ML - Aspen Peak

2015 - Issue 1 - Summer

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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Broughton's Besties: alfresco dining spot: "Ajax Tavern—rosé, truffe fries, and the double- double cheeseburger; life is good!" outdoor activities: "Cruiser biking to dinner parties, mountain biking the Government Trail, and hiking in the backcountry." summer festivals: "Food & Wine kicks off the summer season, and it is a blast because so many locals are there. And, with the Aspen Music Festival—we just built a house across the street, so we can now hear music from the tent from our front porch!" PhotograPhy by barbara Kraft (hotel Jerome); Caitlyn gembarowiCz (worKing); illustration by sarah broughton (sKetCh) from the community—for paying homage to the property's historic roots while embracing modern luxury. Upon their debuts, Element 47, inside The Little Nell; BB's Kitchen; and the Crandall Building, home to Sandy's Office Supply and a top- f loor penthouse, all turned heads, too. Basalt's Woody Creek Distillers, a 10,700 -square-foot pro- duction facility and tasting room, also received nods from two Colorado chapters of national design associations. Though Broughton is the cre- ative brain behind an impressive list of projects, one of the most public is yet to come: the complete rebuild of the Sky Hotel, set to be razed and replaced with a 114,000 -square-foot, chalet-style lodge, beginning next spring. But R+B's scope is not just about resorts, and it is not just in Aspen. The firm started an office in Denver to propel it to a national level—and it's working. With 35 projects in the Denver International Airport alone, the company has expanded to developments in Park City, Utah, and Ketchum, Idaho. But Broughton is conscious of the growth, both within her company and in Aspen. Before trading in her boardroom experience for something more light in the toes—she now sits on the board of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the public policy committee of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association—she served for eight years on Aspen's Historic Preservation Commission. "Historic preser- vation is really important to me in maintaining our historicism but allowing for growth and allowing for change," she says. "Both can coexist." She recalls standing on top of the Little Nell run in her skis when she first got to town, in 2000, look- ing down at Aspen pre-St. Regis and pre-Hyatt. Since then, much has been built, but her forecast includes less up and out, and more in. "I see Aspen very much the same from a mass and scale stand- point in the future," she says. "I'm a proponent of density. With that comes fun design challenges." And fun is part of her ethos. Broughton works hard and plays hard. On week- ends that means skiing, hiking, and biking. During the week, she loves to "break bread" with her hus- band and clients after a day at the office. And in between it all, hopping on a plane to recharge is just as much vacation as it is a muse for future work. "I'm inspired by nature and great art, and I'm constantly out there looking for it," she says. She makes sure that culture of innovation trickles down by having an "inspiration" meeting every other week with staff. On the off weeks, the team has proj- ect meetings. "Everyone in the office should feel safe to try, to dare, and to design," she says. If their risk turns out anything like Broughton's, then Aspen— and the country—can expect a lot more gold. AP "i'm inspired by nature and great art, and i'm constantly out there looking for it." — sarah broughton clockwise: The R+B-renovated "living room" at the Hotel Jerome; Broughton sketches elevation concepts in a design charrette for an Aspen-based project; sketches for the new 7,800-square-foot Matsuhisa restaurant in Denver, set to open later this year, which hired R+B as its architect and interior designers. 72  aspenpeak-magazine.com PEOPLE View from the Top

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