News

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May 2010

Nicole to speak at BGBG Brownbag on AAC

Nicole has been accepted to speak at the Boulder Green Building Guild monthly Residential Brownbag forum on July 13th, on the topic of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. We’ve designed a home using this innovative green material, and, along with the project’s structural engineer & manufacturer, will be discussing its attributes and merits.

view the project: Casa M

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April 2010

Nicole, Amy & Laura lead “Listening to the Land” workshop for Environmental Educators

Nicole, Amy, & Laura have been selected again to present at The Teaching Outside the Box Conference, held by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. Their two-hour workshop titled “Listening to the Land: Understanding the Relationship between Natural & Built Learning Environments” was so popular last year that they were invited back! A hands-on site analysis session follows a lecture on the interrelationship between site & building. We are currently seeking other relevant venues at which to present this engaging workshop.

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February 2010

wee ski Chalet is Greensource “Best Green House”

The wee ski Chalet was recently featured in Greensource magazine as one of their “Best Green Houses.” A narrative & slideshow by David Sokol can be viewed on Greensource’s website, along with a lively discussion in the commentary section.

view the project: wee Ski Chalet

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May 2009

Dushanbe Center wins Innovation: Sustainability Award

As reported in the Daily Camera, the recently completed Dushanbe Cyber-Cafe & Cultural Exchange Center was the recipient of the Sister Cities International 2009 Award for Innovation: Sustainable Development. The award, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, was accompanied by a letter from the SCI President, which stated, “This award is a tribute to the work, contribution and dedication of your volunteers and community to help foster international cooperation and understanding.” We are proud to have played such an integral role in the realization of this incredible project!

view the project: Dushanbe Friendship Center

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April 2009

Leaf Home Features in Missoulian Go Green

The Leaf Home was recently featured under the Organic Architecture heading in the Missoulian’s Go Green Special Report. The article, which describes many of the house’s sustainable systems & materials, also delves into the biomimetic response that often drives the poetic seeds of our home design. The full article can be found on the Missoulian’s website.

view the project: Leaf Home

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April 2009

David speaks on Sustainability & the Art of Planning at APA

The American Planning Association National Conference was held in Minneapolis this year, and David Barrett presented on “Sustainability and the Art of Planning.” His lecture explored the Master Planning process of the Holiday Neighborhood, which has been recognized as a Model for Sustainable Development by the Urban Land Institute. BIG Ideas! such as Connectivity, Complexity, Variety, and Affordability founded the basis for this successful new gateway community in Boulder, Colorado, and BSa’s Design Guidelines ensured that the vision was realized with integrity by the various developer architect teams who built out the neighborhood.

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January 2009

BSa partners with Watershed School for AFH Competition

Barrett Studio Architects is partnering with the Watershed School in a competition hosted by Architecture for Humanity’s Open Architecture Challenge. This year’s challenge is to design the classroom of the future that provides a healthy learning environment for multiple cultures and economic groups. Working with student groups at Watershed, our team - led by Amy Kirtland - is exploring education in the western United States environment through a portable learning structure. The winning submission will receive $50,000 to construct their design.

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June 2008

BSa Declared Winners of Business Challenge: Bike/Bus to Work

As our trusty bike rack at the front of the studio can attest, we’re dedicated to enjoying & preserving our beautiful Colorado by biking to work! Some of us bike to the bus in Denver, load their bikes onto the bus, and then bike from the station in Boulder to the studio, some bike from our homes in North & East Boulder, and sometimes we even have an intrepid biker from Louisville in the mix! By providing RTD passes to our employees and having a little competitive spirit, we cut our carbon footprint significantly. We are pleased to have been recognized by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and by RTD as the Business Challenge Winner for alternative commuting.

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January 1, 2008

BSa donates $10,000 to local non-profits

It has long been our desire to give back tangibly to the local community that gives so much to us, and in 2007 we were proud to share a portion of our profits with Boulder organizations that contribute to our communities vibrancy. While there are many deserving organizations, we chose to support the Carriage House, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, and the Wild Bear Center for Nature & Discovery. These particular non-profits align with our principles by bring housing solutions to the less fortunate and also educating our youth to bring about a sustainable future for our global home - Earth!

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October 2007

Sam braves International Travel to visit site of Dushanbe Cyber-Cafe - Now in Construction!

Sam Nishek is currently travelling in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in order to have a few shots of vodka and administer the construction of the Dushanbe Cyber-Cafe. Having worked on the project for several years, it is such a pleasure to see it tangibly taking shape! If you have interest in donating to this important venture, please visit www.boulder-dushanbe.org.

view the project: Dushanbe Friendship Center

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September 2005

Natural Home & Garden profiles Publisher’s Home

The Ligon Residence was profiled in the article “Coming Home”, published in the September / October issue of the Natural Home & Garden magazine. This home’s massing, conscious material selection, and livable scale take advantage of a unique site to truly provide a sense of comfortable, high performance dwelling for the owners.

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August 2005

The Garden House is “Boulder’s Coolest Home”! - 5280 Magazine

5280 Magazine profiled David Barrett, Principal of Barrett Studio architects, in their August issue. The Barrett’s Garden Home was touted as an example of earth conscious design, and David’s attention to nature’s forms and forces, scale & livability were outlined as a key to the his design philosophy and the design process at BSA.

view the project: Garden Home

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June 8, 2005

Jonathan Zimmerman Remembered

Our good friend and colleague Jonathan Zimmerman passed away. As an architect, Jon specialized in the design of air formed thin shell concrete structures. Many of his designs can be found by searching the internet. His love and passion for dome architecture led to a lifelong study, which has advanced the development of this building process. In an effort to keep his dream alive, we are happy to respond to your inquiries.

Take Care Jon: you will be greatly missed.

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January 24, 2005

Sam Nishek, Principal, gains LEED accreditation!

The United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) recognizes design professionals who display an expertise in green building techniques and systems. We are proud to formalize our dedication to environmentally sustainable building practices with Sam’s achievement.

Congratulations, Sam!

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December 18, 2004

The Strawbale Home has been profiled in the Rocky Mountain News!

This award winning sustainable home in Salida, Colorado is constructed of straw-bales, and uses careful site planning to maximize the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

view the project: Home of Straw