After graduating, I managed to find a job at an architecture firm in Durango and then moved to Telluride where I got to work on incredible projects on amazing sites with steep terrain and a very challenging climate. But I wanted my work to make a more positive difference and be more truly sustainable than second homes can be, so I went to graduate school at Parsons in NYC. I worked in New York and Boston for large firms on really exciting cultural and educational projects. I missed Colorado and the scale of the small firm, so growing Shape Architecture with Morgan has been the synthesis of all my passions. 

ML: I studied art and sociology as an undergraduate. I also liked making things. After watching ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ I realized how inefficient buildings were and felt that pursuing sustainable architecture was a way to help impact climate change in a positive way. That initial inspiration is still the core of the DNA of our firm. We pursue a wide range of sustainable strategies on every project. My definition of sustainability has grown from building performance to fair housing solutions, equitable design processes and community benefits. 

ML: There’s so much editing that occurs on projects that sometimes it can be difficult to integrate the feeling of artistry. There’s also a lot of potential that comes from this editing process to explore solutions. We identify critical components early on, find unique and exciting ways to celebrate them, and (sometimes) advocate for why those elements are critical to the project. 

ML: Most of the ‘style’ of our designs is generated from the site and the client. Materiality is very important to the wide variety of communities and climates we work with in Colorado.

ML: I am always drawn to the architectural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The site responsiveness, materiality and scale is largely unmatched anywhere in the country. Having lived and worked there, the climate, availability of gorgeous natural materials and proximity to incredible craftspeople provide a wealth of good design. We try to bring this quality to our practice. 

It’s designed with a super long, low-sloping solar canopy — the shed form recalls simple agricultural forms while creating generous outdoor shaded spaces that are seamlessly connected to the indoors and can house all kinds of community events, from classes to farmer’s markets to weddings. So this project really checks all our favorite boxes: net-zero, site-specific, community-oriented and educational.  It’s won several awards already and we think it will be a model for other community park spaces. 

ML: Bluff Lake Nature Center. The initial brief was for the design of a building, but our approach has been more holistic, prioritizing landscape and considering the entire preserve in the development of the design. We envisioned the building as a gateway to nature, and this really resonated with the clients, so it has felt like a shared vision from day one. This project is in close and equal partnership with Superbloom, the landscape architecture firm, and the synergy of our collaboration has been really rewarding. 

ML: I love the variety of clients we get to work with — from single-family homeowners to builders, developers, non-profits and more. It may sound trite, but listening closely to the client and the site is crucial and has served us well on single-family projects; this approach doesn’t change drastically for current, larger projects.

When Morgan moved to the front range in 2015, he couldn’t find another company that understood and implemented the building science underlying the standard, and also did work that inspired him. So he first started a design-build company with a friend, but then started Shape in order to shift the balance of his work back to architecture. When I moved here in 2018, I joined Morgan for the same reasons and because our visions for a sustainable, inclusive, residential and culturally-oriented practice were so aligned.  Now, although we don’t exclusively work on Passive House certified projects, we bring our building science expertise to every single project we do. 

ML: This responsibility is completely interwoven into Shape’s DNA. We have worked with almost every green building standard and a wide variety of building types. We employ a lot of this shared knowledge on almost all of our projects that are not Passive House Certified. Having said that, we also appreciate balance. We recognize that a 1,700-square-foot passive solar code building made of wood has a lot less embodied energy than a 5,000-square-foot concrete certified passive house. We also work with a lot of folks that have real, fixed  budgets. We are always looking at how we can achieve health, comfort and energy efficiency by starting with the “low hanging fruit” for every project. 

2. We nurture the relationships we have built and in return, we’ve been fortunate to get a lot of our work through referrals and repeated partnerships (especially contractors).  

3. We are probably in the right place at the right time — because we have a really clear focus on high-performance, low-energy design at a time when the importance of building low-energy is starting to be recognized more and more; and net-zero or passive house goals are getting more common, so people are finding us. It’s a big goal of ours to complete ultra high-performing buildings that are cost-competitive and resonate stylistically with a wide audience, to help people realize their sustainability goals are not only achievable but will improve their quality of life.

ML: Steve and my partnership and our complementary skills and aligned vision has been critical to our success as a firm. Our similar interests combined with different ways of doing things continues to be a collaborative and fulfilling partnership. We have also spent years in the trenches, slowly proving ourselves and building up our own network but also contributing to the Colorado green building and design communities. There’s not a lot of ego or top-down ethos in our office. We genuinely like collaborating and play well with others, which goes a long way. 

ML: I enjoy the Architecting podcast and reading books. I live in Leadville and drive down to Denver once a week. There’s about 30 minutes over Fremont Pass with no service and that’s my time to breathe. I’m also an avid outdoor person and do some of my best design thinking while biking, skiing or running in the hills right outside of Leadville. 

Discover more about Shape Architecture by visiting their website or following along on Instagram.