Brewster McLeod Architects

This boutique Aspen- and Telluride-based firm is known for their attention to detail when it comes to client relationships and creating original, showstopping designs.

Presented by Brewster McLeod Architects What’s This? February 19, 2019 Published in the Midwinter/Spring 2019 issue of Aspen Sojourner

Aaron J. Aeschliman, Jamie L. Brewster McLeod, and Teraissa A. McGovern

Jamie L. Brewster McLeod, who founded BMA 13 years ago, likes to tell her clients they can do absolutely anything they dream when it comes to special touches for their home, and her team will make it happen.

What is your approach to the design process?

We are very hands-on with our clients, taking them from concept to property selection, construction, interior design, and even landscape and exterior space design. This is a big process, and we want it to be as easy and entertaining as possible for them. For most of our clients, Aspen is not their full-time residence, and we ask them to consider what Aspen means to them, what is going to make this project unique? We don’t design the same house over and over, instead we design a custom build for each client.

How do you help guide clients when making tough decisions?

Our process generally takes three to four years, which gives us the time to develop a relationship with our clients and truly understand their desires and needs. Through that, we ask them to think about how they live: do they like to entertain; how is the house going to function and make them feel; what are their interests; or is it going to be a rental? By getting to know our clients, potentially challenging decisions become intuitive.

You are keen on the concept of “architecture as a living art form.” What does that mean to you?

We design homes that invite their owners to experience their surroundings in a new way, enhancing views they may not have noticed before, incorporating a layout that brings the family together, or creating intimate spaces that allow a large home to function naturally with 20 people or when occupied by just two people. To me, architecture is art. This is how architecture becomes a living art form. The design process is influenced by how the owners live, and the architecture is brought to life by how they interact with the finished spaces, natural light, and the exterior environment.