To simplify the complex process of design and documentation, Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture (BRS) has developed an innovative, proprietary system of architectural design services for guiding Owners through the decision-making process.

Our design teams use the three steps of CONSIDER. CONFIRM. COMMIT. ™ throughout the process to identify challenges and opportunities, evaluate options, and build consensus. In collaboration with project stakeholders and consultants, we guide Owners through these stages to make important decisions at key milestones in the project schedule.

At the end of February, a group of us headed up the hills to Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Tabernash for a sunny day of snow adventures.  BRS designed many of the Devil’s Thumb facilities and throughout my years with BRS, I have heard great stories about how much fun it was to get to be part of realizing the client’s vision on this unique collection of luxury cabin buildings in a beautiful mountain valley.  Stories about hunting for the perfect historic barn all over the country and working with some of the eclectic craftsman during the building of some of the first few structures made me want to visit with colleagues who would also enjoy the legends behind the architecture.  So, an opportunity to go visit some unique BRS buildings and enjoy some snowy adventures was hard to pass up!

We snowshoed, cross country skied and tried skate skiing; and Avery, one of our office puppies, tired herself out by running alongside.  Ellie was a great skate skiing coach since she grew up competing with Nordic ski teams in Fairbanks, Alaska.  For those of us who grew up downhill skiing, skate skiing was a lot of work, but a fun challenge.  It’s hard to beat a warm, sunny day playing in the snow.  Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch in Heck’s Tavern and explored some of the unique nooks and crannies in the lodge.

If you haven’t visited Devil’s Thumb, it’s worth a visit!

http://www.devilsthumbranch.com/

Learn more about our work at Devil's Thumb Ranch.

In February, the City of Aurora Public Safety Training Center (CAPSTC) held its dedication event. It’s quite rare for police and fire personnel to train side by side, but it is indeed essential for them to do so in order to successfully protect and serve a large city such as Aurora. Thanks to this facility, the Aurora police and fire departments will now have some of the most state of the art facilities in which to do so for decades to come.
Here are some pictures from the event to showcase this really cool project:

The project team – City of Aurora, BRS, Martin/Martin, RDG, Studiotrope, and PPV.

A bag pipe procession kicked off the dedication ceremony.

City of Aurora Fire Chief Mike Garcia and Chief of Police Nick Metz spoke about what this facility means for them and their staff.

Police and Fire memorabilia are displayed throughout the building.

The project includes indoor training areas and classrooms.

CAPSTC includes two burn buildings to recreate typical layouts for both a residential and office building in the City of Aurora, providing the opportunity to train in real-life scenarios.

Click here to learn more about this exciting new project for the City of Aurora.

At this year’s holiday party, we all decided to bring a homemade dish that was important to us—something that was a part of our own holiday traditions. Having an array of such special, heartfelt dishes made for a very warm and cheerful meal. One of the dishes that received a noticeable amount of kudos was Mick's famous ribs: the Mick-Ribs.

Continue your celebration into the new year with this finger-licking recipe from our Texas office!

MICK-RIBS
Mick Massey’s recipe for Texas Baby Back Pork Ribs

Recently I attended the BRS Annual holiday party in Denver, and brought my beloved MickRibs. A number of my coworkers asked for the recipe, so I wanted to share my MickRibs with all of you too!

I start with three racks of baby back ribs. I leave the membrane on the back of the ribs and take it off later.

I rub the ribs down with dry rub (see dry rub recipe) and place them in the refrigerator overnight sealed in plastic wrap. This allows the rub to do its work.

Next, I take the ribs out in the morning and allow the meat to reach room temperature.

Then, I start the fire in the smoker fire box at 11am and allow the fire to build in temperature and consistency of coals. I use pecan or hickory wood.
*Academy Sports is a great resource for smoking wood.

Sometime around noon, the fire should be ready. I am seeking a consistent temperature of 220 to 230 degrees fahrenheit. I place the ribs on the smoker rack, or on a special rib rack if you have some. Membrane side down on the rack if you use the regular smoker rack.

Tend your fire box making sure the temperature stays around 220 to 230 degrees consistently.

After two hours of smoke, take the ribs off the smoker and place them into a very large deep metal pan. A disposable deep aluminum pan works well for this.
Allow the ribs to cool down enough to the touch, then remove the membrane. It should come off fairly easy. Remove all the membrane on the bottom of the ribs and dispose of it.

Pour a dark beer, such as Milk Stout or Porter in the bottom of the pan and seal the pan with aluminum foil. If you choose, you can substitute beer for apple cider vinegar and water mixture. About 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to two cups water. Four cups of water and apple cider vinegar mixture poured into the pan should work.

Around 2:30pm, place the sealed ribs in the oven at 220 degrees for three hours.

When 5:30pm rolls around, pull the ribs out of the oven and place to the side.

Pour a small amount of the juice from the pan into a sauce pan. Add Stubbs Original BBQ sauce to the sauce pan to taste. This makes for a nice fresh BBQ sauce!

Place the ribs back into the oven for 30 to 40 mins un-wrapped to allow the outside of the ribs to cook just a bit. Option: put some of the Stubbs Original BBQ sauce on the ribs.

At about 6:15pm, pull the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest about 20 mins.

Sprinkle Tony Chachere’s (pronounced Saa-shaa-rees) all over the ribs to taste. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO FINISH THE RIBS WITH TONY’S

Place ribs on a serving platter and serve with BBQ Sauce (if desired), mashed potatoes or other starch such as macaroni and cheese!

Enjoy!

Mick-Ribs Dry Rub

1-1/2 tbsp            Garlic Powder
1 tbsp                   Garlic Salt
1 tbsp                   Cumin
1 tbsp                   Black Pepper
2 tbsp                   Paprika

Mix ingredients together in a bowl and rub down the ribs consistently. I do not rub down the silver membrane on the bottom of the ribs.

DRIVE 2 AT TAXI
Drive 2 is the second phase of a 100,000 square foot addition of office space to Zeppelin Development’s Taxi campus. The building added 56,000 square feet of commercial space to the site. While previous phases, including Freight, consisted of the conversion of existing buildings, the Drive buildings are new construction. Dynia Architects’ design intent needed to integrate Drive 2 with the gritty, industrial character of the site, match the energy of the existing successful buildings, and bring its own unique presence to the complex.

Drive 2 is a continuation of the language developed in the original Drive building, but includes its own features. The basic skin consists of black corrugated steel, punctured by garage door openings on all floors. The glass garages create a connection to the distant cityscape and mountains, as well as the adjacent river and rail lines, while providing ventilation when open. BRS served as architect of record and Dynia Architects was the design architect.

THORNTON SENIOR CENTER FACILITY ASSESSMENT AND RENOVATIONS

In 2013, the City of Thornton hired BRS to provide a facility needs assessment and conceptual design to determine potential renovations and improvements to the Thornton Senior Center. Improvements included a new entrance vestibule, more efficient circulation, a new reception desk/office area, and more modern finishes for many of the spaces. The renovation also incorporated an assisted hearing loop system in the multipurpose room, new lighting, new casework and new ceilings throughout.

HUDSON PUBLIC LIBRARY
In July 2013 the Town of Hudson began working with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture to develop new Town Hall and Library building programs, conceptual building designs, and a site master plan on a six acre parcel of land on the east side of Beech Street.
The 11,000 square foot facility includes a Children’s, Teen and Adult collection as well as meeting rooms, offices, a help desk and a 1,000 square foot multipurpose room for both library and community meetings. Interior finishes and furniture follow a rustic railroad theme throughout. The Hudson Public Library opened its doors in April 2015.