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Periwinkle Porte

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

Periwinkle Porte

Tag Archives: Denver

JJ Benedict, Architect

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment, inspiration

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Tags

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
Church
Church Addition
Church Addition
Littleton Town Hall
Littleton Town Hall

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 closeup
Chief Hosa Closeup
Chief Hosa
Chief Hosa

 

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

Urban Beautification

03 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment, inspiration

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

city, Denver, Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, flowers, greenery, landscape, planters, urban

I immediately think of buildings, restaurants, traffic, concrete and rushing people when I hear the words “city” or “downtown”. The nice thing about Denver’s downtown is that, while it contains all these recognizable pieces of the urban jungle – it also provides respite from them with the placement of plants and nature in different ways throughout the city. Often times, it’s the restaurants themselves that add foliage to entice customers and enhance their patio dining experience. We also talked about Denver’s program for businesses to purchase planters before. This year the rise of a designated Garden Block has not escaped our notice, and we applaud the efforts to beautify our surroundings with color and nature.

According to Downtown Denver’s website the Downtown Denver Garden Block on 16th Street between Curtis and Champa is a living landscape in the heart of Downtown, giving visitors, residents and employees a place to gather and enjoy the urban scene. We think the Botanic Gardens say it best when they call the Garden Block “a catalytic project for the revitalization and continued success of Denver’s premier public space.”

Thanks to the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and Denver Botanic Gardens for their partnership to create an inviting urban landscape for those of us who live, work and play downtown. We appreciate it!

A few examples of the lovely urban greenery:

Brightness
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” ― Claude Monet
15th & Blake Intersection
“A person who takes a concrete place and convert it into a garden of flowers is a real magician!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
15th Street
“Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity.” ― John Ruskin
Fun Floral Bike
“I always notice flowers.” ― Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol’s Party Book
On the Millennium Bridge
“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.” ― Iris Murdoch
Garden Block
“Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.” ― Clare Ansberry, The Women of Troy Hill: The Back-Fence Virtues of Faith and Friendship
By the Millennium Bridge
“Flowers have the greatest talent in converting an ordinary place into a magical palace!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

— Associates III

A skyscraper of a different sort…

27 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, inspiration

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Tags

art, Auraria Campus, Biennial of the Americas, Denver, LoDo Denver, Mine Pavilion, Pezo von Ellrichshausen, Speer Boulevard

During my commute into work down Speer Boulevard I would see this during its construction. At first I thought they were building wood pallets, for what I could not think of, but maybe for the building just to the south on the Auraria Campus.from afarbeetle kill wood tower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To my surprise, as I’m sure to many, this spectacular art form appeared as part of the “Draft Urbanism” exhibition for Denver’s Biennial of the Americas.

A cathedral…

more light

light, wood and stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In July a few of us ventured out of our LoDo office for an afternoon adventure to get a closer look. I was truly taken in by the level of detail with such simple materials. 

the stones

wood, stone and a few nails

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


If you’re in Denver and you haven’t visited this amazing structure yet, I encourage you to take a walk to experience it before it’s deconstruction in September.
At the very least visit this website for more on the installation and about the artist, Pezo von Ellrichshausen, Mine Pavilion, 2013.

—Angie Pache

ZeroLandfill Harvest Days

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Denver, Do it yourself, Harvest Day, Recycling, Upcycling, Waste management

Every few months we set aside some time as a design team to go through our library and purge discontinued samples or ones we no longer use. We often donate our samples to area schools, but this time we loaded up the car and headed to Harvest Days.  Harvest Days is an event put on by ZeroLandfill Denver that allows design firms like Associates III, to donate their samples for the public to come and pick out what they would like for free. It’s a way to keep materials out of the landfill and upcycle them into something useful for your home, classroom, etc.  We love this idea and were happy we could help!

9 News even highlighted the upcoming Harvest Days: click here for their report.

The first Harvest Day is this Friday, August 23rd from 3:00-6:00. The second opportunity to obtain free items to use for projects is September 6th, from 3:00-6:00. The location is the Design Materials warehouse located at 10498 East 49thAvenue in Denver. Never know what you might find!

Samples!

— Michaela Jenkins

More than just pretty flowers.

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Business improvement district, Denver, Downtown Denver, Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, Flowerpot, Pedestrian

The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) invests in trees, flower planters, streetscape enhancement to create an inviting pedestrian environment. While many of the enhancements are focused on the 16th Street walking mall, BID partners with property owners and the city to turn our community into an inviting destination. Their efforts are particularly noticeable along California Street between 14th and 17th; Larimer Street between 15th and 17th; and 14th Street. In addition to these projects, BID has placed 350 flower pots on streets off the 16th Street Mall. Property owners help fund the capital cost of the planters, while BID commits to planting and maintaining them. We so appreciate the efforts of BID and love that they are giving attention to pedestrians, bicyclists and nature in our urban environment.  We are thrilled to be a part of the beautification of our fair city and hope the planter in front of our office enhances the experience. We know we love it!

Flower Pot

— Associates III

Behind the Purple Doors: History

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design

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Tags

Denver, Downtown Denver, LoDo Denver, Real estate

Associates III arrived in Lower Downtown (LoDo) Denver at a time when the area was mostly empty warehouses awaiting urban pioneers seeking inexpensive space for their creative endeavors. Luckily the warehouses, along with much of Denver’s history, were saved from the wrecking ball—at one time Blake and Market Street in LoDo were slated to become four lane highways to create an area more like the suburbs everyone was flocking to in the 60s.

After renting property on Blake Street for nearly five years in the early 70s, Associates III was ready for a long-term home of our own. Unable to purchase the space we were renting because the owner recognized it would be hot real estate one day, we looked next door. The building had been a bakery during the late 1800s, many things in between and then an antique store from 1971 until 1976—a recent serendipitous encounter unearthed a photograph from this time (see below). In 1976 Kari, owner of Associates III, and a group of friends pooled their resources to buy the building, painted the doors periwinkle and we have been diligently designing in the space ever since.

Today, LoDo is a thriving, mixed-use neighborhood of 25 square blocks that are home to more than 20 art galleries, nearly 100 restaurants and clubs, dozens of professional, service and retail businesses, and approximately 1,000 residential units (mostly lofts). In other words, LoDo is a wonderful, vibrant place to work and play!

Click on a thumbnail below for a slideshow of larger images:

Blake St 1800s
Early days in Denver, CO showing the 1400 block of Blake Street (late 1800s)

Before Associates III
Antique Store, future home of Associates III (1971-1976)

Associates III today
Associates III Interior Design reception area (2013)

Associates III today
The purple doors (Periwinkle Porte!) of Associates III (2013)

How to Bike in the City

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment, inspiration

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Tags

Bike to Work Day, Cycling, Denver, Grist

In honor of next week’s Bike to Work Day (June 26th in Denver, CO) here is a lovely video from Grist with basic tips on how to bike in the city:

 

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

 

Snowy Springtime Promenade

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in inspiration

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A Snowy Day, Denver, Environment, Snow

We are in the midst of a springtime snow storm in Denver, yesterday big beautiful white snowflakes fell most of the afternoon and into the evening and the forecast is for more overnight into tomorrow. A tribute from nature, as if reminding us that we are at her whim and mercy. Bringing the bus into work this morning with yesterday’s tragic events on my mind, I wasn’t quite ready to ensconce myself at my desk when I arrived. Really, I would have loved a snow day to spend telecommuting from my cozy home office — instead I settled for a snow walk with a camera to ease my mind.

Perhaps I’ve been a little preoccupied with the benefits of walks recently; I posted this article from the NY Times on the topic to my Facebook page a few weeks ago and followed a week later with this infographic. And it worked — as I walked the LoDo streets and nearby parks, snapping pictures of the snowy scenery I began to feel more connected to this haphazard and, at times, unreasonable world we live in. Probably helped that the refrain ♪♫ so much beauty it could make you cry ♫♪ from a Modest Mouse song was on repeat in my head.

In hopes of passing on some of my snowy walk’s calming influence, here are an assortment of images from me to you:








We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. —Goethe

— Amy DePierre

Bag of Beans

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by periwinkleporte in inspiration

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Tags

Bean, Christmas, Denver, Shopping, Soup, Soups and Stews

Many years ago my mom asked me if I would drive her to Denver to pick up a box of beans for a fund raiser she was heading up with her P.E.O group, a women’s philanthropic organization. I had no idea what we were in for and away we went. We made our way from Berthoud through downtown Denver to an area a few streets away from Coors Field where we pulled into a lot outside of a low key old red brick building that was once a firehouse.

When I stepped in the door I was immediately hit by this wonderful smell of different spices! Where were we? Dried beans don’t smell this good! Yum! I looked around to see a number of women bustling around the sunny warehouse. There were bins of different colored dried beans and spices all around. Some women were filling up slender plastic bags with an assortment of beans and a spice mix while other women placed the finished bags of beans into boxes to fill orders. The bins and the smell of spices were amazing! We loaded up the few boxes we came for and left. I was so intrigued;  the whole ride home my mom told me all about where we went — The Women’s Bean Project — and I have been a fan ever since.

Women's Bean ProjectIn operation since the late eighties, The Women’s Bean Project is a local Denver, CO endeavor that helps women move forward out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency by teaching job readiness and life skills through employing women in this fantastic company that manufactures gourmet food and beautiful handmade jewelry. This non-profit business is a platform, a classroom to teach women who have been through tough times learn job skills to get and keep a job and to gain self-confidence while creating delicious and beautiful items. I love this concept!

My mother’s group picked The Women’s Bean Project to sell for their fundraiser because it is a wonderful local company to support and the products are great. The profits her group receives from the bean sales help fund a scholarship program for young women; it is women helping women.

Learn More Here: http://www.womensbeanproject.com/

Bean Soup MixesIn addition to beans for bean soup mixes, they offer dip mixes, cornbread mixes, cookie, scone and brownie mixes, spice rubs, salsa mixes, fajita marinades as well as organic fair trade coffee and tea. They even have gluten free mixes (which I especially appreciate).

If you live in the area they will be open on Saturday December 22 from 10a.m-2p.m. for Christmas shoppers!

Visit the Women’s Bean Project at:

3201 Curtis Street
Denver, CO 80205

— Kelley Cleveland

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