Beaver Creek is a gated resort in the Vail that offers residents a safe place to call home.
Choosing from the many Vail neighborhoods can be a difficult task for anyone new to the area. However, we believe there’s no place that is quite like Beaver Creek. It’s one of the area’s favorite communities and a site to be seen by all visiting the Vail.
The motto for Beaver Creek is, ‘Not Quite Roughing It,’ and it’s exactly that. The area is host to a variety of year-round activities, from mountain hiking in the summer to skiing in winter. Perhaps the most appealing to new residents is the fact that this gated community allows for children to run around unimpeded in the fresh air and sunshine. Or, perhaps it’s the beautifully designed properties and homes that dot the landscape.
Beaver Creek is a resort, not just for tourists, but for residents, and even a brief visit to the Ritz-Carlton or Park Hyatt makes it easy to see why.
If you’ve been considering a home in Beaver Creek, TAB Associates can custom-design it for you. From luxury homes in Beaver Creek, or any of the other Vail neighborhoods, we will work hard to bring you exactly what you want.
Positioning of a home can determine the amount of openness and light of the household.
TAB Associates has its finger on the pulse of mountain home trends. People are increasingly dissatisfied with the classic and claustrophobic ‘boxy room’ set up, and are looking for more creative, open spaces to utilize throughout the house.
One of the advantages of building a custom home in Colorado is that there is gorgeous scenery and abundant sunshine year round. This makes for open floor plans, which are already trending, more sensible for the Colorado home. One way to keep this space open is by combining a ‘total living area’ — an open floor plan that utilizes dining and living in one, then opens up to the kitchen.
The kitchen is the “heart” of the home. Big windows and other pieces finish off the design perfectly, allowing a great deal of light in, as well as the feel of ‘being in nature.’ We provide the windows and God provides the ‘art’.
When it comes to knowing mountain home trends, and how to customize a home to keep clients happy, TAB Associates has the experience and expertise to create a home that’s not only trendy but long-lasting and beautiful.
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.
Check out these neat reasons why certain rooms earned their name. Source: TAB
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!
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.
Save yourself time by reading up on these reasons to let go of an architect. Source: Keoni Cabral
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.
Check out these new showerheads being released by Kohler in 2013.
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.
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.
Chen 3 is a collaboration of ideas and styles that will form a luxury log cabin for family retreats.
TAB Associates is proud to be working with Andy Schifanelli of Andy Schifanelli Enterprises, Inc., a General Contractor, and Tracie Schumacher of Studio 80 to present the beautiful home design, Chen 3 Timber Springs Residence.
This project is all about open spaces, with the upper level overlooking the entryway and great room, and entry itself overlooking the great room. For more open space, we’ve used a 20-foot wide Wieland door (fully pocketing), opening onto the patio, just off the grass play field. The outdoor patio faces south for optimal winter warmth, with an alternative of radiant heaters in case the cold becomes too much.
This 8,000 square foot home design project factors in the importance of privacy for the whole family, including the four bedrooms being tucked away upstairs, making them quiet, safe havens even when there is noise coming from the great room.
None of the square footage goes to waste, with beds for 18 occupants, a private office, and a study/classroom for summer school, and an unfinished basement for a future theater or free space. This project also includes parking for four golf cart sized toys.
For more information on our architectural planning services like Chen 3, please contact us at 970.766.1470.
Chen 3 Timber Springs Bunk House will utilize a variety of styles on the way to becoming a dream log house.
One of the best recent trends for building mountain homes is going with the homeowners’ likes and dislikes and individual preferences. Of course, with all the choices one has with architectural design, it can get overwhelming on just what to choose for dream log homes. Though, one steadfast trend we’ve noticed in log homes that should likely never get old is the use of wide open space.
Maximizing sun exposure with seamless transitions from outdoors to indoors leaves residents with a feeling of elegance and serenity all rolled into one simple and beautiful home project. If the space is used correctly, through consultation with your architect, the square footage doesn’t have to be enormous in order to get the open space look and feel.
Quality of space is often more preferable to quantity of space. The elegance provided lacks the stuffiness of formal dining and living areas, but still retains its grand stature and openness.
Our current project, Chen 3 Timber Springs, utilizes this philosophy of open spaces that are efficiently used, with quality outweighing quantity. If you are interested in learning more about how TAB Associates can make your dream mountain home become a reality, call us at 970.766.1470.
Vail is a neighborhood with a nice mixture of residential living and fun places to go shopping.
Vail neighborhoods are diverse and unique, and the area is one of the nicest places to live in Colorado for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is the beautiful neighborhoods. There are fourteen different Vail neighborhoods to choose from, and for those who want something a little different with their architecture, there’s really one place that’s super trendy right now: Edwards and Lake Creek.
This area is the fastest-growing neighborhood in Vail. And with a warm family atmosphere, it’s a very attractive place where locals are relocating. It’s ideal for both commercial and residential building projects, and the neighborhood sports some of the very best restaurants in the Valley.
The Riverwalk in Edwards cannot be beat for commercial properties and building. Unique boutiques, shops and markets are all the rage for those who love to indulge in retail therapy. This whole area is ready for even more growth, and architectural planning is prime for the Edwards and Lake Creek area.
If you’ve been considering a residential or commercial project for a great neighborhood, TAB Associates can help you find exactly the right fit for your needs, no matter what area!
