Land+Shelter

06/11/2026

School’s out for summer! We’re closing out our series of Early Childhood Education posts by highlighting our most recently completed ECE project, the Colorado Mountain College Mini College. After kicking off a research phase in 2022 and completing a successful fundraising period in 2023 and 2024, in 2025, this center opened to young minds down valley. Underused classroom space in the CMC Glenwood Center was converted to an expansion area for the existing early childcare program. The program included both renovation and expansion of the existing CMC Mini College, including a new entry to the facility.

06/04/2026

While this project is unbuilt, it has been featured in the 2025 cross-disciplinary book about design and education “Creating the Regenerative School”. The folio showcases the Aspen Burlingame project as an example of design for the full range of neurological, social, and physical development of children in addition to climate responsibility. The Burlingame Early Childhood Center was another Ford Architects, RDG, L+S collaboration which was also the work of KidsFirst, a City of Aspen Government agency. The proposed school is built into a steep site, becoming a part of the landscape at the edge of the Burlingame neighborhood. Adjacent to a beloved existing park trail, the plan preserves the trail, and adds a convenient bike-access connection to the school site. Classrooms are oriented for optimal daylighting and playground access.

05/28/2026

Let’s talk about the ABCs of ECEs. Land+Shelter has worked on several Early Childhood Education facilities throughout the years, and our next series of social posts will highlight a few of those projects, some in process, some complete with school in session. First up, the Little Red School House in Snowmass Village, Colorado. This new build added four classroom spaces behind the existing historic structure, with an eye toward preservation. This Owl Creek Road site will be under construction starting this summer. The existing schoolhouse will be maintained as an administrative annex and new, day-lit classrooms will be provided in a new facility that tucks in behind the existing structure, preserving its historic character for neighbors and community visitors. Land+Shelter is also proud to be working with longtime partner and early childhood thought leaders Ford Architects and RDG Planning and Design.

05/22/2026

Musings on designing a place people love. Read more about our Carbondale Aquatics Center project in our latest Shelterblog:

The Carbondale Aquatics Center opens to the public Saturday, May 23rd, 2026. Architecture is sometimes about architecture, and sometimes it’s not. Like this place for me, it’s more about being a place people love.   It’s also architecture but isn’t about architecture.   In the summer of 20...

05/20/2026

Making a splash! We can't wait for the opening of the new Carbondale Aquatics Center this weekend. We got a sneak peek a few days ago and are so excited to share this project which is so near and dear to us with the community. Marco! Polo!

05/14/2026

Throughout the development we’re working on in Castle Valley, gable forms are used to reduce the scale of roofs of some of the apartment buildings, the largest of which are 24 units each. Each building has four separate entrances, so neighbors share a front door with just a few adjacent units. The gable entries create a rhythm and scale that integrates the different types of buildings into a shared architectural language – and a language that matches with the nearby existing homes in the Lakota neighborhood.

05/11/2026

Extra, extra! Thanks to The Sopris Sun for the great read about the new Carbondale Aquatics Center!

05/07/2026

Land+Shelter’s Castle Valley multi-family project ensures that building materials are tied back to the native landscape. We drew from the colors, textures and features of the high desert to develop the material palette, with nods to sagebrush, pinon pines, junipers, and the surrounding red-brown earth.

The site is also located on the edge of a wildfire zone, creating a material consideration, and a challenge. We’re designing something to resist burning, while also blending with a landscape that has evolved to burn. Like much of Western Colorado, this dilemma drives the use of fiber cement and metals, which we mixed with limited fire-treated woods.

04/29/2026

The site for Land+Shelter’s Castle Valley project was chosen for its views over the Colorado River corridor and nearby peaks as well as direct access to local trails. The site plan focuses construction density while still allowing use of the nearby trails by the neighboring community.

04/22/2026

Proud to be breaking ground on a multi-family project that represents two years of planning work in collaboration with MA Design, DHM Design, Sopris Engineering, and JVAM. Our team took this PUD development through entitlements in New Castle in 2024 and 2025. The Castle Valley site will eventually be home to 130 units on just over 15 acres out of a total of a 59-acre site, preserving much of the hillside in a permanently undeveloped state. 15 buildings in three distinct styles will create a varied architectural neighborhood in the limited developed portion of the site.