Celebrating Colorado

You don’t need to be a golfer to live in a golf community. In fact, that was the case for the couple who asked KGA Studio Architects to design their home in Parker’s Colorado Golf Club. They were moving to Colorado to retire because they’d fallen in love with the state’s sunshine and mountain vistas. So that’s exactly what Paul Mahony, KGA senior partner and architect, delivered: a home that celebrates the bright and beautiful Colorado outdoors.

Right from the start, landscape led the way. “There was a view that goes from the front door right through the house, out the back, over the pool, through a clearing, right to Pikes Peak.” Mahony explains. “There was really no question: We all stood out there on the lot and said, ‘That’s where this thing is pointing’.” KGA worked with Sterling Custom Homes, Comstock Design, and Brown & Associates Custom Landscapes to bring the homeowners’ vision to life.

Although the couple live alone with their dogs in the 6,643-square-foot home, it’s a family-friendly and entertainment- ready place. Two levels of outdoor living space offer a variety of shaded and sunny spots for relaxation, dining, and play.

The upper-level deck is an extension of the home’s main living space, with the dramatic flying roof acting as a shade canopy. With an outdoor fireplace and lounge area, plus a pass-through from the kitchen leading to a barbecue center and dining area, it’s a space where the homeowners can kick back and still keep an eye on the pool deck below. Mahony had steel railings custom-crafted for minimal visual impact: “We almost wanted it to feel like a ship’s rail; like you were standing on a ship and overlooking the pool and out to the view,” he says.

Downstairs, the family room opens onto the large pool deck. “If they were really inviting a lot of people over, that would be thrown open and there would almost be two parties going on at the same time,” Mahony says. KGA collaborated with Browne & Associates to design the spacious bar, a variety of conversation areas with lounge seating, and a fire pit. Browne & Associates built the pool with an infinity edge that leads straight down the valley to the view.