All the mod cons, including…an elevator?

Downtown Fort Collins, CO, is booming. A fixture on multiple “Best Places to Live” lists, the town attracts outdoor enthusiasts and craft beer aficionados alike. 

That boom is creating a surging demand for condo alternatives. Enter the Townhomes at Library Park from developer NoCo Townhomes Inc. and architectural firm Kephart. Designed to capitalize on natural light and create a feeling of spaciousness, the four-level floorplans offer a mix of classic and contemporary amenities like the private, secured two-car garage at street level, private park view rooftop patio plumbed for water and natural gas, quartz countertops and premium appliances in the kitchen, ecological responsibility in the form of Fort Collins green energy code compliance and…
 

Colorado has strict laws around accessibility in multi-unit projects, setting NoCo Townhomes and Kephart with the challenge of finding an accessibility solution that would add to – not detract from – the open-plan layout and daylighting design of Library Park.

A home elevator was always in the plans for two of the 10 units, but the developer originally had a traditional residential elevator in mind. Then they found the enclosed nature of a typical elevator created a visual obstruction that limited the amount of natural light that could be enjoyed into the townhome.

The architect laying out the floorplan found that switching to the Vuelift Octagonal+ Glass elevator opened up many opportunities, literally and figuratively.

Wrapping the stairs around the elevator allowed them to situate more windows in the stairwell, letting natural daylight shine straight through the lift and into the living space. In addition to making the stairwell feel wider and less claustrophobic, the plan made all the rooms feel bigger and more spacious despite a limited 35′ x 26′ footprint.

The developer included the Vuelift Octagonal+ Glass elevator in the model showhome where it became the centerpiece of home tours. Prospective buyers were treated to a panoramic ride from the ground floor to the top level, giving them a sweeping view of the entire home. And once those buyers experienced it, there was no turning back. Thanks to overwhelming demand, the Vuelift elevators were included in all of the pre-sold units.

Find design inspiration and videos in our gallery. Discover product specifications, design drawings and a model comparison guide available for download.