Blockhaus

2016

Blockhaus is a single-story modern home named for what it is built from: concrete block, board-formed concrete, and walls of glass wrapped around a quiet courtyard.

Block, glass, and glow

Blockhaus takes its name literally. The shell is concrete block and board-formed concrete, filled in with walls of black-framed glass and topped by a translucent canopy that runs along the courtyard. At night, a glowing translucent volume anchors one end of the lawn like a lantern. Inside, the material honesty continues: terrazzo floors, wood ceilings, and a single wood-clad wall standing in the middle of the open living space.

Hard materials, soft rooms

Concrete is unforgiving to build with. Every board-formed wall is a one-shot pour, block coursing has to resolve cleanly at every opening, and there is no trim to cover a miss. What makes Blockhaus work is that the hard shell never makes hard rooms: courtyards, water, ipe screens, and daylight through translucent panels keep the house calm. Completed in 2016, it remains one of the clearest statements of craft in our custom home portfolio.

What is pre-construction?

Pre-construction is the work before a construction contract: pricing the design while it can still change, writing our assumptions next to each line, and reviewing constructability. You get a line-item cost model before you commit to building.

What does a custom home cost in Boulder?

Costs vary with site conditions, design complexity, and finish level. Projects typically begin around $700 per square foot, with highly design-driven homes often exceeding $1,000 per square foot.

Cost-plus vs fixed-price construction

A fixed price on an unfinished design is a guess with a margin on top. We work cost-plus with an open book: you see actual costs and our fee, and the monthly cost report we see is the one you see, unedited.

How does Fernhill work with architects?

We join the team early, price the design as it develops, and flag constructability issues while they are still drawing-table decisions. The architect keeps design authority; we keep the budget honest.

Why involve a builder early in design?

Most of a project’s cost is decided before the drawings are finished. With a builder in the room early, the budget can shape the design instead of surprising it after permits.

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