Let's go climbing
©
Todd Remington 2008
The
Colorado Chautauqua
A National Historic Landmark
The Colorado Chautauqua, near Boulder Colorado's Flatirons is the newest Colorado National Landmark, designated in 2006. Originally established in 1898, the retreat was a summer camp for a popular education movement of the time.
Balancing
History with Nature
Chautauqua achieved National Landmark status despite containing a cabin
that didn't belong. Although originally an historic example of camp style
architecture, later expansions violated every rule for preservation. It
had become an eye sore.
Since the structure had a 1970's era second story addition unlike its one
story neighbors, we couldn't easily restore the cabin back to historic condition.
Heavy demolition of useable space was impractical and incompatible with the
area's environmental focus. Although exploring new preservation territory,
balancing history with nature seemed more essential than finding a design
that no longer existed. We decided that new additions should be employed to
reestablish the cabin's camp character. Of course any new work needed to honor
the spirit and philosophy of the original Chautauqua movement by achieving
beauty through purpose and connection to place, not through simple copying
of historic ornament.
Vacation
homes will probably always grace the Western landscape. The era of huge trophy
cabins isn't over, but for sustainable construction to advance in America
we must explore the smallest reasonable footprint for an intended use. This
cabin is an example that more people are choosing modest, more sustainable
approaches for "getting away". Balancing human desires with natural systems
will become increasingly important for the West as the density of human activity
increases. With its sustainable focus, active lifestyle and outdoor culture,
Boulder Colorado and the Colorado Chautauqua is an ideal location for exploring
changing attitudes towards recreational properties.
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Specializing in Residential Architecture: Homes, Cabins and Retreats
