R+B Announces New Studio Home and Headquarters on Aspen’s Main Street

Restored Mesa Store accommodates continued team growth, the expansion of our national body of work and an emphasis on future legacy.

ASPEN, CO — March 15, 2019 — Rowland+Broughton Architecture / Urban Design / Interior Design is thrilled to announce that the historic Mesa Store, located on Main Street at the entrance to Aspen, is our new home and headquarters. Listed as an historic landmark structure within the Aspen Main Street Historic District, this location accommodates continued team growth and the expansion of our national body of work.

“The Mesa Store has been our favorite Main Street building since the day Sarah Broughton and I first came into town, and shepherding it into the future is something we don’t take lightly,” shares Rowland+Broughton Principal, John Rowland, AIA. “Building on the legacy of our firm while acting as the faithful stewards of this important property is humbling. As we embrace the opportunity to control our own destiny, it’s an honor and a privilege to call the Mesa Store R+B’s new home!”

About the Mesa Store

Located at the corner of Fourth and Main Street at the entrance to Aspen’s downtown core, the Mesa Store is an historic and iconic Old West structure built in 1889. Originally used as a general store, and then a bakery, with a shopkeeper residence above, the significant features of the lap-wood-sided structure include a two-story, false-front façade with large storefront windows at street level, double-hung windows along the upper floor, and a hidden gable roof beyond. The signature covered front was originally designed to protect a typical Old West boardwalk.

Restoration and Preservation

The existing, historic structure required extensive restoration and preservation efforts. In collaboration with Aspen-based Schlumberger Scherer Construction, all non-historic windows were removed and replaced with replicas as seen in historic photos. The non-historic, covered entry roof fascia was removed, and historic detailing was restored. The non-historic, exterior covered stair and deck were removed and rebuilt, also according to historic photos. All new building infrastructure was added, preparing the property for the next century and further preserving Aspen’s authenticity and historical heritage.

The interiors of the studio spaces include reclaimed wood floors with clean white walls and white oak millwork. Collaborative, ergonomic work areas feature natural light and are adaptable to required usage. This spring, new landscaping and gardens will complement the historic yard and open space patterns of Main Street, while providing a modern aesthetic.

About the restoration, Amy Simon, City of Aspen Historic Preservation Officer, comments, “Rowland+Broughton, as new owners of 500 W Main, went far beyond the minimum City of Aspen requirements to restore the Mesa Store. Beautiful Victorian details which were removed decades ago, including windows, chimneys and the decorative front porch, have been carefully recreated so that this building, the largest false front structure remaining in Aspen, is once again an architectural icon on Main Street.”