SIGC | The Western & A-Frame Club

“And really the ethos of the company has been about placemaking, has been about bringing people together doing projects in areas that have been underserved. And it was really a little bit less about what types of projects they were doing, but it was more about how they were doing it and what they were offering to the community.”

We’re in great company with Adam Larkey, COO of family-owned Zeppelin Development, an award-winning Colorado-based neighborhood development company behind the sister properties in The Western, a recently restored landmark hotel in the historic district of Ouray and A-Frame Club, a collection of new mid-century modern cabins in Winter Park.

Today, The Western serves as a homebase for leisure in the iconic mountain town of Ouray - surrounded by stunning landscapes and world-class outdoor recreation - where restored glamor meets modern luxury. And further north, A-Frame Club’s boutique hotel invites guests to savor a genuine escape from everything but what's in front of them - the great outdoors and a craft cocktail.

In this episode, Adam sincerely shares his passion for seeing buildings not for their business potential, but for the people they host, and how his role in restoring neighborhoods across Colorado, is not just a privilege, but a responsibility.

Top Takeaways

[1:40] Adam shares a laugh over our mutual upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland where we fortunately missed out on the humorous “Ball’more” accent.

[3:00] Adam has always been drawn to life on the water, but what drew him to Denver was instead the views of majestic mountains - especially the juxtaposition of being in shorts about town while seeing snow on the mountain tops.

[4:40] How the family-owned Zeppelin Development has over 50 years of investing in the underserved and restoring the historic character of Denver neighborhoods - from the humble beginnings with an architectural bookstore and cafe to a landmark hotel and market hall.

[9:35] Seeking projects that have a story behind them, being stewards of buildings that have history within them, led Adam and his team to look beyond Denver and out into the mountain towns of Ouray and Winter Park.

[10:30] For those looking to return to the Golden Age of skiing, expect to experience mid-century modern decor and 70’s style onesies at the A-Frame Club.

[13:00] And for those looking to return to the Wild West, step inside the saloon of The Western, where a “work hard, play hard” mentality now pairs with a state-of-the-art spa.

[30:50] The future is nostalgic yet forward thinking - from a sunken living room lounge to pickleball and tetherball court, from a freshly planted orchard grove to a basement barbershop.

[34:50] Adam’s mission in being an “urbanist” is ensuring that there is space for creatives, for artists like himself, to beautify a vibrant city without being priced out of living there - creating a sense of place where history builds on top of itself.