Gracie is pursuing a B. Arch degree at Cornell University and will begin her third year by studying abroad in Rome. She enjoys representing her design ideas through the iterative process of model making and experimenting with materials. She's excited to intern at [au]workshop because she shares their vision of designing spaces that create a balance between the natural and built environment. She looks forward to getting real-world experience in the architecture discipline, climbing Horsetooth Rock, and kayaking this summer.

We would like to introduce our newest employee, Di! She is very excited about her new position and we are lucky to have her join our team! You can read more about her here.

He has been here for awhile, but we're proud to announce that Nathan Pepper, one of our designers, has successfully completed the Architectural Experience Program and the Architectural Registration Examinations, and is now officially a licensed architect in the State of Colorado. With his licensure, the [au]workshop staff is now 100% licensed!

We're excited for him, and wish him a hearty congratulations.

A farewell…

I had an amazing time working as an intern at [au]workshop this summer!  It was such a marvelous experience full of exceptionable people who were all too happy to pass on their knowledge.  I learned invaluable things over the course of the past few months, and I cannot wait to take that experience into the next chapter of my life. 

The size of this firm was perfect.  There were enough people to get a variety of tasks, yet small enough where I got to know everyone and feel like I got to be a part of something special.  This was my second internship, and I can say that without a doubt that this was the better fit for me.  This is the kind of firm that I can envision myself spending a lifetime with.  I wish the best of luck to the people at [au]workshop, and I cannot thank them enough for welcoming me with open arms. 

Thanks for everything, and I hope our paths cross again,

Kat

Kat is currently a student at the University of Notre Dame, where she is working on her Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch).  She is joining us this summer before she heads off to Rome to study abroad for this upcoming year.  In her own words, "I am fascinated with how hand-drafting and classical architecture relate to the modern world and cannot wait to study this in more depth over the following years."

We are thrilled to have Kat be a part of the workshop this summer! 

[au]workshop turns 5 today! We can't believe how quickly the time has passed! We began as a three-person team in a shared office space back in 2013, and as our holiday party dinner table shows, we have grown ever since. 

To celebrate, we 3d printed some custom commemorative fidget spinners to keep our hands busy during our frequent intra-office collaborations.

A big Thank You! to all of the wonderful clients and collaborators who have helped us succeed so far. We're excited for the next five!

Every year, it seems like our table gets a little longer! This year, continuing our tradition of supporting local businesses, [au]workshop (and family) enjoyed good company and a great meal at the newly opened Cache at Ginger and Baker. 

We also wanted to take the opportunity to wish Happy Holidays to our many wonderful collaborators and clients. See you next year!

Whoops! Occasionally, things like the blog get away from us as we focus on the architecture. Like this post that we just found in the "drafts" folder:

We were pleasantly surprised the other day to get a visit from a Mr. Johnny West, who, besides having a pretty fantastic name, used to live at 405 Linden Street, in the old house that is now our office space. 

We've been fortunate enough to meet a number of the folks who used to call the building home, lots of whom lived here when the building was owned by the Fort Collins housing authority. Mr. West's story was especially intriguing, as he lived in the house earlier than anyone else we've met, back in 1945, when he was 12 years old. 

He regaled us with stories of nearly dying of diphtheria in the back bedroom and of attending school with Jesse Godinez, the proprietor of El Burrito. He also filled us in on some missing history; apparently, before it was a slaughterhouse, 401 Linden (the future site of Confluence) was a private residence that raised chickens commercially. 

Thanks for chatting with us, Mr. West!! Sorry to take so long to get you published. 

Mr. Johnny West at 405 Linden Street, where he lived as a boy. 

We had the drone out for some context photos for Confluence and decided that it was such a nice day we'd put together a few quick shots of Block One...

Our daily commute during worksessions for our Bangkok projects (Emsphere and a few others), beginning at the hotel near the project site.

The traffic in the video is especially bad due to flooding during the rainy season, but it provides a good feel for the daily experience. 

Nope, it's not a typo; we're proud to laud the professional service of our newest employee, Stephanie Bedinghaus, who has been appointed to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' Architectural Registration Exam Case Study Task Force: Project Management Group! In case, like us, you have acronym-induced sleepiness (AIS, for short), Stephanie has kindly explained it thusly:

“Basically, I help write the questions for the Architectural Registration Exam. ”

In all seriousness, this is a highly important position, as the ARE is something all architects must pass in order to become licensed. Because what we do as architects varies from designing safe, accessible, and beautiful buildings to writing and administering contracts,  it's a very difficult set of skills to properly assess, and a lot of effort goes into the writing the test. It's also probably a job for which the hardworking folks who volunteer their time probably don't get thanked enough, so we wanted to take the opportunity to say "Thanks Stephanie!"

Confluence has been featured on the cover of the Spring 2017 issue of Colorado Construction & Design. The AIA Colorado North spotlight lists the project alongside the Ginger and Baker rehabilitation of the Feeder Supply building (another River District redevelopment project), the Windsor Mill Redevelopment, and Bohn Farm Cohousing in Longmont. 

You can visit their website here or read the full issue here; the article is on page 33. For more information on Confluence, be sure to take a look at our project page and confluencefc.com.