“We were concerned that by elevating the first floor by six feet, we would be detaching the living space from the neighborhood,” Mitchell says. “Thus, we have an elevated exterior patio off of the rear that overlooks the sidewalk and brings the living space to the outdoors.”

The Damianos’ house, located in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, runs completely on solar energy.

Mitchell wanted to detail the solid oak staircase with that same sense of openness, even though its materials are heavy. “We used a lot of raw steel and wood on the interior of the home,” Mitchell said. “This carries the authenticity of real materials from the building exterior to the building interior.” A custom fireplace sits on the patio.

“Considering all of the foot traffic around their property, [the owners] made it very clear that they wanted to find a way to maintain as much privacy in the home as possible,” architect Chad Mitchell says of this Denver home. “Thus, the main floor of the home is elevated from the sidewalk by about six feet.” The exterior siding is red cedar with a custom Sherwin-Williams stain.

One of Graves's larger commissions, the Denver Central Library in Denver, Colorado, stands out immediately.

Mitchell says that the red cedar “provided a nice level of contrast from the white siding on top and helps to establish those two spaces as distinctly separate.” The siding is from James Hardie.

“Because the property is so narrow, we had to be strategic in laying out the plan,” Mitchell says. “Our goal was to create an open plan that spanned from exterior wall to exterior wall in order to make the home feel as large as possible.” Solid oak flooring fills the space and pendants from Kenroy Home illuminate the kitchen.

Since this home was primarily for the couple, rather than their grown children, they wanted a luxurious master bedroom. A Kichler fan circulates air above the bed.

Carrara marble was used in the shower and on the countertops. The fixtures are from Hansgrohe.

The Bright Stuff “The premise was to build a house that would last 400 years,” says the resident of this Denver abode that runs completely on solar power.

Drawing of the Denver Central Library; Denver, Colorado (2005)

The 1920s building was converted into lofts in 2000. The client started out looking for new cabinet hardware and an improved connection between the laundry room and the guest bath, but ultimately decided to work with the firms on a full overhaul.

A view of Denver’s downtown cityscape from the surrounding central area.

Apart from a “generous” master bedroom, Mitchell says that the couple also wanted a rooftop deck to see views of downtown Denver. A sloped roof kept the building up to code, and the outdoor deck “was achieved by shifting the upper volume backwards from the front of the house,” he says.

Denver’s ever-changing skyline showcases an eclectic mix of architectural styles.

Brilliantly designed by architect James E. Norman, this home is striking and one-of-a-kind. The rock wood-burning fireplace, curved rock wall entrance and exposed post and beam construction all lend themselves to defining this mid-century modern's wholly unique style.

Generous concrete pavers lead to the entrance. The home's angles are typical of the midcentury homes in the neighborhood.

The 3,000-square-foot home is an open-plan space designed for entertaining.

Permeable hardscaping retains moisture and helps reduce the need for watering.

Neon-green sedum matches the front door. The design team also includes Courtney McRickard and Kyle Hebel; the contractor was Jesse Young of Landwise Colorado.

High-gloss pots from Vondom contain drought-tolerant sedum. All told, the landscaping project came in under the $20,000 budget.

Crushed marble and river rock, which play off the hues of the home, mingle with easy-to-maintain blue fescue and sedum.

Skyline Park in Denver, Colorado, stretches over three city blocks. Halprin derived the sunken form from an eroded riverbed. Completed in 1974, the park also served as a stormwater retention site.

Mature trees define the neighborhood, whose name, Krisana, is a mash-up of the names of the couple whose farm it was originally built on, Kris and Ana. The Cor-Ten steel surrounding the tree and lawn has already developed a patina.

Denver Art Museum Extension Libeskind designed a titanium-clad addition to the Denver Art Museum that resembles the peaks of the Rocky Mountains and geometric rock crystals found in the foothills near Denver.

Every item from Topo Designs is made in the United States, and the company calls to this as a core part of their business. Sustainability, fair treatment of its workers, and knowing the manufacturers and their processes is key to their brand’s mission. The company has a flagship store in Denver, Colorado, and is opening a new retail store in Fort Collins, Colorado this year. Find Topo’s classic Klettersack, versatile Backpack Tote, roomy Duffle Bag, and streamlined Daypack at the Dwell Store.

Colorado. David Larabee and Dexter Thornton are the forces behind DoubleButter, a furniture manufacturer based in Denver. Available in forming plywood or walnut with steel legs, the Sheep End Table is a playful storage piece.

This Denver kitchen sets a marble backsplash, that continues up the wall as the backsplash for a display shelf, against walnut cabinetry and countertops of an alternate gray material.

The Outward Bound cabins, designed by the University of Colorado Denver's design-build program, have steel frames that lift the structures above a three-foot snowpack while supporting corrugated-steel "snow roofs."

Considered the finest residential example of International Style architecture in Denver, the 1951 Joshel House was in serious disrepair when Dominick Sekich and Scott Van Vleet bought it in 2013. They embarked on a major renovation to re-create the vision of the original designers, Joseph and Louise Marlow.

White paint brightens the modest kitchen of this Denver home.

Nine shipping containers form the basis of this new multigenerational house near Denver.

- Denver, Colorado Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Architect Caroline Wilding, then of Denver-based Design Platform, led the renovation. The staircase needed some treads replaced, but “was left as original as possible,” she says. Wilding created the chandelier using wires from Color Cord and brackets from Home Depot. - Denver, Colorado Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Daniel Libeskind's Denver Art Museum, whose titanium-clad exterior shimmers in the afternoon sun.

Don’t be fooled by Denver’s Western roots and cosmopolitan aspirations. You can still catch an alt-country or indie show at one of its thriving music venues like the Bluebird theater.