Boulder doesn't make a tight lot easy. The design had to satisfy the usual stack — setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, floor-area ratio — but the hardest constraint was light.

The city protects its neighbors' access to the sun. In practical terms, the house couldn't cast a winter shadow past a neighbor's property line — measured at the lowest, longest-shadow point of the year, around the December solstice. Layered on top of that was the bulk plane: an invisible angled ceiling sloping down toward the property lines that caps how tall the house can be as it nears the edges of the lot. And because the site sat slightly higher than its neighbors, every one of those measurements started from a tougher position.

Between the solar rule, the bulk plane, and the raised grade, the second floor had to be completely rethought. Every foot of height and every roofline was a negotiation. The result fits its envelope precisely — a home that feels generous inside while staying a careful, considerate neighbor outside.

Inside, the plan does exactly what the owners hoped. An open main floor connects the kitchen, dining, and living areas into one easy, gathering-friendly space — the kind of layout where grandchildren can be underfoot and welcome. A bright kitchen with a generous island anchors the room; a built-in fireplace flanked by shelving gives the living area a warm center; and the dining space opens straight out to the backyard and patio.

It reads custom in every detail. The way it was built is the surprise.