The color you typically use in your décor, your color scheme, will likely help to steer you toward the type of window treatments that are suited to your home. For example, you might choose a different window treatment if you want bold patterns than if you are using light, subtle and solid colors.

Functionality

What window treatments you choose to use will vary based on functionality, such as if you need window treatments to block out light, provide privacy and just add a special design accent to the room.

Budgetary Needs

You likely have a budget for your decorating and design, including window treatments. First, consider what budget you have to work within when deciding what window treatments would be possibilities for you. There are a surprising number of choices in a pretty wide price range.

With these tips in mind, you’ll likely be more certain about the best window treatments for you. And if you need further assistance with design, call us at TAB Associates, Inc. today to learn how we can design the home of your dreams!

Meet Our Team – Warner Hopkins

My name is Warner Hopkins, Project Manager at TAB Associates with the third installation. I was born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley, attended CU Boulder, and graduated in 2005. All my life I knew I wanted to continue living in the mountains of Colorado and the Vail Valley was a perfect fit, nestled between where I grew up and cities of the Front Range. Last winter my wife and I welcomed our beautiful baby girl into our small family and most of the past year has been spent enjoying all the joy she brings to our lives. We have put down roots in this community and are looking forward to the coming years.

When I was little we had a class project where we had a map of a large plot of land along a river and we had to lay out homesites along the river and surrounding hills. Over the course of this project I realized what I wanted to be when I grew up. In the summers of high school and college I worked at a local Construction Company, this helped pay for my tuition while also giving me a strong background in how things actually go together. While I had always been able to read maps and understand directions, seeing how all the lines on the paper came together to create a home was experience I will never forget.

In the past few years the main focus of the office has been on the commercial side of the business and this has been a personal learning experience, as up until a few years ago I had been primarily focused on the residential side. One moment I chuckle at was when I realized we had been awarded the project and were about to start work on my old Elementary, Middle, and High Schools back in the Roaring Fork Valley. While circumstances didn’t allow major participation in those projects, I was able to help periodically. With this and all the school work I have done in the past few years, I have a feeling of my story coming full circle with helping to create a learning space for the next generation in the same environment in which I realized what I wanted to be when I grew up. Perhaps we have helped them realize their dreams.