Lightwell Architecture builds business in Niwot Tribune building

Having moved into the historic Niwot Tribune Building and former space of The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop in 2024, Lightwell Architecture is the small architectural firm of husband and wife Chad and Katherine Willis.

The new office space, with its gorgeous wood floors, and artwork is highlighted by the people working diligently at a large wooden table near the front. Laid out across this large workstation are schematics and beautiful architectural diagrams showing floor plans and designs for future projects. At the helm of this operation are the Willises.

"We met in college in the architecture school, and then proceeded to get our masters in architecture," said Katherine.

The architecture business has had them travel plenty, with their clients located anywhere and everywhere. "We did boutique and hospitality type work, which took us to Hawaii and California, and kind of the West Coast regions," said Chad. Their work also took them to Costa Rica. "We had some jobs in Cabo San Lucas, the East Coast, all over the U.S."

After a stint in Seattle, Katherine and Chad moved to Boulder County in 2013, working for other firms until Katherine formed Lightwell Architecture, LLC, in 2016.

They then set up brick and mortar offices at 198 2nd Avenue in 2022, and Chad joined the firm earlier this year. "Our heart is in Boulder County," Katherine said. "We purposely located our office in Niwot and unincorporated Boulder County, so we certainly love the environment here."

It was the community of Niwot that drew them in. "We just love the downtown Niwot area. The people here are great," Chad said. "It's a wonderful place to raise kids, it's a big family here and we just like the feeling of that."

From an architectural perspective, the rural aspects of the region intrigued them as well. "Being in a building from 1909 is just awesome," Katherine said. "The vernacular of the region is our inspiration for architecture, and why I was initially drawn to it. Old barns, older historic buildings, I just fell in love with [them] as a kid."

Architecture can be made to stand out against a landscape, sometimes in an obtuse manner. The Willises' architecture seems to strive for the opposite effect.

"I would say all of our architecture seeks to create permanence in the landscape," Chad said. "The vernacular that has been there forever or feels like it should be nowhere else except for that unique location is always the goal. All of the work we do is connected to the landscape."

"We are inspired by the idea of bettering our clients' lives," Katherine said. "Whether that be through biophilic or connection to nature, our goal for them would be to have a better quality of life because of the built environments.".

Both architects appear detail-oriented in their work. As for the small light that illuminates their logo perfectly at night, you could say, it lights it well.