admintabassociates, Author at TAB Associates Blog

An Interview With Tab Bonidy

colorado architects, vail architects — Tab Bonidy, owner of TAB Associates, Inc. Source: TabAssociates.com

We had a chance to interview Tab Bonidy, owner of the Colorado architecture firm, TAB Associates, Inc. and ask him a few questions about his history with architecture and where he thinks the future of the industry is heading. Take a look:

What made you want to become an architect?
I wanted to become an architect since I was 10 years old. I had a private art teacher when I was ten and I designed a home. Ever since then, that is all I wanted to do.

What goes on a day-to-day basis in an architect’s life?
Working on projects is the day to day business. Also, trying to find more work these days is quite important.

What is your favorite aspect about being an architect?
The creative side of solving a client’s desires is my favorite aspect of being an architect. So I would say it is Conceptual Design which is the beginning of a project, although I very much enjoy detailing a project which comes towards the end.

What is your favorite structure/building/piece of architecture and why?
I guess I would say log homes because of their difficulty, but really anything complex, even like a complex steel structure is fun to design.

What is your most memorable piece of architecture that you have personally worked on?
I would have to say either the Cook Residence, the Catlin Residence or the Thomas Residence. They were all challenging sites which is where our job starts and they were all great clients to work for and with together.

What’s your favorite thing about being a business owner?
I would have to say that getting to do things my way. Also, providing a great place to work is very important.

What makes TAB Associates successful?
I believe it is because we really listen to our clients desires. We put our ego aside and design for our clients. We start with a good program and design the concept on the site with all of its amenities right in front of us. We make the process fun for our clients and they are a part of every step of the way. In this way, they know exactly why things are the way they turn out because they are an integral part of the process.

Where do you see the architecture industry heading in the next 5 years?
I can only hope it will get more busy, but that will take a major change in Washington DC. We need to restore our Country back to being a prosperous nation. This will take some deregulation and us becoming energy independent.

Source: Tab Associates

Inside Scoop: How Do Rooms Get Their Names?

Have you ever wondered about how the rooms in your home received their name? To help you understand, we have broken down the meaning of the most popular rooms and where they get their name from in a recent post we published on the DCD Home website. Check it out for yourself:

What is in a name anyway? Great Room, the most misused room name today. A BIG Living Room is not a Great Room. It may be a GREAT room, but unless the Kitchen and Dining are part of the same space, it is just a plain old Living Room, maybe large nonetheless.

Colloquial terms are head scratchers too. In Florida, a room that started as a screened porch, then got jalousie windows, then finally awning windows was a Florida Room. It is just a renovated closed-in screen porch. And the screen porch here in Colorado is a Lanai. I think it is a Hawaiian name?!

The room next to the Kitchen, the one with the couch. No, not the Living Room. The less formal one. Some places it is a Family Room. Oh, not here in Colorado, it has a fireplace, so it must be the Hearth Room.

We once got a project from a developer, a lot in Beaver Creek, that had a set of design drawings with it. We threw them away, but in these drawings there was a foyer, then a hall named the Antebellum, then a cross axis hall. What in the hell is an Antebellum? We looked it up. It means “before the Civil War”. I guess it was a very OLD hall?! Why not Grand Hall? No, ‘Hall’ is negative, “that house has a lot of halls.” Wasted space. So we rename halls to friendly names, like Gallery. Yes, that is where we find art or sometimes just windows with plein art. Art is cultural. Culture is good. Gallery is good.

Office, Study, Library. Which is it? Can not be a Library unless it has lots of shelves and books. Lots of books. Is it a Study? What are we studying? It is probably an Office. But just part time.

Breakfast Nook? Is it really a nook? You can get six people and a turkey in there.

Mud Room. If you bring mud in there, Mom will whip your butt! Take your boots off in the Garage.

Awwww…. Powder Room. Not since the 80’s. It is not a half bath either. It has no bath, let alone a half of one. What should we call it? The Crapper? John D. was not fond of that one.

We need a Colorado Room. What do you think? A large dark room, with a nice bar, a pool table and a lot of dead animal heads on the walls, cigar smoke, and tequila. I like it. Feel free to use it. Or make up any other names that come to mind. We do, but we keep it in this century.

If you are looking to redesign your home or one of your rooms, please contact us at TAB Associates, Inc. We can be reached at 970-748-1470!

Architect 101: When to Call It Quits

When hiring an architect, you are hiring someone to come in and design your personal property to your liking. However, sometimes it just does not workout to your liking. That is when you may be thinking about relieving them of their duties. But when is the right time to do so? We are here to help and let you know when to call it quits on an architect.

Check out our published post on when to fire your architect that was published on the DCD Home website:

We have had a few clients who came to us after they fired their Architect. One client actually fired three different Architects before coming to us. They all live happily in their new homes in various gated communities in our beautiful valley. They have had various reasons, but the most common reason is the previous Architect’s inability to listen to their desires.

Architects need to keep their clients involved in every phase of a project. Starting with a proper analysis of the site, the client’s program needs to be developed primarily from client input. Program relationships follow suit here. The client’s involvement is most important during the conceptual design phase. A great concept with the full involvement goes a long way to a client’s embrace of the final results. An Architect who designs in a vacuum has done himself and his client a grave injustice. We say, “An Architect’s worst enemy is his ego”. Give up the ego and gain a satisfied client.

We, as Architects, are destined to provide our clients with professional expertise and design competence to fulfill their program requirements. A combination of art and science, sculpture and technical resolve, form the relationship of the Architect’s challenge to structure and site. Architecture is unlike the practice of medicine or law, because most people have a strong sense of what they like or dislike. Everyone has been in or seen a building they fancy. Few know the best medicine for their ailment or the most practical means of resolution to their legal woes.

Should I fire my Client?

Attentive clients are great. Those that share the enthusiasm we do make the process fun. This is an experience that takes at least five months in design and up to a year and a half or more in construction. The net result is a project that everyone can enjoy.

We have had to fire a few clients. One contracted for one size home and programmed a larger home. When informed their program exceeded their contractual size, they suggested we continue and see how it works out. When the completed home’s design exceeded the contractual amount, they would not pay the increased fees for the increased size.

Another case consisted of a client that was consistently absent minded of previous discussions. It made the process hell. The Project Manager was either contemplating suicide or murder. Life is too short to deal with people with no scruples.

Are Contractors good or evil?

We say Contractor make us look good. Sure we have to draw the right lines on the paper, but they are just lines. The constructed environment is far more difficult. Protocol in the office is if a Contractor calls with a question, stop what you are doing and help him solve his problem. We consider the Contractor an integral part of our team, Client, Architect and Contractor. Together we can make something great. The day of the Change Order Contractor is basically gone. Everything has value and someone is going to gain from it. Mistakes are inevitable, but the finesse of corrections is substantial.

Should I have fun?

Speaking of life being too short, if we are not having fun, doing what we do, then we stop! Architecture is a passion, far beyond a profession. It is in our brains, heart and soul. We get excited about the process and revel in the results.

Are we having fun yet?

Hell, yes. Come join us! It is how it should be!

If you’re looking to bring on a highly skilled architecture firm, contact us at TAB Associates, Inc. today.

TAB Additions & Renovations: Eagle River Presbyterian Church

Vail architects provide a variety of services to clients, from complete designs to renovations on residential and commercial property. Another part of the field that Vail architects have entered is working with organizations, providing construction, labor and materials that are in need for repairs, remodeling, or renovations.

A successful project involved the Eagle River Presbyterian Church. Renovations and additions were provided through the efforts of TAB Associates, Inc.

The construction and upgrades provided by TAB were designed to increase floorspace and update specific church areas. Changes included expanding the sanctuary, upgrading classrooms and office space and designing a new fellowship hall to include a larger kitchen. The fellowship hall and sanctuary have views of the Eagle River from the newly installed patio.

The addition of 11,000 square feet allows the church to expand and welcome new church members, provide additional room for Sunday services, and allows them to be available to serve as a venue for events such as weddings, christenings and group meetings. The Eagle River Presbyterian Church also serves as an office and home for Habitat for Humanity for Eagle County.

With foresight, vision and the client’s specific wants, needs and goals always in sight, TAB Associates, Inc. leads the way in design services that produce positive results for its clients and the community.

Explore the Latest Innovative Shower Fixtures from Kohler

With TAB Associates, Inc. in charge of bathroom designs, customers can be assured the latest styles in innovative bath fixtures will be included in the project. Several new shower fixtures available from Kohler feature what customers envision when it comes to modern and upscale fixtures.

Moxie is a combination showerhead and wireless speaker ideal for enjoying a relaxing shower to the accompaniment of your favorite music or singing along to your favorite tunes. The speaker has 7 hours of battery time.

Awaken provides three signature sprays. The wide range spray provides an overall thorough rinse. The intense showerhead features a more forceful and concentrated spray while the targeted spray has a powerful and focused water stream. The Awaken is available as a showerhead or handshower. Each allows easy movement between the spray types with a convenient lockable tab.

HydroRail is available for showers only or bath/shower combinations. The HydroRail shower column allows customization of a standard showerhead to an in-depth experience when choosing a handshower, rainhead or showerhead configuration. The HydroRail does not require any alternation of current in-wall plumbing and is easy to install.

Kohler has the sleek looking, easy-to-use and cutting edge fixtures you need for an extraordinary showering experience.

Custom Home Building Trends for 2013

Balancing space with modern luxuries is still a designing challenge in 2013.

Like most things in our day-to-day lives, current trends tend to play a role in our choices. For the 2013 season, several trends are leading the way in home design. Some trends are for space savers while others focus on convenience, technology and energy efficiency.

Space: Homes with a basement or a lower level offer the option of an additional room for adults, teens or children. The extra space is ideal as a place to entertain family or friends, set up a complete home theater and entertainment center, design a game room or create an exercise and weight room.

Formal dining rooms are being replaced and redesigned to use the space in a more productive way versus using the same space once in a while for special occasions. This adds more value to a room that can commonly go unnoticed until holidays or large gatherings.

Convenience: Creating a family work area, or resource area, in other words, near the kitchen provides a place to work whether it’s for school, business or the home. Work can be done without being isolated from the family.

Designing technology-friendly homes using multiple applications from an advanced cell phone to handle electronics, appliances, security and lighting is on the rise.

Energy: Current trends lean towards energy efficiency using geothermal heating and LED lighting.

At TAB Associates, Inc., we cater to our clients’ needs and vision in every home design project. For more information, contact us today at 970-766-1470.

Vail Interior Designer Spotlight: Tracie Schumacher at Studio 80

Vail interior designers are worth their weight in gold when it comes to putting a client’s vision into reality. One such Vail designer is Tracie Schumacher. With a team of talented designers with more than 50 years of experience collectively, Schumacher leads the Studio 80 team to the final goal of bringing a clients vision to fruition.

With a collaborative working environment that includes Architects, other design firms and contractors for private, residential and commercial projects, the end result by Studio 80 ensures the client is satisfied on all levels.

From renovations to luxury accommodations, Schumacher and company take on the task from start to finish providing project management, interior architecture and structural styling for specific designs such as fireplaces, custom designed furnishings as well as non-fixed furnishings.

Through visual presentations, clients see the project in progress through sketches and drawings that emphasize the lay out, space planning, special features, furniture placement and the overall style of the project. With clients as part of the team, it encourages a successful project will be achieved.

One of Schumacher’s latest projects is working with architectural firm, TAB Associates, Inc. ,on the Chen 3 Timber Springs project that focuses on open spaces and positive utilization of square footage to the maximum.

Mountain Home Material Trends: Natural Wood & Stone

Incorporating mountain home trends involves the use of natural wood and stone. Both materials are available in a wide range of styles, textures and colors and add the perfect touch in creating an atmosphere to reflect a client’s individual taste and vision for a mountain home.

Exterior: Natural materials make up the list of options for exteriors and include wood, stone, concrete, stucco, metal panels, timber and recycled wood. A modern upgrade is the use of glass sliding doors versus the traditional rustic style wood doors. Another option that focuses on melding the indoors with the outdoors is creating a design with more glass areas throughout the home.

Interior: Wood and stone are equally important in the interior where colors, hues and textures are blended using a variety of materials. From antique wood, quarried stone or polished concrete for floors to concrete slab kitchen countertops and hand textured walls, the possibilities in design are nearly endless. The combination of the outside materials incorporated into the interior design orchestrates a smooth and natural blending of the two.

As an authority on custom mountain and log home design, TAB Associates, Inc. can turn your vision into reality. For more information about our services, please call (970) 766-1470.

TAB Philanthropy: Habitat for Humanity of Eagle & Lake Counties

TAB Associates, Inc. has played and continues to play a significant role in Vail community service projects. Since 2004, the company has been a part of the planning and construction projects for Habitat for Humanity in both Eagle and Lake County!

Providing complimentary services in all areas of architectural planning and design, the company has become a long standing partner, along with other individual and corporate businesses and organizations, in supporting Habitat for Humanity’s vision in building quality homes.

Through donations of time, materials, labor and money and a long list of dedicated partners, Habitat for Humanity continues to forge forward with help from its professional partners like TAB Associates, Inc.

TAB provides volunteers and support to cover a broad spectrum of needs among the community. Along with architectural services for planning and design, the company has also provided support for retail construction, renovations for accessibility, recreational center and park design and initiated a scholarship program for students of Eagle County elementary schools.

Through the generous donation of time and a hands-on commitment to Lake and Eagle County, Habitat for Humanity, along with TAB Associates and many other outstanding partners, will continue to make a positive impact on the community and its residents.

Current TAB Project: Avery Parsons Elementary School Addition

At TAB Associates, our Colorado architects don’t just provide people with the plans for the home of their dreams, we offer institutional dream projects, too.

One of our current projects we’re working on is the Avery Parsons Elementary School addition. This school, located in Buena Vista, is adding on a wing for pre-kindergarten through second grade. This will replace the pre-kindergarten’s separate building.

One of the best parts is that though the design and features of the 17,800 square-foot addition will be similar to the 1997 structure, the day-lighting scheme will be different. This a great enhancement over the current structure, which is subtle enough so that it flows well with what is already standing. The teachers should not even need the electric lighting in their classrooms which will be automatically adjusted by daylight sensors.

Additionally, we will be adding a bit of site work, designing and implementing a new playground and pre-kindergarten playground. Possible additional funding may be provided by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO).

If you’ve got a project you’d like to see come true, our Colorado architects can help with every step of the process. Please contact us at 970-766-1470.