Farmhouse


Our first “Regenerative” home, Farmhouse was on last year’s green home tour.  It produces more energy than it consumes which means that the owners get a big check from Xcel every month (and free energy for their EV car). Farmhouse achieved a HERS negative-8 rating, Energy Star v.3.0 and a LEED Platinum Certification.  It’s sunny, open, functional floorplan connects on all sides to the permaculture landscape for true indoor/outdoor living, and embodies the owners’ desire to tread lightly on the earth.  Detailed wood craftsmanship throughout the home reflects the owner’s love of Mission style furniture. The home was elegantly tailored to the owners’ needs while simultaneously achieving an extraordinary level of sustainability. See it featured in Inhabitat.com

Function Meets Beauty


Farmhouse recently made waves in the press with Boulder Lifestyles’ publication of our LEED Platinum home! Read more to find out about our client’s vision for their home, and how Scott Rodwin and the team was able to make it a reality.

http://www.boulderlifestylepubs.com/2015/07/27/function-meets-beauty-a-right-sized-green-home/

Top Green Materials and Practices


Here is an article featuring our President, Scott, as he discusses green building. Material selections and heating/cooling systems are just as important as dealing with site waste disposal months later. Take a look at these 11 steps of utilizing green materials and practices that we think are worth prioritizing.

Coco's Art Box


This unique remodel and addition is for a one-of-a-kind client. Coco is a prolific artist with an eclectic, exuberant, rebellious and decidedly quirky approach to life, art and architecture. Perhaps more than any project we’ve ever done, this house truly embodies our client’s personality and mission. The Art Box is a tall, sunny, versatile loft, with funky windows punched in seemingly random patterns to create surprising and delightful views.   {Read More} 

“It is a living-sculpture dream come true!”

– Coco

Re-building after the Flood


Home and Hood Magazine – Rebuilding after the flood. Huy Lam dug his shovel into the deep sand and continued to excavate the buried play-structure in what used to be his family’s back yard. Twenty feet away, the creek that used to be on one side of the house now flowed swiftly down the other. When the stream moved, it dumped hundreds of tons of sand and rock all over his property and it tore away a good chunk of the house.

“I’m not sure what comes next. It all depends on what the County decides to do with the creek”, Huy said between shovels.

For six months from the time of the flood, the County is allowing flood victims to bypass the daunting Site Plan Review process (as long as the re-constructed house is the same size as the original), but all new construction must still meet all local building codes. The green building codes are some of the most rigorous in the Country, and many of the older homes that were damaged will require a substantial upgrade to their envelope and mechanical systems in order to meet them.

The Lams have a long way to go before they can get back into their home: County reviews; navigating insurance and mortgage requirements; figuring out how to best rebuild with the insurance settlement; getting a building permit; re-building the house; moving back in; and perhaps most important of all, repairing the land that made them want to live in this beautiful, but (every 500 years) dangerous place in the first place.

We are currently assisting them to reconstruct their home to begin living after the flood.

Gunung Mas Ranch


Gunung Mas Ranch is just outside of Gold Hill. The 3795 s.f. contemporary mountain style home features 360 degree views over the Switzerland Trail and Indian Peaks Wilderness. A passive solar design, photovoltaic array, excellent windows and insulation, a high-efficiency mechanical system (including an ERV), combine to create an energy-efficient HERS 40 home (uses 60% less energy than allowed by code). We worked carefully to incorporate the existing historic features on this mountain ranch, framing remnants of existing quartz walls in a landscaped courtyard, and restoring and Landmarking the original homestead. The new home includes an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, large outdoor decks, and rustic yet contemporary finishes.

Boulder Lifestyle Magazine – Click Here

Stanley Residence


Our clients moved in to this modest off-grid Near-Net Zero Energy home in starkly beautiful Cotopaxi, CO.  Solar PV, solar hot water and a robust insulation package combined to achieve a HERS 5 (95% less energy than allowed by code) rating.  The low-profile, low-maintenance, and simple geometry of the envelope were characteristics specifically chosen to meet the Owner’s requirements for economy, sustainability, simplicity and durability.

Cloudman Residence


This summer we completed this beautiful new home for Terry and Jenny Cloudman in the Boulder County foothills.  This project was a Design/Build effort with Rodwin Architecture led by Principal Scott Rodwin and Associate Kirsten Snobeck, and went smoothly from start to finish.  VP of Construction Brandon David, and Site Superintendent Tim Roddan insured an impeccable level of quality and architectural integrity in every detail.   This HERS 22 home has a contemporary Craftsman & Japanese influences, with soaring sunny rooms open to expansive views and flowing indoor/outdoor gardens and patios.  We are currently working on several design/build custom green homes in Boulder County – stay tuned for photos of these exciting projects, including an iconic rebuild in the Four Mile Fire area.

 

 “We absolutely love the house.
It was a joy working with all of you.”

                        – Jenny Cloudman

Understanding the Rules for Building Homes in Boulder


We offer this workshop and has excellent feedback so we’ve been asked to bring it back for a repeat performance. Want to know what you are allowed to do with a property?  Scott Rodwin and Kirsten Snobeck will be presenting this fast-paced and essential class through the Boulder Area Realtor’s Association. It is an overview of all the rules for City and County – the Compatible Development Ordinance, Greenpoints, Solar Shadow rules, Ignition-resistant construction rules, the County Site Plan Review process, Buildsmart, EnergySmart and a brief overview of the cost of construction and current building codes.  The rules are complex, rigorous and constantly changing. Get all the latest information so you can speak with confidence when clients ask you what they are allowed to do with a property.

Excavation + Foundation


The main challenge in designing the Cloudman Residence was fully integrating the house into the wooded mountain hillside.  As the grade slopes 13’ from one side of the house to the other, the main floor of the house maintains a consistent level in order to be ADA-accessible.  A foundation ledge receives the main floor framing, allowing us to maintain ADA thresholds between the interior rooms and exterior patios and porches.

The main level was carefully placed mid-slope in order to balance the cut and fill on site, to maintain the natural slope of the site, and to avoid having to blast through granite.  The foundation walls were poured with 20% fly ash and step with grade to minimize the amount of concrete used and to give the impression of the house being an extension of the landscape.