Land+Shelter Architecture and Planning has been a driving force behind some of the region’s most innovative architectural projects. Led by owner Andrea Korber, the firm’s mission goes beyond simply designing buildings; it’s about bringing art into the built environment and creating spaces that resonate with the community.
Korber, who joined the firm in 2007, was instrumental in shaping Land+Shelter’s identity. The Rhode Island native’s favorite part of her childhood experience was attending summer camp at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she discovered “the absolute magic of making art” by creating plaster sculptures in hollowed-out beach sand. That discovery sparked a lifelong passion for art and design that led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Land+Shelter was founded in 2005 by Korber’s former business partner Gavin Brooke. Originally, the firm was a hybrid of architecture and real estate development, which gave Korber a crash course in the intricacies of the local community as they worked on projects like Carbondale’s Third Street Center. This project was pivotal to the firm and introduced Korber to the challenges and rewards of community-focused work.
“This project was formative for Land+Shelter in many ways,” Korber recalls. “Since then, we have done a lot of community and municipal work. Our specialty is not so typical for a company in a small mountain town. All this public work is more often found in a city.”
Land+Shelter’s portfolio includes a range of public and private projects, from the Carbondale Aquatic Center to the Burlingame Early Childhood Education Center in Aspen. The firm also worked on the addition and remodel of the True Nature Healing Arts Center in Carbondale. Their work is characterized by a commitment to making each project functional and creating a work of art that blends seamlessly into its surroundings.
One of the company’s more unique contributions to the community is the design of the self-storage facility on Highway 133 in Carbondale. From the beginning of the project, Land+Shelter worked as the architect with Carbondale Arts to incorporate a series of murals and sculptures, ensuring the artwork would be prominently displayed in the facility. “We took on the project because we wanted it to be good. We didn’t want it to be something we despised at the entrance to our city,” explained Korber.
This approach to architecture, where art is interwoven with practicality, is a hallmark of Land+Shelter’s philosophy. The firm views architecture as a technical skill and an art form – a belief rooted in the firm’s early days when it was housed in the Studio for Arts and Works (SAW). The mix of artist and architecture studios at SAW “infused our DNA with that culture,” she explained.
Land+Shelter’s six employees work on residential, public and educational projects. Their public work is particularly notable, which includes projects such as the Rifle Animal Shelter and the Carbondale Aquatic Center, which were designed with a community’s needs and aesthetics in mind.
Korber is especially proud of the company’s public service work, which often involves working with communities and other stakeholders. “We’ve been in Carbondale since 2005 and are committed to the community,” she said. “We’re committed to making sure our projects reflect that.”
As the housing crisis continues to affect the Roaring Fork Valley, Korber believes architects have a critical role to play in finding solutions. “The housing crisis in the mountains is not going away. It’s something that everyone has to get involved in. Architects can help people envision something that feels like it’s part of the city and livable,” she says.
For Korber, architecture goes beyond building structures. It’s about creating spaces that inspire, uplift, and fit into the fabric of the community. Looking to the future, Korber and her team hope to continue their work, combining art, architecture, and community in each of their projects. “We hope to combine community work with more affordable housing,” she noted, emphasizing the firm’s ongoing commitment to addressing our community’s most pressing issues.
To view Land+Shelter’s projects, go to www.landandshelter.com
