Mariposa Garden House
Mariposa Garden House is built on top of an existing, 1940’s concrete foundation. The reuse of this foundation was seen not as a constraint but as an opportunity. The design minimizes energy use with strategic massing, orientation, and roof design. Exterior insulation wraps the new shell with a built-in continuous rigid air barrier. A 3" thick exposed concrete floor with zoned radiant tubing creates a thermal mass to moderate temperatures. Window locations are carefully designed to keep the home naturally cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Motorized clerestory windows draw in natural light and release heat build-up at the ceiling. A light grey color TPO membrane roof reflects the heat.
A two-story masonry chimney anchors the design and material palette. Exposed rafters, plank ceilings, and ebony stained cedar create an earthy vibe. Polished concrete floors reflect abundant natural light, creating a luminous interior space. The architecture works in tandem with the landscape. Gardens connect each interior space to light, air, and sun. Native plants and existing mature trees create a well established, low-water garden, and the shade of the large maples protect the south and west facing glass.
Fargo House
The realization that the historic house could not withstand one more alteration led to the concept: To design a contemporary house that maintains the character and feeling of the neighborhood. Though extremely small and narrow, the lot’s east-west long axis allows for ample sun exposure. The lower story aligns with neighboring homes preserving the historic street front, while the second story is recessed prioritizing the one-story scale for pedestrians. The partial second floor gave way to a rooftop deck increasing outdoor space and further integrating the landscape design.
South facing windows flood the home with natural light and solar energy. The goal for energy efficiency was to be “as good as it can get.” This started with a super-insulated and tight building envelope, including tuned triple-glazing by Alpen. The gas was capped and replaced with an all-electric mechanical system comprised of water-to-water geothermal run through radiant floors with small fan coil units to augment cooling. A standing seam metal roof minimizes the presence of the solar PV array providing on-site renewable energy.
Blue Mountain House
It was the realization of a life-long goal for architect Cherie Goff to design a home for herself and her husband Travis in this hidden mountain community. Nestled into the hillside, this one-story walk-out is sized right for the dual use of their home and a full-time office for a nonprofit organization run by Travis. The 1,800-SF structure includes 1,150-SF living quarters on the top, and 650-SF office on the bottom with a flexible space that can serve as a guest room. The living room has windows on three sides and cantilevers out over the hillside, immersing the space into nature and capturing views of the Dakota Hogback and the Denver city lights.
Designed for passive solar heating, the southern facing floor to ceiling windows warm up the concrete floors in the winter, while the appropriate sized overhangs and motorized solar shades keep the house cool in the summer. The house is 100% electric, with hot water radiant floor heating fed by an efficient heat pump and solar panels, making it close to net zero. As an additional effort to reduce energy consumption, switched outlets were installed to prevent phantom loads from appliances.