Ever since David Asher Stranathan was a young lad, he loved creating and building things, whether it was with Legos or scraps of lumber, nails and a hammer in hand. Around age 12, he constructed a shed just for fun and to have his own space. When he was in his teens, he and his brother, Peter, built a 14-foot tall climbing wall.
With a natural knack for taking his visualizations and creating something tangible, David discovered his passion for architecture early on. His pure enthusiasm captured the attention of one of his elementary school teachers, who told David he should become an architect.
The teacher’s suggestion certainly stuck.
David went on to study environmental design at the University of Colorado Boulder, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in 2006. In 2013, he earned his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Colorado Denver.
In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, David officially founded Asher Architects + Engineers in downtown Berthoud. Prior to this, he worked at a different firm in Loveland, with hopes of eventually leaving. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the firm owner urged David to venture off on his own.
Since its establishment, Asher Architects + Engineers has grown to eight full-time employees (including David) and two part-time employees. The architecture firm specializes in both commercial and residential projects.
“We make sure the client is getting what they dreamt of,” David says.
“It’s really cool in our industry that we really get to affect the way people live or the way they work,” he continues. “We get to actually create something that will help them enjoy their lives daily…. We enhance how people live, work, and play.”
Most of the architecture firm’s business is primarily in northern Colorado, with the majority of it in Larimer and Weld counties. However, the staff at Asher Architects + Engineers are licensed in Wyoming as well.
David and his team have worked on a range of projects, such as parks, retail, and restaurants – with a goal of always trying to leave a positive lasting impact on the communities they’re serving.
Some notable projects David and his staff have completed include Esh’s Grocery Market in Windsor, Washway Car Wash in Greeley, B-Town Automotive in Berthoud, and the Berthoud Fire Museum. They’ve also worked on apartments and custom homes and assisted with designs for nonprofit organizations like the House of Neighborly Service and Habitat for Humanity.
Each year, the team at Asher Architects + Engineers designs dozens of custom homes, commercial buildings, and the landscapes and living spaces that bring them to life.
“We take every house design personally,” David comments, noting that he and his team focus on custom single family homes. “Almost every house we design is a one off. We hardly ever do a house that’s going to be built multiple times.”
For David, his favorite part of the job is being able to take a client’s vision and turn it into reality.
He shares, “Being able to create something from nothing and watch it be built and then be able to walk through their homes with them or go to the business that we designed, the most rewarding and fun part of it is just seeing it come to life.”