3 Bedrooms, 3 Full Bath, 1,965 sq ft
The Arrowhead condominium in the heart of Aspen, Colorado overlooks Aspen’s Glory Hole Park, a peaceful setting with a pond, stream, and meandering path located just outside the center of downtown. The project involved turning a 2-bedroom/2.5-bath unit into a 3-bedroom/3-bath more contemporary mountain residence. The primary goals were to heighten the ceiling and add a third bedroom within the limited space allowed.
The unit is located on the second story of a three-story building which made it challenging to affect the original 7’8” ceiling height. Forum Phi removed the existing concrete sub floor replacing it with a thinner radiant slab system. Next, the ceilings were removed entirely and carefully planned structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were designed to minimize the volume of ceiling space they’d require. A custom cove with a number of reveals and a soft curve was designed. Finally, the existing ceiling of traditional lumber was replaced with a skinny floor system; this halved the structural dimension of the floor above. The final result was 7’11” ceilings throughout and tray ceilings that popped up to 8’3”.
To create a third bedroom without reducing the size of the living area, space layout and the rerouting of structure had to be most efficient. The wall width was minimized, but acoustics and sound transfer between the thin walls was a major consideration. Upon completion, the team tested the sound dampening by turning the television in the adjacent bedroom to its maximum volume and then returning to the master bedroom. The room was so silent, the team mistakenly assumed the television had itself turned off.
With the spatial challenges of the project met, the focus moved to the modern detailing of the rest of the condominium. The final look desired by the client, a clean and contemporary take on the mountain style with a classic handsome feel, was achieved.
