La Tiglia, named for the Cottonwood Trees that grow nearby, was constructed on the site of a previous ranch home built decades earlier, with the original foundation kept mostly intact. While demolishing the original ranch, the owner originally contracted an amateur draftsman to create a set of plans using the foundation walls. The resultant drawings reflected the diverse interests of the owner and his wife, who were noncommittal on a stylistic direction. The owner realized during framing that the irresolute design strategy did not result in a strong design.

While the house was being sheathed, I was invited to the site. With the pressure of construction continuing without abeyance, within a week, I had transcribed all the drawings and created a new design direction and rendered faÁade. The new design resolved the house into a cohesive, unified, balanced work of architecture. The client took all my advice without exception, including those made at a later visit to the site. At this point, I made some field corrections, specifically to the entry tower and the height and dimensions of the topmost lintel.

The house was third in a series of Colorado homes designed with Tuscan styling. It included a real fieldstone base; thick, textured stucco; ornamental ironwork; rough-cut timber; and Italian clay-tile roofing. Bill Deno, campus architect emeritus of the University of Colorado (also planned in a Tuscan style), gave a welcome critique on material and design element opportunities on the project.