LIEBMAN PROPOSAL

To: Jon Liebman
From: David Hyde
Date: September 21, 2020
Re: Liebman Ranch
Subject: Information Package

Dear Jon Liebman,

Thank you for the opportunity to present information about our company. Shaeffer Hyde Construction
has built its reputation by providing exceptional service on all projects since 1979. We undertake a
select number of projects at any one time. This practice ensures that we will deliver your residence
within budget, on time, and beyond your quality expectations. By working closely with your team
throughout the preconstruction and construction phases for your home, we are confident we can make
a valuable impact on the project. We begin by establishing a strict budget, developing a detailed
schedule, and providing you with the information and recommendations necessary to make crucial
decisions without delay.

By adding Shaeffer Hyde Construction to your team, you will gain advantages that include:

• Ranch Expertise – We have built 11 ranch properties consisting of over 160,000-sf of homes and
structures. Our work includes 15 primary residences and lodges, 11 cabins, 7 barns, several bridges,
multiple ponds, and much of the ranch infrastructure on these properties. We understand what makes
ranch properties unique and how to build while maintaining the beauty of the land itself.

• Berglund Architects Experience – Together, Shaeffer Hyde Construction and Berglund Architects
have completed six homes, totaling 45,000-sf and 44 Million dollars in value. We work great together as
a design and construction team to collectively achieve our client’s vision.

• Your Team’s Key Qualifications – Project Manager, Jon Stevenson, has seventeen years of
experience at our company. He completed the Reimers Residence with Berglund Architects and was a
part of the Castle Peak Ranch Field Team. Todd Mann, the Superintendent, has over forty years of
experience and has completed two large homes with Berglund Architects. One of them being the
15,000-sf Palmerosa Ranch in Lake Creek.

• Ability to Control the Budget and Schedule – With Berglund Architects, both the Palmerosa
Ranch property and the Reimers Residence met the budget and schedule goals for the project. We
would be happy to share how our approach led to this success.

Please know we are happy to discuss any questions you may have at any time.

Sincerely,

SHAEFFER HYDE CONSTRUCTION

David Hyde, LEED AP
President

P.O. Box 373 . Vail, Colorado 81658 . P 970.845.5656 . F 970.845.7013 . ShaefferHyde.com



Creative Professionalism

George Shaeffer founded our company in 1979 when vail was young. Our company grew
alongside the community, establishing relationships with local architects, building a reputation for
excellence in home construction, and adding to a portfolio of awe-inspiring residences throughout
the Colorado Mountains. Today, the company that George built is led by David Hyde. As a LEED-
accredited professional, David continues to move the company forward, helping design teams
and clients navigate sustainable design and construction practices, and introducing technology
that streamlines cost modeling and catalogs the details of every project.

Our objective is to deliver a superior quality product through the highest level of professional
service. The precision and craftsmanship achieved in executing our client’s vision are unmatched
in the construction industry. We undertake a select number of projects at any one time to ensure
that each project exceeds our client’s expectations. Shaeffer Hyde Construction excels when
working as part of a collaborative team and prides itself on creating a positive working relationship
with our owners, design teams, and subcontractors. Our preconstruction, construction, and post-
construction services integrate to form a comprehensive process that results in a truly spectacular
home.

Every family and every property are absolutely unique. That is why we balance individual priorities
with creative solutions, collaborating closely with clients, and never compromising an amazing
outcome.

Singular Stunning

Expert craftsmanship is about precision, and the extra effort passion brings. We have a reputation
for superior construction that lets us stand proudly behind every house we build. While we love
making first impressions, in the end, it’s all about relationships.

From Idea to Realization

Shaeffer Hyde Construction offers a time-tested, flexible framework to bring a client’s vision to life
from the initial design concepts through the finishing details. It allows clients to collaborate closely
with our experienced team to achieve project goals. At Shaeffer Hyde Construction, our people
embody the culture of our company. Our organization employs 40 associates with a reputation
for attaining impressive tenure. With this vast amount of construction knowledge, our project
managers, superintendents, and preconstruction engineers are with you throughout the process.
We offer guidance on the constructability, material selection, and maintainability of your home.
The foundation of designing, planning, and building exceptional homes is based on our
company’s pursuit of excellence in all that we do.



Construction Service Proposal

We are pleased to provide attached a proposal for preconstruction, supervision & construction
management for the Liebman Residence. At Shaeffer Hyde Construction we take a simplified and
straight forward approach to our fee structure. The total project costs are made up of the following:

• Cost of Work – This is comprised of the costs of the physical work that occurs on the project
site, inclusive of subcontractors, labor, materials, the project manager, and superintendent
who is working on the site, and general conditions (i.e. trash removal).

• Construction Management Fees and Overhead – To the cost of work we apply an 9%
Construction Management Fee.

The following is a brief summary of our proposal:

• Preconstruction Fee $0 – Included in CM Fee
• Project Manager $95/hour (50% of Manager’s time)
• Jobsite Supervisor $85/hour
• Construction Management Fee 9%
• GL Insurance Included (.7% Overall Project Value)
• Savings 100% of the Savings Accrues to the Client
• Contract Type Cost Plus AIA 103 & 201
• Design Assist Excluded
• All Risk Property Insurance Excluded / By Owner

Ultimately, we believe that our approach to general conditions, overhead and fee is easy to
understand, eliminates “hidden fees”, and simplifies the entire process. A more detailed breakdown of
what is included in our fees follows.

An organization chart is attached.

We are very excited about the opportunity to provide construction management services for your
home. Please know we are happy to discuss any questions you may have at any time.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FEE

Shaeffer Hyde Construction proposes a fee of 9% of the Cost of the Work as estimated on the Permit Set
of drawings. This fee shall include our profit as well as the associated costs of preconstruction services,
including salaries of the preconstruction manager and estimating staff. The following services shall be
provided:

 Preconstruction Services – Our traditional approach is to not charge for Preconstruction Services
if Shaeffer Hyde Construction is selected as the General Contractor for the project. We believe
that the services we provide early in the design process are essential for ensuring a successful
project. We offer the following preconstruction services:

• All of our Management and Preconstruction time is included.
• Attendance of any meetings necessary.

P.O. Box 373 . Vail, Colorado 81658 . P 970.845.5656 . F 970.845.7013 . ShaefferHyde.com

• Reimbursables are included. You will not be charged for office supplies, copies, postage,
meals & entertainment, and phone charges.

• Working with you, the clients, and the consultants in establishing preconstruction goals and
project strategy.

• Value engineering to determine the products and systems that deliver the greatest benefit.
• Schedule development for both the preconstruction phase and the construction phase.
• Bid list and procurement strategy development.
• Recommendations and consultation from a construction viewpoint, prior to and during the

preparation of the drawings and specifications.
• Assistance in meeting the requirements of the local building department and any other local

authorities having jurisdiction over the project.
• Receipt of subcontractor input during pricing.
• Estimating Services including value engineering services at each phase as well as gain

subcontractor input for market conditions.
• Submit for permit as necessary to begin construction.
• We would expect to be compensated for any work that is completed by trade contractors

during the design phase (i.e. test pits, professional survey work, testing and inspections, etc.)
• Bluebeam software

 Construction Services – Throughout the construction of your project our fee will also include
construction services as follows:

• Invoicing of material, subcontracts, and other costs of construction to the owner at the exact
cost they are billed to SHC. All invoices shall be provided as backup to monthly pay requests.

• Cost control, cost tracking, and all billing functions on a monthly basis and all other
accounting functions.

• Organization and attendance of Owner, Architect, Contractor meetings as required by the
project.

• Monitoring and updating of the schedule that was established during preconstruction.
• Bid analysis and the negotiation of contracts with subcontractors and material suppliers.
• Review of shop drawings and material submittals in order to assure you and any other

consultants that the products follow those specified in the construction documents.
• Progress photos.
• Operations Manual at job completion.

 Overhead Expenses – Throughout the construction of your project our fee will also include
overhead expenses as follows:

• Shaeffer Hyde Construction maintains digital project files. We are able to render the vast
majority of this information to the web and provide our clients and their design team access
to their job files. This access is to job site photos, meeting minutes, schedules, and the like.
Team members can view email discussion threads, faxes, scanned documents, equipment
specification sheets, CADD drawings, contracts, budgets, schedules, invoicing, and other
documents that pertain to the construction of their new home.

• Onsite office equipment as necessary for the construction phase of the project including
computers, fax machines, copy machines and general office supplies.

• Telephone expenses directly or indirectly related to the job (both onsite and offsite). This is

P.O. Box 373 . Vail, Colorado 81658 . P 970.845.5656 . F 970.845.7013 . ShaefferHyde.com

assuming the site has traditional telephone service.
• Copies, electronic transmissions and mailing expenses necessary for the normal conduct of

business related to the job including (1) paper copy and unlimited electronic copies of the
monthly payment applications with backup.
• Offsite office support and clerical staff.
• Provision and maintenance of light equipment normally employed in construction, i.e., hand
tools, table saw, compressors, etc.
• Superintendent truck expenses including fuel, maintenance and insurance necessary for local
day-to-day construction activities.
• Offsite office, facilities, and equipment.
• Workman's compensation insurance and vehicle liability insurance.

CONTRACT REQURIMENTS AND GENERAL CONDITIONS

The following reimbursable costs in Division 00-01, Contract Requirements and General Conditions, are
considered Cost of the Work and shall be limited to the following:

• Utilities & Tap Fees – Typically, these are put directly in the owner’s name and are not subject
to the contractor’s fee or overhead.

• Permits – This would include building permits and inspection fees required by local building
authorities. All compliance deposits are typically by the owner and not subject to the
contractor’s fee or overhead.

• Submittals/Documentation – This would include items such as shop drawings, samples,
blueprints, and the reproducing other construction documents. Typically, blueprints are by
the project architect and are not subject to the contractor’s fee or overhead.

• Quality Control – This would include items such as engineering, surveying, material testing,
and any other relevant costs incurred at the site. Typically, soil and material testing are by the
owner and are not subject to the contractor’s fee or overhead.

• Project Manager – This would include the project manager (50% of time) at a rate of $95 per
hour.

• Supervision – This would include the site superintendent and any other management
personnel that may be deemed necessary and approved by the owner. The full time
superintendent will be billed at $85 per hour to a maximum of 40 hours per week.

• Temporary Controls – This would include costs such as utility services to the site, utility bills
during the progress of the work, temporary fencing, and the cost for any extraordinary project
signs. Typically, utility usage charges are by the owner and not subject to the contractor’s fee
or overhead.

• Trash & Clean – This would include the cost for all trash removal and any necessary general
labor that is outside the scope of subcontracted work.

• Temporary Protection – This would include winter protection, snow removal, and temporary
protection of items in place, such as trees, completed work, etc.

• Equipment/Tools – This would be for tools that are typically outside the scope of standard field
tools, such as, heavy equipment, tool rental charges, fuel for these tools, scaffolding costs,
and transportation costs (if adequate parking is not available on-site).

• Storage – Any cost for temporary off-site storage of existing materials or storage of materials
prior to their installation.

• Onsite sanitary facilities during construction.

P.O. Box 373 . Vail, Colorado 81658 . P 970.845.5656 . F 970.845.7013 . ShaefferHyde.com

• Project Closeout – This would include final cleaning of the project and any other
miscellaneous project closeout costs, such as owner move-in, assisting interior decorators,
demobilizing the site, etc.

• Builder’s Risk Insurance – Typically, this is put directly in the owner’s name and paid for by the
owner. It is not subject to the contractor’s fee or overhead.

• On site trailer and internet charges related.
CONTRACT REQURIMENTS AND GENERAL CONDITIONS
For the Owner-Contractor Agreement, we utilize the current version of the AIA standard forms: AIA 103
Standard Agreement Between Owner & Contractor where the basis of payment is the Cost of the Work
plus a fee without a Guaranteed Maximum Price and the AIA 201 General Conditions of the Contract
for Construction (both 2017 versions).

P.O. Box 373 . Vail, Colorado 81658 . P 970.845.5656 . F 970.845.7013 . ShaefferHyde.com



ORGANIZATIONALCHART

TheLiebmans

Berglund
Architects

Preconstruction ProjectManager, President,DavidHyde
JonStevenson -CompanySupport

-DailyTeam Leadership PostConstruction

Construction

Preconstruction Superintendent, PropertyManagement,
Manager, ToddMann ScottSmith

SteveHooker -On-sitefull-time -ScheduledInspections,
-Budgeting,Control throughconstruction First-CallAlarm
Estimate,Development, andpostconstruction Monitoring
ValueAnalysis,Cost
Control,Purchasing, requirements

Coordination

ProjectEngineer, FieldTeam CustomerService,
EricWasdorp -Vendors, TravisCremonese
-Planning Subcontractors, -WarrantyCoordination,
MaterialsSuppliers PostConstruction
Changes,Renovations,

Updates

ProjectCoordinator, CustomerService,
HeatherMcCoy KevinSquires
-Coordination
-FieldCoordination,
RoutineMaintenance,

AnnualInspections

PROJECT MANAGER Jon is a Colorado Native who has been with Shaeffer
Hyde Construction for seventeen years. Serving as an
BACHELOR OR SCIENCE on-site Superintendent and Project Manager, Jon has
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT navigated administrative pre-construction roles within
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY the company as well as hands-on building functions.
With expertise in takeoffs and estimating, project
GREEN ASSOCIATE & CERTIFIED administration such as contract writing, billing, and
QUALITY ASSURANCE TECHNITION insurance standards, Jon has an unmatched holistic
understanding of each project he oversees. Jon is an
active humanitarian, working with the Front Range
Powder Factory, a non-profit suicide prevention
group, and he is a frequent volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity. Jon serves as a member of the Eagle
Watershed Council and has served a twelve-year
term as President and Treasurer of his HOA. In his
leisure time, Jon participates in a co-ed soccer team,
enjoys mountain biking, dirt biking, fly fishing, and
leads groups on whitewater rafting expeditions. Jon
and his wife Jacque reside in Avon Colorado with
their two dogs Rider and Georgia.

Jon Stevenson

Residential Projects: Vail Village Residence I
Vail, CO
Mountain Star Residence $520,000
Residence
Avon, CO Vail Village Residence II
$3,692,000 Vail, CO
$460,000
Bachelor Gulch Residence
Beaver Creek, CO Mill Creek Circle Residence
$7,240,000 Vail, CO
Confidential Figure
Glen Lyon Residence
Vail, CO $4,050,000 Vail Village Renovation I
Vail, CO
Mountain Star Residence $260,000
Avon, CO
$11,300,000 Commercial Projects:

Bridge House Retail Store Remodel
Mountain Star Beaver Creek, CO
Avon, CO $61,600
$8,500,000
Retail Exterior Remodel
Castle Peak Ranch Vail, CO
Eagle, CO $12,000,000 $240,000

Gold Peak Residence
Vail, CO $1,973,000

SUPERINTENDENT Todd began his career in construction over forty years
ago. He has extensive experience as a
ASSOCIATES DEGREE superintendent and also as a business owner in
CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING & Alaska. Todd knew from day one that carpentry was
BUILDING TRADES his calling. He has a philosophy embracing integrity,
quality, and communication. Todd married his long-
CRANE RIGGING CERTIFICATION time best friend Wendy thirty-nine years ago, and the
two are an exemplary couple that everyone admires.
Todd Mann Todd has a passion for health and wellness and
relishes life. April Fool’s Day is a significant holiday in
the Mann household. They are befittingly proud of
their two daughters, a charge nurse at Children’s
Hospital and a middle school teacher. Todd is an
outdoorsman. He and his family ride their horses,
move cattle, fish, and hunt. He loves camping and
working on home improvement projects, both for his
family and for those he can offer skills and expertise.
Todd has also participated in Habitat for Humanity
projects. Todd and Wendy have three horses, three
dogs, and a cat. They are expecting their first
grandchild in December.

Residential Experience

Bachelor Gulch Residence Beaver Creek Residence
Avon, CO Avon, CO
9,800 esf 10,000 esf

Forest Road Residence Bachelor Gulch Residence
Vail, CO Avon, CO
10,000 esf 10,000 esf

Palmerosa Ranch Cordillera Residence
Edwards, CO Avon, CO
14,600 esf 8,500 esf

Castle Peak Ranch
Care Taker House
Eagle, CO
4,000 esf

Mountain Star Residence
Avon, CO
8,500 esf

Bachelor Gulch Residence
Avon, CO
8,000 esf

PRECONSTRUCTION MANAGER Steve has been with Shaeffer Hyde Construction for
twenty years. As a graduate of Colorado State’s
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Construction Management Program, Steve
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT demonstrated an aptitude for future leadership.
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY Steve worked in the estimating department for three
FORT COLLINS, CO years, honing his cost control skills before being
promoted to Project Manager. Steve has also served
Steve Hooker as an on-site Superintendent. Steve’s greatest
strengths are his attention to detail, project
organization, and overall understanding of project
management, preconstruction & supervision. These
skills ensure that the project is done efficiently and
exceeds the owner’s expectations. His experience
has fostered an invaluable knowledge of all aspects
of the building process. Steve has been leading our
Preconstruction Department for the past seven years
and uses his hands-on project management
experience to ensure the most accurate estimates.
Steve is a true family man and enjoys mountain
biking, camping, and skiing with his wife and two
boys. Steve was born and raised in the Denver
metropolitan area.

Project Experience Mountain Star Residence
Avon, CO
Maroon Creek Club $14,000,000
Residence
Aspen, CO Arrowhead Residence
$13,500,000 Avon, CO
$2,900,000
Sopris Mountain Ranch
Carbondale, CO Bachelor Gulch Residence
$10,000,000 Avon, CO
$6,100,000
King Creek Ranch
Toponas, CO Strawberry Park Renovation
$5,900,000 Avon, CO
$3,500,000
Lake Creek Residence
Edwards, CO Mountain Star Residence
$7,800,000 Avon, CO
$5,900,000
Beaver Dam Residence
Vail, CO Forest Rd Residence
$5,300,000 Vail, CO
$20,650,000
Forest Rd Renovation
Vail, CO Bachelor Gulch Residence
$1,200,000 Avon, CO
$7,900,000
Beaver Dam Cir Residence
Vail, CO
$2,300,000

PRESIDENT, LEED AP David is the President and part-owner of Shaeffer
Hyde Construction. He has worked in the construction
BACHELOR OR SCIENCE industry for over 25 years, starting his career sweeping
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT homes for a builder in his home town. David brings a
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA systematic approach and analytical skills to all
US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL projects. He is a LEED Accredited Professional, and his
Member & LEED Accredited dedication shows in his knowledge and passion for
Professional the green building movement. David has an ongoing
interest in learning about new products and
David Hyde techniques to make strides in sustainability. David is
currently running the day-to-day operations of
Shaeffer Hyde Construction and is engaged in each
project. David is an active board member with the
Vail Valley Foundation. David is also participating in
the CareerWise Apprenticeship program, which offers
a pathway for high school students to obtain hands-
on training for good-paying jobs in the community. In
his spare time, David is a youth basketball coach,
enjoys skiing, playing guitar, and mountain biking.
David and his wife have two sons who are currently
attending high school.

Residential Experience Bachelor Gulch Residence
Avon, CO
Maroon Creek Club $5,800,000
Residence
Aspen, CO Beaver Dam Residence
$13,500,000 Vail, CO
$7,000,000
Sopris Mountain Ranch
Carbondale, CO Forest Rd. Residence
$10,000,000 Vail, CO
$20,650,000
Basalt Residence
Basalt, CO Commercial Experience
$9,500,000
American University
Lake Creek Residence Katzen Arts Center
Edwards, CO $41,000,000
$13,800,000 132,000 sf

Mountain Star Residence Emory University
Avon, CO Schwartz Center for
$11,300,000 Performing Arts
$29,400,000
Mountain Star 87,000 sf
Avon, CO
$8,500,000



Ranch projects present a unique style of construction. There are many varying
elements considered during the design and construction of an individual property. The
foremost requirement is to protect the adjacent nature so that the structures
complement the environment and not interfere with the surroundings. The following
represents a sample of our work for those who wish to escape from the ordinary and
connect with nature’s untouched beauty.

Mount Sopris Ranch, Pitkin County

The project achieved the required City of Aspen / Pitkin County Efficient Building
Program requirements. On 35 acres, a barn with four horse stalls accompanies a 7,700-
sf mountain contemporary home. K.H. Webb Architects designed Mount Sopris Ranch.

Knapp Ranch, Lake Creek | Edwards, Colorado

The Knapp Ranch, designed by Resort Design Associates, consists of a main 16,000 sf
home and four guest cabins built on 320 acres. Each structure honors a different era in
time.

TYL Ranch, Summit County, Colorado

The TYL, for “Thank You Lord,” Ranch incorporates a 28,000-sf main house, a four-stall
barn with a riding arena, and an equipment building. Designed by Jay Gunson, TYL is
situated on a 550-acre property.

King Creek Ranch, Routt County, Colorado

This 10,036-sf log home residence sits on 36 acres of exclusive ranch property. CCY
Architects designed the home.

Castle Peak Ranch, Eagle, Colorado

A 12,000-sf main house and two guest cabins are constructed on this 10,000-acre
parcel. Shaeffer Hyde Construction built a bridge to span a natural depression in the
land to reach the building site. Resort Design Associates designed the project.

Rose Valley Ranch, Laramie, Wyoming

On this 3,000-acre ranch, Shaeffer Hyde Construction added 16,000-sf to the existing
4,000-sf home. The new residence includes a two-lane bowling alley as well as several
other unique features. RMT Architects designed the residence.

Palmerosa Ranch

This Ranch is situated on the banks of Lake Creek. The home features an indoor pool,
massive fireplaces, and spectacular views of New York Mountain. The 14,556-sf
residence was designed by Berglund Architects.





Architectural Digest

Peak Experience

An Informal Mountain Getaway Finds Its Place in Harmony with
the Land

By Gerald Clarke
Photography by David O. Marlow

o

The living room. Bronze lamp, CJ Peters. Stark drapery fabric. Sofa fabric, Ralph
Lauren Home. Club chair fabric, Cowtan & Tout. Beauvais carpet.

Designer Elissa Cullman, of Cullman & Kravis, did the interiors. A Richard Long
work hangs in the living room. Small English trunk and lamp bases, Suzanne
Golden Antiques. French sideboard, Amy Perlin. Pitcher, Sentimento.

o

Architect Gordon Pierce conceived a ranch house for a couple in Colorado.

In an homage to the setting, Cullman treated calipers and augers as art and
hung them in the family room. On a wall of the hallway is Christmas Eve, 1963,
by Malick Sidibé. Late-19th-century teak trunk from India, Yale R. Burge. Pale
pillow fabric, Rogers & Goffigon.

“It doesn’t feel like a formal dining room,” says Cullman. French 1920s chairs,
Sentimento; 19th-century wing chair, Lee Calicchio. Beauvais rug. Candlesticks,
Frederick P. Victoria. Iron-and-bronze chandelier, Marvin Alexander.

Cullman “kept a muted color scheme” in the master bedroom. Low table,
Bermingham & Co. Late-19th-century Japanese drink stand, Niall Smith. Late-
19th-century settee, Harbor View Antiques. Cowtan & Tout plaid. Drapery fabric,
Lee Jofa.

The view from the dining room terrace. The landscaping is by Scott
Sones. Kravet cushion fabric.

“This is everybody’s favorite room,” Cullman says of the attached structure’s
main living area. Armchairs from Newel. Amy Perlin oak low table and side

chairs, with Lee Jofa cushion fabric. Sofa tartan, Ralph Lauren Home.
Chandelier, Holly Hunt.

Cullman used remnants of Moroccan rugs for the living room chairs.
Low table and 19th-century French iron candleholders, Suzanne
Golden Antiques. Drapery fabric, Rogers & Goffigon.

Folk art and recycled seating define the bar. “It’s a great place to test
one’s ability to stay in the saddle,” she says.

The bunk beds, in one of the two bedrooms, are custom. Kravet duvet fabric.
Lamps, Antique & Artisan Center.

Mountain Living Magazine

Keeping It Wild

A Colorado ranch is designed to live lightly on the land in a remote mountain
valley

September 6, 2019
Irene Rawlings

A winding road climbs through pine forests and groves of aspen until it crests a
hill—a moraine left after glaciers receded millions of years ago. From this
vantage point, the West Lake Creek Valley unfolds below with the snow-
capped peaks of the Sawatch Range looming large in the background.

“The moment we drove over that hill, we knew this was the place for us,” says
Cleon T. “Bud” Knapp. “It took us a less than a nanosecond to say ‘yes.’”

Hand-adzed square beams frame the view into the dining room in the main

lodge. The wrought-iron light fixture is adorned with wildlife and tree silhouettes.
[Photo by David O. Marlow]

This pristine valley—at 9,000 feet in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, just 20
minutes from Vail but virtually untouched—was to be an Olympic Village, but
after Colorado voters turned down the 1976 Winter Olympics the project was
abandoned. The property stayed mostly wild—the habitat of mountain lions,
mule deer, bear, beaver, red fox, coyote and the occasional moose.
“We were enthralled by the beauty and the openness of the land and wanted
a home that would sit lightly on it,” says Bud. He and his wife Betsy dreamed of a
home—several log cabins—that looked 100 years old and that would last at
least 100 more.

Framed using a traditional French technique introduced by fur trappers, the
Anglers Cabin was built pièce-sur-pièce à coulisse (to slide one piece on top of
the other). The front porch provides comfortable sheltered space for enjoying
the outdoors. [Photo by Todd Winslow Pierce]
Bud and Betsy Knapp’s vision was inspired by three things: the ruins of a 19th-
century miner’s cabin that still sits on the property, the National Park lodges of
the early 20th century (“Parkitecture”) and the rustic structures built by the
Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s Great Depression. “We also tore
pages out of countless design magazines, including our own,” recalls Bud, who
was the publisher of Architectural Digest.

Vail-based builder George Shaeffer, of Shaeffer Hyde Construction, recalls sitting
with Bud on the side of a hill, chewing on blades of grass and hearing Bud say
that stewardship of the land and preserving nature were the primary
considerations of this project.

Guests enter the main lodge compound over a rumbly bridge, passing through
a rough stone-surfaced tunnel. [Photo by Todd Winslow Pierce]

Even the wayfinding signs at Knapp Ranch have been carefully crafted to be
unobtrusive. [Photo by Todd Winslow Pierce]

Bud challenged the team—from the architect, builder and interior designer to
the iron forgers and stonemasons—to give up their polished ideas of building in
the 21st century. He asked them to envision themselves as 19th-century settlers
and to produce the most beautiful things they could fashion by hand.
Authenticity was the project’s driver.

Tucked into a valley with No Name Peak glowing above it, the main lodge of
Knapp Ranch offers privacy and serenity. The lake at eye level has an infinity
pool effect. [Photo by Todd Winslow Pierce]
“Betsy thought it would be interesting to re-create the evolution of the different
architectural styles that were brought to the American West—beginning with the
trappers and miners and ending with the ranchers,” says Bud. So, each cabin
and lodge has a story. Silver Sal, for example, an authentic reproduction of a
miner’s cabin, is small with a sod roof. It was named for Bud’s indomitable
mother, Sarah “Sally” Brasfield. The Macpherson Cabin, named after a Scottish
clan on Betsy’s side of the family, features sophisticated stonework (including a
fireplace with a massive sandstone mantle), burled “character” logs and
decorative hand painting on cabinetry, ceilings and the front door.

A light-filled kitchen, flanked by a band of windows, is connected to the porch
by a Dutch door; a broad sandstone-topped island is the room’s focal
point. [Photo by David O. Marlow]

Although the buildings’ plans were drawn by architect Gordon Pierce of Resort
Design Associates, the Knapps were clear that the structures shouldn’t look
“designed.” Rather, they should seem as though they had been constructed by
19th-century artisans and craftsmen using the tools and materials available to
them.

Despite its rustic appearance, the cabin’s interior is elegant and comfortable,
harkening to a previous time with wide-plank floors and iron-and-wood
furniture. [Photo by David O. Marlow]

“A lot of thought, research and discussion went into what the settlers would
have brought with them when they came to Colorado,” says Kari Foster, of
Denver-based Associates III Interior Design. The antiques that she and Betsy
Knapp chose and polished with beeswax are “well-loved and lovingly made by
hand.” Fabrics are natural—homespun, linen, cotton, flax and quilts of the era
(“nothing made after the 1920s”).

The guest bedrooms are influenced by the original homesteader’s English roots,
with hand-plastered walls, exposed timber frame beams and window
alcoves. [Photo by David O. Marlow]

The building project lasted five years, during which the Knapps lived in a Minnie
Winnie RV and conducted their business from a telephone attached to a pole in
the middle of the job site.
As their passion for living sustainably grew, the Knapps began raising honeybees
and experimenting with organic, high-altitude agriculture. Wanting to carry their
vision forward, they established the Knapp Ranch Foundation as a living
laboratory for horticulture, land management, conservation and climate
science. “Betsy and I built this place to encourage innovation, creativity and
industry,” says Bud, “and we are forever committed to accepting what Mother
Nature gives us rather than taking from Mother Nature.”

A claw-foot tub in one of the two master bathrooms is positioned near the corner
windows to take in the view. [Photo by David O. Marlow]

Traditional Craftsmanship in Your Home

Knapp Ranch’s all-star design team along with owner Bud Knapp offer tips
about how to incorporate handcrafted beauty into a home:
If you can afford only one handmade element, budget for the objects you
touch every day—like hand-forged door handles, drawer pulls and cabinet
pulls. Use wood of varying lengths and sizes for floors and cabinets. It’s what
19th-century craftsmen would have done. Expect traditional building
methods to take time—custom ironwork and hand-carved stone offer a sense of
uniqueness but often require the presence of skilled craftsmen on the job
site. Build green by including handcrafted products—work done by hand uses
less energy than work done in a factory. Celebrate the beauty of imperfection.
Understand that anything made by hand may not have the standardization of
factory-made products.

For more on the Knapp Ranch project, read Living Beneath the Colorado Peaks:
The Story of Knapp Ranch (written by Sarah Chase Shaw with photography by
Todd Winslow Pierce), 282 pages, $70, The Knapp Press, 2018.

knappranch.com

DESIGN DETAILS
ARCHITECTURE Resort Design Associates INTERIOR
DESIGN Associates III CONSTRUCTION Shaeffer Hyde LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE Rick Lamb Associates

As seen in the September/October 2019 issue

Vail Beaver Creek Magazine

A Peek Inside a Walden Pond-Inspired
Mansion

The most expensive home in the valley takes its inspiration from Henry
Thoreau’s ascetic cabin in the woods.

By Kirsten Dobroth Photography by Ric Stovall 2/10/2017 at 5:16pm Published in
the Midwinter/Spring 2017 issue of Vail-Beaver Creek Magazine

A three-story tower houses bedrooms for parents and children, stacked one
atop the other, all with commanding views.
Image: Ric Stovall
In doing without, in the mid-19th century, Henry David Thoreau erected a 10-by-
15-foot cabin on the banks of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Of his solitary time
in the New England wilderness, Thoreau mused, “I went to the woods because I

wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I
could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover
that I had not lived.”

In this valley, when it comes to living large, Thoreau-style, there’s no better—or
more extreme—example than Walden House. The 12,000-square-foot, 7-
bedroom, 9.5-bathroom home sits atop Whiskey Ridge off East Lake Creek Road
in Edwards. Priced at $33 million, at press time Walden was also the most
expensive listing in the county. Suffice it to say, Walden House is unlike any home
in the valley. Douglas Elliman’s Joshua Saslove deems Walden “an architectural
piece of art.” A real estate agent might say the same of any property at the
pinnacle of our luxury market. But this is the only home in the valley designed by
one of New York City’s hottest architects, Annabelle Selldorf.

Never heard of Annabelle Selldorf? A Google search yields more than 10,000
results, the third being a 2015 Bloomberg profile that dubs the Cologne-born
Selldorf “the darling of the design world” and “designer du jour to cultural
institutions and the wealthy elite.” Defined by an aesthetic she describes as
modernism enhanced “by embracing the so-called austerity,” Annabelle
Selldorf’s 55-architect practice has created luxury residences (like a new SoHo
condo with a $25 million penthouse and $1 million parking spaces) and public
spaces in big cities across the country and around the world, including Brown
University’s John Hay Library, San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the
Neue Galerie in New York, Le Stanze del Vetro Museum in Venice, and most
recently, the expansion of Manhattan’s Frick Collection.

The Lake Creek commission? That happened nearly a decade ago, after a
longtime client with a Selldorf-designed pied-à-terre in New York City bought 105
acres on Whiskey Ridge and asked Selldorf if she could imagine what a family
home in rural Edwards might look like. By way of example, Selldorf took her client
to Dunton Hot Springs, a “glamping” destination outside of Telluride where the
only other home she designed in Colorado, the Pika House, occupies a grove of

pines like it grew up out of the surrounding forest. Struck by Selldorf’s visually
stunning and unassuming tower of glass and wood, the client commissioned a
full-time residence for Whiskey Ridge.

Inspired by a favorite book and completed in 2009, Selldorf’s Walden House
celebrates minimalism and nature, departing from the log cabin/wilderness
lodge vernacular that characterizes most luxury homes in Vail Village and
Beaver Creek: a series of single-story pavilions (and a three-story tower)
arranged around a central Zen-like garden. Walden is a Thoreau-esque tribute
where every living space is oriented around the outside environment via exterior
walls of glass (shaded by automated blinds) offering different—and expansive—
views of the mountainous landscape, east to the Gores, west to Hardscrabble
Mountain, south to New York Mountain and Gold Dust Peak, and north to Red
and White Mountain.

“My favorite part of working on the project was being on-site,” says Selldorf. “It’s
so beautiful, and I was always happy being there.”

As such, she took cues from the local environment to make Walden House
blend with, rather than stand out from, its surroundings, sculpting an exterior clad
in field rock, log pole pine, and pine beetle kill siding, and a copper-sheathed
roof.

“It was terrific to have the opportunity to use local materials for the house that
we wouldn’t have used on another,” she explains. “I love the beetle kill pine; I
wasn’t familiar with the material before, and I was delighted that we were able
to give it new life by stacking it horizontally in a façade of exacting detail.”

Such nature-enhanced attention to detail isn’t limited to the exterior, either;
Selldorf used hand-dyed lamb’s wool (imported from Holland) on the walls of
the study to create a cozy nook that’s complemented by a hearty fireplace,
then used the material again in the master bedroom, where it adorns the
floating wall that separates the sleeping area from the closet, and again on the

floor, carpeted in a bright blue hue. Pops of color throughout the house temper
sleek lines with warmth; reds accent the living area, bathrooms are tiled in teal,
and copper connects the interior to the exterior.

Each volume (white-walled with hardwood floors and soaring wood-paneled
ceilings), segregated by function, is accessible by a glass-walled central corridor
that spirals around the courtyard starting, counterclockwise, with the kitchen.
The white-paneled utilitarian space resembles the gleaming galley of a starship
with concealed appliances, stainless steel countertops, and a hardwood-
capped island with stools sculpted from wire and metal tubing—purposely
uncomfortable to encourage guests to circulate into the next volume, the
dining room, where 4 of the 10 seats around an oval banquet table face floor-
to-ceiling glass patio doors that open onto a pond overlooking New York
Mountain. That room shares a wall and fireplace with the neighboring living
area, a gallery-like hall furnished with a baby grand piano, sculptures, four chairs
around a coffee table, and an overstuffed plaid-upholstered couch for lounging
in conversation. Next is the study, a book-lined sanctuary with a cushy sofa
facing a roaring hearth, followed by the three-story residential volume of the
home, where a staircase ascends to bedrooms stacked one atop another to a
master bedroom garret, an aerie with a bank of windows overlooking the distant
horizon like the bridge of an ocean liner. Then the game room, a whimsical
space appointed with a vintage popcorn maker, a billiards table, a pod-like
chair facing a wide-screen television flanked by moose and antelope trophies.
And last, a home office with his and hers computers where the commercial
center of Edwards bustles in the distance.

Outside, in addition to an infinity pool, spa, and gym, Walden fronts onto a
Thoreau-worthy manmade pond by New York celebrity landscape
architect Edwina von Gal (who has designed outdoor spaces in the Hamptons
for Calvin Klein, Martha Stewart, and Larry Gagosian). Without river stones,
waterfalls, fountains, or any other embellishment (save a rowboat in the summer

and ice-skaters in the winter), the pond is more sculpture than water feature, a
mirror to the sky inviting contemplation from within.
As Thoreau famously concluded in Walden, “The setting sun is reflected from the
windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode.”

Yet somehow through the panes of a $33 million home designed by Annabelle
Selldorf, that same sunlight, refracted off the surface of an Edwina von Gal
pond, seems more brilliant.

Resource Guide

Architect Annabelle Selldorf, New York, NY, 212-219-9571, selldorf.com; General
Contractor, Shaeffer Hyde Construction, Avon, 970-845-5656, shaefferhyde.com



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