Magazine Articles

	This magazine contains an article about the harsh environment and heavy snows at Kirkwood, and how these elements inform the design of a mountain home. The photos and references are to the Kettles residence, featured in the portfolio pages of this site. Designed for avid book people, this project used lightweight but very strong steel trusses to give the house the feel of a clean, open and bright library. Read full article here »
	Staircase from the Donovan residence at Kirkwood featured on the cover of Glass Magazine. This design/build project by our firm included a 3 ½ story circular staircase with glass treads that lets daylight stream into the below-grade entry hall. The staircase was designed in-house with coordination between the glass supplier, Artworks in Architectural Glass, and the fabricator, Nor-Cal Metal Fabricators of Oakland CA.
	Cover photograph of the Schween residence at Kirkwood under construction by our carpenters. Graham Simmons Architect and Builder is always investigating and incorporating emerging technologies into our work. Building Systems Magazine reports on new developments in construction materials and processes, and our technique of balloon-framing with Structural Insulated Panels was noted in feature article on this rapidly increasing building system.

Client Testimonials

When we asked Graham to design our home in Kirkwood we had many ideas and a difficult lot. His design made artful use of the lot, maximizing the views and matching the flow of the house with the contour of the land. He incorporated our ideas, but dramatically improved on them. The final design has an amazing, creative flow that makes it a perfect fit for our family of five. In all ways Graham exceeded our expectations.. He is a gifted architect and also a pleasure to work with.


After an initial meeting with Graham, he provided us with an architectural design that was even more than we expected. He designed the house to take in the winter sun while also providing us with tremendous views of the ski slopes and red cliffs. He worked very closely with all six of us to meet all the criteria we had requested and was very open to our wishes. Graham was very conscientious during the entire building process and offered many helpful suggestions along the way. We would definitely build with him again.