Behind the Design: Wehrle Residence

NishoFire.png

Designing the space: This home is considered Denver’s earliest example of Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian-style Architecture. With broad, Horizontal rooflines, we wanted to stay true to the Usonian style as a prototype for more of a mid-century modernism feel. We went with simplicity and clean lines and took connections that emanated from the house. We wanted our exterior elements to have strong architectural structure (hence steel pergola with wood). We wanted to create vignettes from major windows in the house. We didn’t want there to be a clear distinction between inside and out.

Challenges: Creating outdoor rooms for the Wehrle family that were just as important as the inside of the house.

We wanted to create a sense of place. The existing landscape wasn’t very “zen” and chopped up which made it difficult to envision what the space could become because the two very different design philosophies between the house and landscape were so far apart.

hilltoppergola.png

Features:

  • Pergola- steel and wood‐custom designed by Elevate By Design (EBD)

  • Fire Feature‐ We used cast concrete in limestone color with smooth finish (same as wall)‐custom designed by EBD

  • Fence‐ We had the fence acid stained in a patina to give rusted appearance to add character and used Mexican beach pebble in joints of front patio in between sand exposed concrete squares. The large, geometric squares really emphasized the linearity we were after.

LANDSCAPE INSTALLER: MILE HIGH LANDSCAPING

FIRE PIT AND BENCH FABRICATOR: E AND C PRECAST CONCRETE

Rachel Keenan