Enjoy the current issue of our monthly newsletter,

the DETAILS - April 2024

MAY 24 - the DETAILS | from Mid-Mod Dream Homes

welcome to the DETAILS

with Mid Mod Dream Homes
05 2024

Hello Modernists

It's Preservation Month. There is a lot of fuss around preservation. 

It's my personal opinion that as we introduced mass-produced products into the the supply of products consumers desire, people began to lose respect or interest in how things are made, and by extension, interest in preserving or maintaining those things that might have, at one time, lasted a long time but are now "easily" replaceable. Don't get me wrong - mass-production has made so many things more accessible over time to more people because supply increases, and there is a place, economically speaking, for mass-produced goods (as long as we are considering how we might make those processes sustainable). But what happens when we start to apply modern consumer tendencies to housing - especially mid-century style housing (yes, some mass-produced) that was a direct result of advances in production methods, construction, and building technologies?

 I do think it is important to draw a certain line in the sand. If we start to casually throw away examples of well-designed, and well-constructed homes that pushed the envelope just to throw up a few tract homes, where do we look back to when we're searching for inspiration? Don't we lose some of the connections we have to innovation and ingenuity? Don't we start damaging some of the urban fabric that was so delicately and deliberately sewn together to create connection? Maybe I should call Chris Pratt and ask his opinion. Respectfully though, I believe preservation is not simply about preserving an object so it can just be seen. We aren't necessarily filling snow globes or stocking museum exhibits. Preservation is about remembering and hopefully building off of how and why we did things a certain way, just with an application of new technologies. I tend to believe that doing what we can to preserve the homes, the urban spaces, the art that got us here (within reason, of course), will inform positive and creative movement forward, while allowing us to remain present to the demands of the times we are currently living in. Thanks for tuning in.

-Stephanie & Lawrence | Mid Mod Dream Homes

the ARCHITECTURAL SPOTLIGHT

Alan Gass' personal home received Historic Landmark designation May of 2023, and just this week, on Alan's birthday, he received the plaque, physically marking the home itself. 

Preservation of his personal home was not without "opinions". If you'd like to read some of the public commentary during the evaluation period, you may do so HERE. 

 Gass, a native Coloradan, graduated with a Master in Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1956. Gass interned with I. M. Pei in 1954 during the construction of the Mile High Center in Denver. He went on to help shape the public fabric of Denver, and has been an ongoing advocate of "intelligence, not fashion" driving Denver's built environment.

A supporter of informed design decisions, I like to think that he supported progress, but progress that isn't short-sighted. While the following interview occurred eight years ago, I still feel it is relevant now:

Confluence Q&A: Alan Gass of AGGA Architecture and Urban Design

Hopefully preservation of Gass' home represents, ultimately, a preservation of his ideas, and helps people understand how those ideas, along with other forward-thinking designers and builders, can be applied to positively impact the way we create today. 

Alan's Instagram: @gassalan
For more on Alan Gass', visit https://network.aia.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=4026f74b-841f-44fb-8753-508fcca71da8

Photo Credits:
denvergov.org
Docomomo: @Docomomo
denvergazette.com - Timothy Hurst

the GUY

Hello, everyone! Lawrence here. I'm the guy behind the DETAILS. 

Some of you may know me, some may not. I've recently made the transition to Mid-Century Modern Dream Homes, and picked this monthly newsletter up as a fun, and hopefully informative way to connect with all of you through a shared love of design culture, with a slight bias toward architecture. Sure, I'm a real estate professional, but underneath the jacket and tie lives a deep-seeded love for people, creativity, houses, and technical/interesting things. 

I have degrees in Building Science and Architecture. I've helped design and build a floating classroom on a pond. I've built houses with Habitat for Humanity, and sat at closings as those families finally had a place they could call their own home. I've helped build a home inspection company here in Denver, and have been inside, on top of, and underneath over 2500 homes and buildings in and around the metro area. Stephanie and I met as I helped her clients understand and navigate the details and technicalities of the mid-century homes they were purchasing, and made sure they were in a place to not only manage owning their home, but appreciate what they had to offer. You see, I love helping people find their place.

My goal here is to hopefully open lines of thinking, and, if so desired, lines of communication. If I'm lucky enough to represent you during the sell or purchase of your home, regardless of style, it would be an honor. BUT - this is my space to connect with you all. I hope that I'm able to teach you something you didn't know about architecture in Colorado, the neighborhoods we all commune in, and expose you to the events and gatherings that might interest you, your friends, your neighbors. Design impacts us all, day-to-day, regardless of whether we recognize it or not. I hope this monthly newsletter opens your eyes to those interactions, and hopefully brings you a bit of joy. If you'd like, let's keep the conversation going. I look forward to hearing from you.

-Lawrence Lippard
MMDH

Photo Credit: April Martinez

the LIFESTYLE

First Fridays Are Heating Up
With the warmer weather comes less room for excuses not to visit a First Friday Art Walk
For more on the event times and locations, follow the image link.
Photo Credit: Colorado.com

Architecture of Form 5
Art show at Core Art Space, Juried by William Logan of Modern in Denver - May 10-26th
"Architecture of Form is launching its 5th annual exhibition hosted by Core Art Space in Denver. This national exhibition embraces an aesthetic of architectural hard-edge, minimalist, and various modernist styles and influences from various historical and contemporary art movements."
Courtesy of CORE Art Space

Mother's Day in Denver
"From flowers to incredible takeout cuisine, The Mile High City knows how to pamper and delight moms. Here are a few ideas to get you started for a memorable Mother's Day in Denver."
Courtesy of Visit Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau
Photo Credit: Giphy

meet the AGENTS

Thank You for reading this month's issue of 
the DETAILS | by Mid Mod Dream Homes

Lawrence Lippard
broker associate
m: 704.880.8291
lawrence.lippard@compass.com

Scan For The 
MMDH
Instagram
Page

Stephanie Kroll
broker associate
m: 303.345.5886
stephanie.kroll@compass.com

Ready to find your place?

Click for More Available Mid-Century Modern Listings

Compass is a licensed real estate broker. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

APRIL 24 - the DETAILS | from Mid-Mod Dream Homes

welcome to the DETAILS

with Mid Mod Dream Homes
04 2024

Hello Modernists

As architectural enthusiasts, nature may not always be top-of-mind. Sure, many of the materials that help form the experiences in and around places that stay with us come directly from nature, like wood and stone, and even, simply, dirt. Buildings are inherently tied to the earth, built upon the earth, and rely on resources from the earth. Part of the modern movement involved some measures to increase sustainability, employed designs that responded to site-specific settings, and encouraged the blending of interior and exterior spaces to make our experience of place not just of that building, but the places that weave in, out of, and around those places. 

It is important to remember that as architecture attempts to combine the experience of place and nature, that we cannot ignore the impact the pursuit of place has on nature and it's resources. Not only do we attempt to preserve the mid-century experience, we attempt to preserve the resources that literally build and form that experience. While the spotlight of this issue is not a preservation project, the studio behind it understands and recognizes this idea, and through various initiatives and design decisions works to put a spotlight on the natural environment within this beautiful state many of us call home.

-Stephanie & Lawrence | Mid Mod Dream Homes

the ARCHITECTURAL SPOTLIGHT

Populus, designed by Studio Gang, and scheduled to open this summer, represents innovative, forward-thinking architectural design that seeks to evoke the experiences we may have in the mountains of Colorado, while allowing us to engage the surrounding city fabric of Denver. 

From Studio Gang:

"Opening itself to the city and the Rocky Mountains beyond, Populus is designed to become an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. Located on a prominent corner site, the building greets the neighborhood equally on all three sides, welcoming visitors and residents and connecting Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts...

...The texture and rhythm of its sculptural façade is strongly tied to its hotel function. Each vertical scallop is the width of a guest room, and its distinctive windows change in size and shape in response to the character of the building’s public and private spaces...The window shapes are informed by the characteristic patterns found on Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). As the trees grow, they shed their lower branches, leaving behind dark, eye-shaped marks on the papery bark of their trunks...

With a green roof providing an attractive habitat for local wildlife and insects, Populus aims to reconnect city dwellers with nature in the heart of Denver."

For more on Populus, visit https://studiogang.com/project/Populus

Header & Architectural Spotlight Visualization/Quote Credit: Studio Gang

“The word ‘obsolescence’, at least in the U.S., has to do with the way buildings are depreciated, not because they get worn out, but because they are superseded by newer and more modern ones. Just a week after a building is complete, a newer building will outcompete it. The idea is that obsolescence is a construct that doesn’t have anything to do with the building being worn out. It’s important to reverse this idea. Of course, we should update buildings with new technology and new systems when necessary. But buildings should last longer than 10 years. Tearing them down is just not sustainable.”

-Jeanne Gang 
Interview with Designboom at Triennal de Milano, 2023

the CITY

neighborhood spotlight
from the MMDH Website

Aberdeen Village is tucked away in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood next to Ketring Park, Gallup Reservoir, and the Littleton Historical Museum. It’s about a five minute drive from this neighborhood to Downtown Littleton. Littleton initially started as farmland to help feed and sustain the growing City of Denver, and Aberdeen Village in particular started off as an alfalfa field in the 1950s. After WWII, like many other post-war neighborhoods, developers were able to create more prefabricated homes using innovative technologies as homeowners started to take advantage of the benefits of the G.I. Bill. Between 1950 and 1960, the population of Littleton increased by about 10,000 people and then more than doubled in the next decade.

Robert Hayuten, president of the Aberdeen Land Company, was the man responsible for subdividing the neighborhood. This neighborhood had a community association that still lives on today in order to promote the betterment of the enclave, and it is more so utilized today as a means of social gathering. Many of these homes were originally built in unincorporated Arapahoe County until the neighborhood sought to be annexed into the municipality of Littleton.

The homes in this neighborhood were custom built for executives. They were larger in square footage, built on oversized ½ acre lots, with views of the mountains, brick exteriors, and larger garages or carports. These were then advertised at a premium with a starting price of $19,900. While there are many brick ranch style homes sprinkled into the neighborhood, the models that are Mid-Century Modern specifically are the asymmetrical split level, the cross gable, and the front gable ranch models.

Aberdeen Village is one of the few lucky neighborhoods that has a Pattern and Idea Book for Post-War Homes created for homeowners, curated by Historic Denver in order to preserve the design and historic integrity of the neighborhood.

photo credit: Kylie Fitts Photography

the LIFESTYLE

Modern in Denver: 
The Spring Issue
"Adaptable Design - Flower Architecture uses modular design principals to create an open, inviting home."
Courtesy of Modern in Denver

Mark Your Calendar:
Luncheon by Design with Architect Jeanne Gang
May 9th, 11:30am-1:30pm
For more on the event and tickets, follow the image link.
Photo Credit: Studio Gang

Richard Serra
Legendary Artist Leaves Behind Monumental Mark
For a bio and works, visit his page on The Guggenheim website via the image link.
Photo Credit: Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa

meet the AGENTS

Thank You for reading this month's issue of 
the DETAILS | by Mid Mod Dream Homes

Lawrence Lippard
broker associate
m: 704.880.8291
lawrence.lippard@compass.com

Scan For The 
MMDH
Instagram
Page

Stephanie Kroll
broker associate
m: 303.345.5886
stephanie.kroll@compass.com

Ready to find your place?

Click for More Available Mid-Century Modern Listings

Enjoy the current issue of our monthly newsletter,

the DETAILS - April 2024

Mid-Century Modern Dream Homes at Compass Colorado