John Rowland, AIA, with Steve Harris, AIA, on-site for the Pan Abode project.
Every so often, a project starts the way life in Aspen often does: friends together on a Sunday afternoon, a little sun, a little laughter, and someone asking a deceptively simple question. What would you do with that place?
In this case, “that place” was a 1950s Pan Abode cabin in the West End. It was charming and weathered, but an addition had blurred what it originally was. In the middle of that conversation, it became clear that the real opportunity was not to replace it. The opportunity was to restore its integrity and then build its future carefully around it.
Our clients leaned into preservation in the most meaningful way by voluntarily landmarking the cabin. That choice came with rigorous standards and real responsibility, but it also created a path forward that honored Aspen’s architectural legacy while allowing the property to evolve thoughtfully.
This is where expertise matters. Preservation in Aspen is not only a design exercise but also a code conversation. Our team often works in the space where guidelines, historic standards, and permitting realities intersect, and we have learned to use that framework to create more value for clients without compromising the spirit of a place. We are not simply complying with the code. We are participating in the ongoing work of interpreting it, improving it, and demonstrating what thoughtful stewardship can make possible.
That commitment shaped every sustainable decision that followed. We kept what could be kept. We restored the logs to their natural character, repaired what was repairable, and protected the site itself, including the mature trees that shaped the solution from day one. When we needed to expand, we did it in a way that respected the cabin’s footprint and presence by creating new space below grade rather than letting the historic form be overwhelmed.
Behind it, we introduced a new companion residence that doesn’t imitate the cabin, but listens to it. The connection between old and new is deliberate, with light, structure, and screening working together so the solution feels inevitable, not forced. In many ways, that is what preservation should be: not nostalgia, but continuity, extending the life of a place through care, restraint, and craft.
In this case, that framework didn’t just protect a historic cabin, it made room for two distinct family homes to coexist on one in-town site, supporting a walkable way of living that keeps daily life connected to Aspen’s community.
What I’m proudest of is that the result doesn’t announce itself. It simply feels right, settled, calm, and grounded, like it has belonged here all along.
Warmly,
John Rowland, AIA
Pan Abode | Aspen, Colorado
The design strategy focused on architectural balance and site legacy. To maintain the integrity of the 1950’s Pan Abode while expanding its livable area, the team executed a bold intervention: temporarily relocating the historic structure to excavate a full basement level beneath it, increasing the home’s usable space by 840 square feet; all while preserving its exterior form and character. Once excavation was complete, the home was returned to its original location and carefully reassembled.
