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Periwinkle Porte

~ Design, inspiration and the environment insights from Associates III Interior Design.

Periwinkle Porte

Tag Archives: Colorado

JJ Benedict, Architect

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment, inspiration

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Architect, Beaux Arts, Chief Hosa, Colorado, Denver, JJ Benedict, St Catherine's

Jules Jacques Benedict Jules Jacques Benois Benedict was indisputably a brilliant man and a master of architecture. Through his meticulous attention to detail we are still awed by the talent and imagination of the early 20th century architect who trained in Paris at l’Ecole des Beaux Arts. He practiced from 1899 to 1948, most of that time in the Denver, Colorado area. Accounts of his personality describe him as flamboyant, temperamental, opinionated and an utmost perfectionist. He was known to carry a cane on job sites and would use it to obliterate work that was not to his expectations.

Private Home in Denver
Private Home in Denver
Private Home in Denver
Private Home in Denver
Private Home in Denver
Private Home in Denver

The buildings Benedict created in the metropolitan area reflected his Beaux Arts training. He repeated many of the same architectural elements from building to building, adapting them to the particular structure. Details such as Greek, Roman and Gothic-inspired arches in windows and doorways, ornate iron details and carved stonework were trademarks of his designs.

Church Addition
Church Addition
Littleton Town Hall
Littleton Town Hall
Church
Church

Another mountain structure, Chief Hosa, was designed and built for the Denver Mountain Parks as a restaurant. Benedict describes his approach to the design of the structure in the following quote:

“Hosa Lodge was always there… We simply piled up the rock in layers, leaving some openings for light. We laid felled trunks across the top and called it a lodge, and it suffices. It remains rock and red bark like its setting.”

Chief Hosa
Chief Hosa
Chief Hosa closeup
Chief Hosa Closeup

 

Benedict applied these details and the foundation of his training to approach another type of design that he dubbed “Alpine Architecture”. His passion for the mountains was reflected in the preface page to his 1925 portfolio in which he used the verse from PSALM 88:1: “My Foundation is in the Holy Mountains.” He felt strongly about a harmonious association with the site and the use of indigenous materials in his mountain structures.

A Denver newsletter, Municipal Facts, described Benedict and his Baehr Lodge design this way: “a great genius as a designer and his development of a type of mountain house that is indigenous to the soil has been a noteworthy achievement.”

Nestled into the side of a mountain, designed in several levels to adapt to the natural slope of the land it was built on, the home is sensitive to its site, making the most of the commanding views.

This description could be applied to one of his most spectacular designs, St. Catherine’s Chapel perched on the top of a rocky mountain outcropping; the chapel seems to emerge out of the land. The building truly has a sense of place among its surroundings that takes the breath away of motorists who happen to come upon it.

St Catherine's Chapel
St Catherine’s Chapel
St Catherine's Chapel
St Catherine’s Chapel

Of the 54 buildings, churches, residences and park structures Benedict is credited with in the Denver area, 23 are listed on the local, state or national registers of significant historic structures. This speaks to his talents as an architect, the validity of the intent and application of his designs.

—Jill Bosshart

CO Flood Aid | How to help

19 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment

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Colorado, Colorado Flood, Flood

Last week’s flooding in Colorado has made headlines far and wide — I even had a family member from France call to check in on us. Those of us who live in Colorado know that the devastation is more than a mere article or news clip or slideshow of images that you see one day only to be replaced by the next top news story the next. Here in Colorado we are in the process of picking up the pieces, cleaning up and rebuilding the homes, roadways and lives that have been affected by the rains and flooding. And it’s something you can help with, too — no matter where you are. If you have time and manpower or simply a few dollars to donate, below are a few links for how to provide the much needed assistance now that the rain has subsided:

Help Colorado Now

Lyons Community Foundation

Colorado Flood Relief

Donate Boulder – Community Organized Flood Relief 

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a place to start. The great state of CO thanks you for your help!

Save the Bees!

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment

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Agriculture, Bee, Colony collapse disorder, Colorado

By now most of us have probably heard about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) — stated simply CCD is the abrupt disappearance and death of honey bees. The reason this phenomenon is alarming stems from the fact that bees provide an essential ecosystem service by pollinating various crops, plants and flowers. According to Michigan State University bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Thus, it is imperative to keep bee populations happy and thriving in our communities. While most of us aren’t able (or may not want) to keep beehives on our properties, there are many ways we can support bees that require much less time, effort and attention.

Suburban Stone Age wrote a great blog post on exactly this topic recently. Click over to read the post or keep reading for a few key ways you can help the bees:

  • DON’T use insecticides, pesticides, herbicides — these can have harmful effects on bees. Whenever possible, use organic methods to control weeds and garden pests. If you absolutely must use any of these, don’t do so during the middle of the day when the bees are most likely to be foraging for nectar or pollen. But, really, the use of these is just not necessary.
  • Grow bee friendly plants — provide the bees with an abundant food supply that will continue blooming throughout the seasons. Know those dandelions so many people consider weeds? They’re actually one of the first things bees feed on in the spring. Other bee plants include cilantro, lavender, rosemary, borage, lamb’s ear, echinacea and so many more.
  • Let the lawn grow — this gives clover a chance to flower and provides the bees with nectar.
  • Supply clean water — particularly important in hot weather or a dry climate (ahem, Colorado). Fill a shallow water basin with pebbles or stones to provide a safe landing place for bees to get a sip of water.
  • Involve the community — talk to people about the importance of bees and why we should do the things on this list to ensure their survival.
  • Get involved — join a local beekeeping group and learn about urban beekeeping from the experts.
  • Support native and solitary bees, too — set up a bee house for these pollinators
  • Other resources — Friends of the Earth: 20 things you need to know about bees (pdf)

Most importantly, just take action! Start with any one of these to support your local bee community. Our food and plants depend on it!

bee on flower

— Amy DePierre

Chalk Art Festival

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in inspiration

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Arts, Colorado, Denver, Denver Chalk Art Festival, Larimer Square

Denver Chalk Art

Every year, I look forward to the trip to Larimer Square for the annual Denver Chalk Art Festival. I love seeing the way the artists translate their chosen image onto the pavement as people watch over their shoulders. What amazing talent to behold! And, to think, all this work is viewable for such a short amount of time. By the time the festival ends Sunday and we arrive at our office on Monday the images are gone — living only as moments in time captured by the photographs taken over the weekend. For images of the best in show award winners, check out Denver Chalk Art’s Facebook page. This year one of my favorite works had a poignant reminder for those of us (myself included!) so connected to technology:

Unplug

—Amy DePierre

 

Interior Touches for Fall

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in design

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Autumn, Colorado, Interior Design

Autumn in Colorado is one of the state’s most beautiful seasons. Along with colorful foliage, it brings with it brisk mornings, warm afternoons, crunchy leaves underfoot and the ideal hot tea weather. As fall changes the landscape around us we are provided with opportunity to transform our homes to reflect a time of moving inside and prepping for the upcoming festivities that often include get-togethers with families and friends.

To fully place ourselves in the mood for fall, here are a few simple ways to modify interiors for the season:

  • With the cooler evenings, invest in a great throw — a knitted blanket, a cashmere wrap — and drape it over your favorite sitting spot.
  • Add seasonal colors that evoke or compliment the deep, rich tones of autumn to any room with accent pillows.
  • When entertaining, take the opportunity switch up the summertime settings with hardier, fall friendly glass and dishware, napkins, placemats and tablecloths.
  • Bring some of the fall harvest inside by creating floral arrangements or table centerpieces using what’s available at your local florist or farmer’s market.
  • Convey the season with scent as well as taste by warming hot cider or mulled wine on the stove for delicious, drinkable potpourri.
  • Show the change of seasons in your artwork, framed family photos, and candlesticks by replacing the more whimsical, summertime décor with fall influenced photos and accessories.

These are just a handful of ideas to make the shift from summer to fall in your home. Do you have any other favorite ways of designing for the change of season? Let us know!

Associates III

— Amy DePierre

State on Fire

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

American Red Cross, Colorado, Wildfire

Even though the fourth of July signifies independence, this year I’ve been thinking more about our interdependence, or how interconnected we all are – coworkers, neighbors, family and friends. I think this connection has been glaringly apparent this year for anyone in Colorado. Our beautiful state has been and continues to be ravaged by wildfire. It’s taken an intricate network of emergency service personnel, fire fighters, neighbors and dedicated citizens to unite in the fight for containment of these fires.

At a time like this the question is simple — how can I help?

In a quick round-up of ways to lend a hand, here are a few sites to consider:

Help Colorado Now – this site provides links and contact information regarding how to make a financial gift, sign up to volunteer and/or provide material donations.

Wild Fire Tees – a group of designers, marketers and printers in Colorado came together to design t-shirts and donate 100% of the proceeds to the CO wildfire relief efforts.

American Red Cross Colorado – currently staffing shelters and aiding evacuated residents with basic needs.

Larimer Humane Society – coordinating animal rescue for High Park fire zone.

These are just a select few ways to aid the wildfire relief efforts. Please comment if you know of or have information for other ways to help.

— Amy DePierre

Pollination

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Bee, Beekeeping, Colorado, Denver, London, Pollination

I’m a HUGE fan of Interface, Ray Anderson’s company, and the work they do.  I read their blog often, and one of their latest in a series about Biophilia was interesting and inspirational.

Discussing how London, England has 25% green space in the form of parks and gardens — 2,500 registered bee hives can be found in London, with 50,000 bees in each hive, producing 70 lbs. of honey from each hive in every season — was eye opening on many levels.

I know bees are important but the post brought how essential they are to life as we know it right into focus for me.  Attributing the following to A World Without Bees, urban beekeeping experts Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum discuss how,

if all the world’s bees disappeared, mankind would have only four years left to live. Without bees, there’s no pollination, and without pollination, there are no plants — and soon no animals, and then no humans. It’s a sobering thought that the western honeybee pollinates 70% of the food we eat.

I took the bait: curious to discover what’s going on in our local communities, I looked for some area beekeepers associations, and found too many to list. But, in case you’re interested to learn more, here are a few key ones in Denver’s Front Range.  It sounds like a pretty amazing network out there!

Colorado State Beekeepers Association
Oldest beekeeping association in Colorado, organized in Denver in 1880. 

Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association

Boulder County Beekeepers Association

Squash Blossom Bees

— Debbie Hindman

:RETREAT and REFRESH:

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment, inspiration

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Beaver Creek, Colorado, Cordillera, Edwards, Vail

Every once in a great while we close our doors and head out for a much needed retreat. This year we headed west into the high country where we toured through homes we are currently working on as well as a few past homes we designed, too! We spent a couple days in the Vail, Beaver Creek, Lake Creek, Edwards, and were delighted  to stay overnight in Cordillera. There we put our feet up, enjoyed a dinner together and evaluated our company goals with the future in mind.

We ate good food, hiked together, were inspired by the natural and beautiful backdrop of Colorado’s wondrous mountains and enjoyed thoroughly touring the homes we have had the privilege to design. It was visually refreshing! But most importantly meeting with clients, contractors, architects, care takers and property managers at these homes was just the best; we are thankful to be a part of these teams to create warm home environments. It was a lot of fun!

Here are a few pictures:

House Tour

Nature Walk

Associates III

Road Home

— Kelley Cleveland

I speak for the trees…

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment, inspiration

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Colorado, Colorado State University, Denver, Lorax, Movie, Seuss, Tree

This past weekend I went to see the new Dr Seuss movie, The Lorax. I have been excited to see it since I heard it was coming out, as I love the book, but I left the theater with mixed feelings – the movie did not follow the book as closely as I had hoped, but the colors and characters were fun, and it leaves you with something to consider.

Despite mixed reviews about the movie from critics, I think that the general message conveyed is a great reminder of how we should treat the earth, and to not take its beauty, or the resources it provides, for granted. I believe that it is important for children to start thinking about how they can help the environment at an early age, and this movie showcases the importance of respecting the earth by keeping it clean, using only the resources we need, and replacing what we use when possible. The fun, bright colors, catchy songs, and cute characters don’t hurt either.

Scene from The Lorax

One thing this movie reminded me of, are the encouraging programs around Colorado that provide people with trees to plant in suburban and urban areas, and areas that have been hurt by beetle kill or wildfires.

The Mile High Million is an initiative that was started in 2006 by Mayor John Hickenlooper, aimed to encourage people to become life-long stewards to our natural environment through planting and caring for trees. The goal is to plant one million new trees in the Denver metro area by 2025.  250,000 trees have been planted so far. Learn more about the Mile High Million here.

Denver Digs Trees is a program that helps residents cultivate a greener, healthier environment by providing people with affordable tress to plant on both public and private property. Currently (spring 2012) Denver Digs Trees is providing free and low cost trees to all Denver residents through their Spring Street Tree program, and through Mile High Million. For more information and to apply.

The Seedling Tree Program, funded by Colorado State University through the Colorado State Forest Service, provides trees at a low cost to farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners. Their goal is to encourage landowners to plant new forests to help protect homes, crops and livestock, and to protect against soil erosion. Visit CSU’s website for more information, and to find out if you qualify.

The movie leaves the audience with one last quote from the book…

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 
nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

… a “subtle” reminder.

— Rachel Blackburn

Today’s Thought

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in inspiration

≈ 2 Comments

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Colorado, John Muir, Red Rocks

Red Rocks, ColoradoThe power of imagination makes us infinite. — John Muir

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