To Build or Not to Build
“…Seek, and you will find…” Matthew 7:7
Love at First Scroll
I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) Cabins. It was while I was doing my customary fantasy scrolling, looking for ideas for our dream home, soaking my eyes with image after image of contemporary architecture that I knew in the back of my mind was too good for me- always wavering wildly between hope and despondency; quivering enthusiasm and utter despair.
They popped into my feed like destiny, “This is it!” and I knew right away these were what I had always wanted. The cabins are minimalist cabins constructed in Leadville, Colorado as both full time and seasonal housing for the COBS students. The ascetic, concept, materials, essentially everything about them I loved without reservation. It was like every other house in the world lost all appeal for me; they were the apple of my eye, the pearl of great price, and the girl of my dreams.
I knew what I wanted even if I wasn’t conscious of it, even if I couldn’t define it. It now became defined in its existence. Like a manifested dream that had only been sparsely remembered but yearned for nonetheless.
I had seen and studied literally hundreds of different types of homes, ranging from various Passive Haus and conceptual prefab designs, to experimental 3D printed homes, yurts, caves, and tree-houses. I had a long string of crushes and flings that were fun for a while, until I met somebody new. Then I’d be off on another lark until the sheen wore off, having realized it wasn’t really what I wanted, and that it ultimately never had a chance. But now, I was the archetypal reprobate bachelor that had played the field, given up on true happiness, but against all odds found true love, and like a giddy schoolboy lost my mind in her presence.
At that moment, I would have happily dropped everything, emptied my bank accounts down to my last crumpled dollar, and madly driven whatever diesel chugging, smoke belching flatbed I could get my hands on straight to Leadville, where I’d winch my beloved on board and off we’d go into the sunset.
Go Natural
In my search for the perfect home design, Shawnda and I once attended the Colorado Straw Bale Association conference in Golden, Colorado and was introduced to the true underground of residential construction; those intrepid, natural, souls who are determined to save the world with grass, mud, and lime plaster. The conference featured a number of rousing, passionate speeches and presentations imploring us all to remember a simpler time, when our ancestors not only grew their own food and made their clothes from naturally sourced fibers, but who dug and made mud bricks, who felled great trees and sawed them into steadfast beams to build their homes and lives upon. For a time, I too, was lifted into ecstasy at the thought of doing away with all the nasty VOC’s, CPE’s, PDB’s, and CFC’s that our American dream homes are sadly made of. I bought books and even gleefully spread the gospel of natural construction for a time. But after I received a bid to Tadelakt a shower, the cost of which rivaled having it plated it with pure gold, I realized my faith was misplaced. It would seem only the most affluent people, the same people who often have gargantuan carbon footprints, are the ones who can indulge in such transcendent luxuries as a polished earth floor.
Of course, I could just buy some bags of plaster, grab a hoe and trowel, work till my hands were bloody, and in so doing save a few bucks as well as the environment. Yet, I suppose that’s asking a little much of someone that regularly skips weeks mowing the yard.
The harsh reality is, the industrialized American construction complex, enabled by monopolies in infrastructure, utilities, and materials- emboldened by governmental codes and restrictive zoning- continues to produce cheaper, easier, crappier ways to build that are killing us slowly from the day we attend the open house and enslaving us to choking debt. Despite knowing it’s bad for us, we still line up to get their lousy, inefficient, sloppy product like the hungry hoards that mob McDonald's and KFC.
American builders have been building essentially the same house, with just enough tweaks to make it feel ‘new’ and stay under budget, for over 40 years and why some of the newest subdivisions look like a dusty page from the past. Contractors on the front lines have no incentive or desire to learn natural or alternative construction methods, and consequently dumpster after dumpster is filled with enough construction waste to build whole cities, at the very same time engineered supply shortages send costs into space and affordability out of reach.
While I’ve reluctantly, and pragmatically accepted the realities of the current system, I can’t help but respect and admire those dedicated, talented, Patagonia wearing crafts-people, who continue to envision and work towards a better way.
On The Case
The article that profiled the COBS project (I think it was Dwell magazine) duly praised the CU Denver Design and Build program for their efforts. I went into detective mode, sans ugly long coat and string of uglier habits, and started reaching out to anyone I could find who may have been involved. I wanted those plans- I needed to find out more. I emailed, called, and searched the internet for clues. I even stalked social media for the design team contacts. This went on for weeks and months with no breakthroughs and it seemed like another hopeless endeavor.
The name Rick Sommerfeld kept popping up everywhere I looked. I knew he was the key, so I kept at it until eventually in early 2018, I made contact. To my amazement- and delight, Rick was interested! While most of his talents and time are devoted to the CU Denver program, he takes on a few private projects periodically and seemed intrigued by our plans. It was obvious his COBS project had garnered plenty of attention and he’d had a few of these conversations before. He was quick to point out that the costs mentioned in the article were artificially low due to the donation of materials and student labor. He mentioned the issues some had run into regarding unconstitutional and often discriminatory zoning regulations (my words, not his). He even mentioned that people had been pestering the Colorado Outward Bound School to try to rent the units, and were even staking out the campus for a peek. I was undeterred and was thoroughly stoked to have made contact. I felt like some must feel when they meet a celebrity, but for me Rick was Robert DeNiro.
Not long after we closed on La Cresta, we had an amazing design in hand from Rick for the place of our dreams and things were moving along nicely. We had moved through a few concepts with each one somehow better than the last. His expertise and vision were exactly what we needed to bring something truly unique into existence. He has since been the consummate pro. He has been patient and encouraging, enthusiastic and flexible through the changes necessitated by the pandemic. Through all of the challenges we’ve had thus far, his support and belief in our project has been one of the linchpins that has given me hope.
After You
When I first reached out to Rick, I was angling for a property near the Royal Gorge, which was part of the famed, but now defunct Buckskin Joe's. It was a 20+/- acre piece of land that dangled off the bigger piece like an unwanted skin tag, separated by the road. At the time, the entire property had been on the market forever, and had been under negotiations with an unnamed buyer who didn’t have the money. The parcel I wanted was legally separate, and had some great sites towards the north of the parcel. I made an offer, which was duly rejected, although the agent didn’t even bother to let me know until after the contract deadline had passed.
It’s since been purchased by one of our resident millionaires who already owns everything, which is usually how it goes. Of course, looking back it was absolutely for the best. Only a few short months later, we acquired La Cresta.
There is a time recorded in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 13, when old Father Abraham and his nephew Lot had to part ways. They had both richly prospered and the land couldn’t support both their flocks. Abraham said to Lot, “Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Abraham had faith that whatever God had for him was the best, despite how it seemed at the time- despite how it came to be. He let Lot choose first and was willing to take the left-overs, which wound up being the Promised Land, and in so doing fulfilled the will of God for his life and the lives of his descendants. In contrast Lot suffered miserably in his choosing.
The world routinely overlooks things valued in God’s eyes, and fights one another for things of no value whatsoever. We humans have a real talent for eschewing the desert in favor of artificially watered gardens, despising the incline in favor of the lazy river. Yet as Jesus taught us, death to oneself is what brings true life. When exercised in faith, death to our agenda, our expectations, and even our intellect and best interests, allows resurrection to miracles of the unexpected.
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