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the DETAILS - April 2024

APRIL 24 - the DETAILS | from Mid-Mod Dream Homes

welcome to the DETAILS

with Mid Mod Dream Homes
04 2024

Hello Modernists

As architectural enthusiasts, nature may not always be top-of-mind. Sure, many of the materials that help form the experiences in and around places that stay with us come directly from nature, like wood and stone, and even, simply, dirt. Buildings are inherently tied to the earth, built upon the earth, and rely on resources from the earth. Part of the modern movement involved some measures to increase sustainability, employed designs that responded to site-specific settings, and encouraged the blending of interior and exterior spaces to make our experience of place not just of that building, but the places that weave in, out of, and around those places. 

It is important to remember that as architecture attempts to combine the experience of place and nature, that we cannot ignore the impact the pursuit of place has on nature and it's resources. Not only do we attempt to preserve the mid-century experience, we attempt to preserve the resources that literally build and form that experience. While the spotlight of this issue is not a preservation project, the studio behind it understands and recognizes this idea, and through various initiatives and design decisions works to put a spotlight on the natural environment within this beautiful state many of us call home.

-Stephanie & Lawrence | Mid Mod Dream Homes

the ARCHITECTURAL SPOTLIGHT

Populus, designed by Studio Gang, and scheduled to open this summer, represents innovative, forward-thinking architectural design that seeks to evoke the experiences we may have in the mountains of Colorado, while allowing us to engage the surrounding city fabric of Denver. 

From Studio Gang:

"Opening itself to the city and the Rocky Mountains beyond, Populus is designed to become an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. Located on a prominent corner site, the building greets the neighborhood equally on all three sides, welcoming visitors and residents and connecting Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts...

...The texture and rhythm of its sculptural façade is strongly tied to its hotel function. Each vertical scallop is the width of a guest room, and its distinctive windows change in size and shape in response to the character of the building’s public and private spaces...The window shapes are informed by the characteristic patterns found on Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). As the trees grow, they shed their lower branches, leaving behind dark, eye-shaped marks on the papery bark of their trunks...

With a green roof providing an attractive habitat for local wildlife and insects, Populus aims to reconnect city dwellers with nature in the heart of Denver."

For more on Populus, visit https://studiogang.com/project/Populus

Header & Architectural Spotlight Visualization/Quote Credit: Studio Gang

“The word ‘obsolescence’, at least in the U.S., has to do with the way buildings are depreciated, not because they get worn out, but because they are superseded by newer and more modern ones. Just a week after a building is complete, a newer building will outcompete it. The idea is that obsolescence is a construct that doesn’t have anything to do with the building being worn out. It’s important to reverse this idea. Of course, we should update buildings with new technology and new systems when necessary. But buildings should last longer than 10 years. Tearing them down is just not sustainable.”

-Jeanne Gang 
Interview with Designboom at Triennal de Milano, 2023

the CITY

neighborhood spotlight
from the MMDH Website

Aberdeen Village is tucked away in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood next to Ketring Park, Gallup Reservoir, and the Littleton Historical Museum. It’s about a five minute drive from this neighborhood to Downtown Littleton. Littleton initially started as farmland to help feed and sustain the growing City of Denver, and Aberdeen Village in particular started off as an alfalfa field in the 1950s. After WWII, like many other post-war neighborhoods, developers were able to create more prefabricated homes using innovative technologies as homeowners started to take advantage of the benefits of the G.I. Bill. Between 1950 and 1960, the population of Littleton increased by about 10,000 people and then more than doubled in the next decade.

Robert Hayuten, president of the Aberdeen Land Company, was the man responsible for subdividing the neighborhood. This neighborhood had a community association that still lives on today in order to promote the betterment of the enclave, and it is more so utilized today as a means of social gathering. Many of these homes were originally built in unincorporated Arapahoe County until the neighborhood sought to be annexed into the municipality of Littleton.

The homes in this neighborhood were custom built for executives. They were larger in square footage, built on oversized ½ acre lots, with views of the mountains, brick exteriors, and larger garages or carports. These were then advertised at a premium with a starting price of $19,900. While there are many brick ranch style homes sprinkled into the neighborhood, the models that are Mid-Century Modern specifically are the asymmetrical split level, the cross gable, and the front gable ranch models.

Aberdeen Village is one of the few lucky neighborhoods that has a Pattern and Idea Book for Post-War Homes created for homeowners, curated by Historic Denver in order to preserve the design and historic integrity of the neighborhood.

photo credit: Kylie Fitts Photography

the LIFESTYLE

Modern in Denver: 
The Spring Issue
"Adaptable Design - Flower Architecture uses modular design principals to create an open, inviting home."
Courtesy of Modern in Denver

Mark Your Calendar:
Luncheon by Design with Architect Jeanne Gang
May 9th, 11:30am-1:30pm
For more on the event and tickets, follow the image link.
Photo Credit: Studio Gang

Richard Serra
Legendary Artist Leaves Behind Monumental Mark
For a bio and works, visit his page on The Guggenheim website via the image link.
Photo Credit: Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa

meet the AGENTS

Thank You for reading this month's issue of 
the DETAILS | by Mid Mod Dream Homes

Lawrence Lippard
broker associate
m: 704.880.8291
lawrence.lippard@compass.com

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MMDH
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Stephanie Kroll
broker associate
m: 303.345.5886
stephanie.kroll@compass.com

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

Enjoy the current issue of our monthly newsletter,

the DETAILS - April 2024

Mid-Century Modern Dream Homes at Compass Colorado