lore magazine || Scott Suderman relishes the fine points, while striving to create the truly ...

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Today is July 22, 2009

The Dream is in Every Detail

SCOTT SUDERMAN RELISHES THE FINE POINTS, WHILE STRIVING TO CREATE THE TRULY PERFECT MARRIAGE OF FORM AND FUNCTION. BY JENNIFER CHANCE // PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN JOHNSTON From the drive way to the front door, through the entry way and living room, up the spiral staircase and through to the back patio, one's eye is steadily soothed and comforted by soft lines and flowing curves. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and while that phrase can sometimes carry a negative connotation, in many instances it represents just the right blend of precision and perfection needed to create a dream. Architect Scott Suderman continues to pursue that elusive balance.

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His latest creation, a soaring Tuscan-style beauty in the Greenwood Village suburb of Denver, Colo., is a delicate blend of rhythm and flow. Although each room is distinct, the entire space is brought together by intricate details. From the living room looking toward the kitchen, the arched doorway perfectly frames the most dramatic part of the kitchen; from the kitchen, the same arch highlights the fireplace. With an artist's eye, Suderman has drawn an imperceptible and continuous line designed to bring out the focal point of each room. The architect's love for symmetry and the relation of space allows him to see what others may not, and to bring that into play in even the slightest of ways. The subtlety is sublime, and the effect is real. "I don't expect people to consciously notice the geometry," says Suderman, "but to simply feel that there is something right about the floorplan." And when they feel it, they love it. Curt Coffman had precisely that reaction when he and his wife decided to purchase one of Suderman's homes. The project began as a spec, but through a relationship based on communication the Coffmans began to see their dream home realized. "Scott would really listen to us, and hear and see needs we hadn't even articulated yet," says Coffman. It is this ability to communicate with clients, to actually listen to what they say and sometimes what they don't say that puts Suderman Custom Homes in a class of its own. Suderman will work with a client to incorporate whatever aspects they desire, while keeping the original purpose of the design intact, resulting in a truly collaborative endeavor. Clients begin to "see" what the design represents and how each detail contributes to the whole. "Most of the time, they fall in love with it because they truly get it'," says Suderman. "They are just as excited as I am about seeing the vision completed." Ultimately, the Coffmans ended up with their hearts' desire a stunning home centered around the natural light their location offers. With sweeping views along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and an unobstructed vista of Pikes Peak, the grandeur of the scenery is matched, but not upstaged, by the beautiful Tuscan structure. 1 of 2
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lore magazine || Scott Suderman relishes the fine points, while striving to create the truly ... Page 1 of 1

Today is July 22, 2009

The overall design, however, is simply one aspect of Suderman's talent. His true artisanship lies in the smaller details. While each Scott Suderman home is a masterpiece of both form and function; they all begin as a single element. Suderman begins by defining "one detail that I love, and that becomes the inspiration for the home," he says. Those inspirations are often small details themselves. Although he has spent a lot of time traveling and researching various architectural styles, his travel photos are mainly filled with close-ups of door styles, cabinet hardware, window shapes and the like. In the Greenwood Village project, his inspiration was an X and O pattern that is carried throughout the home. The smooth continuous O pattern is an overriding theme evident in the circular driveway, the arched windows and the curving staircase is carried through in a myriad of careful details as well, from roof tiles to doorknobs and light fixtures. The result is a subconscious flow from room to room that ties everything together. To contrast the smoothness of the circular patterns, the strong lines of an X are subtly displayed in woodwork and cabinet doors, as well as in the planks of the hardwood floors, which lend a sense of weight and dimension to the space. In every Scott Suderman creation, each material or fixture, each sketch and layout, is considered for how it will contribute to the home's overall feel. The effect comforting, yet not overwhelming, and often goes unnoticed, at least consciously. "There are still times when I stop and notice a small touch that Scott created," says Coffman. Suderman's attention to detail reaches farther than these single elements. While a design can have a central theme, it must ultimately incorporate the lifestyle of the people who will live in it. "You have to imagine the future activities that will be taking place within the house," says Suderman. From the right amount of space in often-used areas to the functionality of each room, a house must be a distinct reflection of the rhythm of those who live there. That doesn't mean, however, that Suderman will sacrifice his beloved details. While he takes into consideration the actual purpose of the structure, the entire design must still meet his exacting standards. "Naturally anything that is imagined will change over time," he says, "but all of the design decisions have to be true to the original inspiration." Life is not about a series of major events, but about the small elements that connect one moment to another; for Suderman, a home should be the same. To produce an intensely personal environment for every new creation, Suderman approaches the process as if he were designing his own home. Working with his wife Haley, an interior designer, each new build is an opportunity to conceive the exact environment they would want to live in. In fact, so much passion and creativity is devoted to each home that it is sometimes difficult to let go of a project. "I get so attached," says Suderman. "This has really become our house." Coffman believes this is exactly what makes Scott Suderman the premier architect and builder he is. "No detail is accidental," he says. "His frank, deeply felt purpose is reflected in his entire collection." 2 of 2
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