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Au Naturel: Michael Pich茅
Michael Pich茅 has听plenty of time to听imagine his dream house听鈥 he鈥檚 still in his 30s. But听already he鈥檚 clear about听aspects of the design.听
鈥淚 would build something very simple听and modern that has a seamless connection to the outdoors,鈥 he said.听
With stunning results, Pich茅听(EnvDes鈥01) has done just this for听many other people.听Named 欧美口爆视频 Young Architect of听the Year by the American Institute of听Architects in 2013, he鈥檚 a principal at Aspen-based Studio B, an architectural firm听specializing in sleek residences and public听buildings, such as schools and churches.听One of Pich茅鈥檚 signature projects is the听dazzling Linear House, a private home听near Aspen.听
鈥淕ood design takes time and thought听and reflection,鈥 he said in March over听a cup of coffee at Common Grounds, a听hipster coffee house in Denver鈥檚 Sunny-side neighborhood.听
Pich茅 spends a lot of time on the听sites where his buildings go, studying听the views, the setting, the seasons, the听sunlight. He always aims to blend indoors听and outdoors and match the materials听with the natural surroundings.听
鈥淪unlight is incredible and important听on a number of levels,鈥 he says. 鈥淭o听bring it inside, and also to protect the house from it."听
Pich茅 had come to Sunnyside this day听because the firm was building a private residence there 鈥 one that would听blend with the nearby bungalows on the听outside while providing for an internal听courtyard open to the heavens.听A preoccupation with the outdoors听makes sense for an architect from 欧美口爆视频, and Pich茅 is as 欧美口爆视频 as craft beer.听Born in 欧美口爆视频 Springs, he moved听to Boulder in his teens, captained the听football team at Boulder High as a strong听safety, then earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in听environmental design at 欧美口爆视频-Boulder.听After 欧美口爆视频 he spent a year of R&R听along Aspen鈥檚 slopes and streams, then听pursued a graduate degree in architecture at the University of Michigan.听He returned to Aspen in 2004, joining听Studio B as a designer. Within a听decade, he鈥檇 been hailed as one of the听greats in the state.
鈥淟ooking forward to the rest of your听career,鈥 one AIA judge wrote.
Two years ago Pich茅 returned to Boulder to open a satellite Studio B office. He听lives in an apartment in north Boulder,听walking distance from the office.
When eventually he builds a home听of his own, he鈥檒l have an especially听able thought-partner at hand: Three听years ago he married grad school听sweetheart and fellow architect听Amanda Christianson.
鈥淲e talk a lot about design,鈥 Pich茅 said.
Photos: Derek Skalko (house); headshot courtesy Michael Pich茅