The Viceroy

At Raw Creative, I was the lead designer for multiple phases of The Viceroy hotel's lobby remodel in Aspen, Colorado. This included designing a glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) fireplace surround, a new front desk, and a Coffee and bar area. As the lead designer on these items, I was tasked with fabrication methodology, designing and creating approval drawings, and working closely with the fabrication team to create drawings in files to make it a successful build and install.

The GFRC fireplace surround featured eight panels, each approximately 8-10 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 1 inch thick. These panels were created using water jet cut textured molds, resulting in a relief resembling the Aspen mountain ranges. The panels were supported by fry reglets and a custom steel insert for the fireplace, adhered to the wall, and discreetly fastened near the top. Steel angles and fry reglets were used to separate and cap the edges, providing each panel with a polished and appealing finish.

The front desk at The Viceroy was one of my favorite projects at Raw Creative. It features a large "bent" maple slab, an internal die wall structure, GFRC with LED lighting, steel backsplashes, toe kicks, and white oak cabinetry. I was involved in every stage, from design to fabrication and installation. To achieve the 90-degree bend in the maple slab while preserving its natural beauty and live edge, we used a coopering technique, typically used in making wooden casks. The GFRC was cast similarly to the fireplace surround and discreetly fastened to the die wall, made from 18mm birch plywood with integrated electrical accommodations. The cabinetry, made from white oak engineered wood, supported a maple hardwood desktop for the employees.

In the second phase of the project, I was responsible for designing and fabricating the Coffee & Bar area. My work included creating three white oak underbar cabinets, three shelving units on top of the bar, housing for the beer taps, a soffit with lighting, back bar bottle risers, and a rail for security panels. I crafted the cabinetry from white oak engineered wood, with two open-faced shelving units and one with doors to conceal coffee machine cords and hoses. The bottle shelves were made from steel tube and broken steel, secured to the bar surface, and fastened to the back wall.

I designed the beer tap housing using a steel angle frame and waterjet-cut pieces, wrapped in 18-gauge steel, which also served as the base for the third bottle shelf. The soffit was divided into 10 frames, fastened to the ceiling, and wrapped in an 18-gauge steel skin with windows showcasing fluted glass and lighting. I hung the security panel rails from the soffit, following its shape around the bar. The bottle risers, made from 18mm birch plywood clad in 14-gauge powder-coated steel with acrylic tops, were placed on the back bar, with LEDs installed internally to illuminate the bottles from below.

Photography: Lacey Knaff