You’ve likely seen Zane’s work before. He’s touched years of projects showcased in Summit County’s Parade of Homes and fills our new construction portfolio with stunning homes. His eye for clean lines and love of mountain design perfectly translate in his architectural work.

Born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Zane moved to the Flatirons in Colorado to begin his studies at CU Boulder in environmental design. Knowing he wanted to pursue his passion of architecture, he attended CU Denver, earned his Master of Architecture and moved to Summit County to fulfill his dreams at Collective Design, overseeing and managing the architectural design of new construction projects.

After intensive studying, Zane passed his licensing tests in 2019 and moved into his role as Collective’s Principal Architect, where he is now empowered to lead and run projects. With his license, Collective has been able to expand its offering to include architectural design on new construction and remodels.

Here, we get to know Zane, what inspires him and how the architecture process and his strong relationships with clients are key components in building the homes of their dreams.

What made you want to be an architect?
My parents are artists and my grandparents were engineers, involved in construction. I definitely inherited their traits and took interest in both career paths. Architecture really stood out to me as it lands somewhere in the middle of the two. My love of creativity, paired with logical and strategic thinking, lead me to think architecture would be a great fit.

Can you remember the first space that had an impact on your architecture career?
The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver has always been an inspiring building to me. It’s dwarfed by the Denver Art Museum and sits in its shadow but it’s different and beautiful. Most of the building is made of board-formed concrete, which displays a unique texture.

How would you describe your style?
Leaning mountain contemporary. Homes with sleek, hard lines, rectilinear windows and flat roofs are some of my favorite to design. I also love the mountain modern look with more gables, shed roofs, and slightly more traditional mountain forms.

How do you begin the design process?
The lot and the surrounding environment influences and dictates a large portion of the home design and helps guide the basic home layout. Right off the bat, we focus on sun angles, surrounding views, the slope of the lot, and access onto the lot – via driveway, garage, or how you approach the front door.

We’ll put together an initial site plan, based off those key elements to share with the clients. Then together, we’ll create a general layout with adjacency of the specific rooms; the master bedroom, kitchen, etc.

What do you show along the way to explain the project to clients?
We’re in contact with our clients every step of the way, from initial floor plans, to the 3D model, to site plans, to final construction documents. After we create the basic, conceptual layout and floor plans, we begin to hone in on room sizes, windows and specific spaces. Once the client loves the plan and wants to move forward, we create a 3D model to look at building forms, roof lines, and how the windows and doors look on the exterior.

Then together, we look at and choose exterior materials, including siding, colors, exact window sizes and patterns. We apply materials onto the model so the client can see an exact replica of their new home. We layout interior beams, the fireplace, stairs and railings, but when it comes down to interior details and finishes, we hand things off to the interior designer.