I occasionally like to feature luxury homes outside of our Phoenix Metro region. Given the growing focus on sustainability in home construction, I found this home fascinating. It was designed and constructed in the late 70’s but in a fashion that was far ahead of its time. ~Bill
For the first time at public sale, an innovative, energy-inspired eco-home is now available in Colorado, located in the hot North Boulder market. Designed in 1979 and constructed in 1981 under the watchful eye of the late acclaimed and influential Northern California architect Gerald Veverka, the home is truly a forward-looking, visionary property with a design as much modern timeless as it is technologically retro-chic.
Constructed around the philosophy that it’s not only possible, but beneficial, to base residential design around harnessing the energy of the Colorado sun, the home is built as a standing solar collector with luxury accommodations intelligently and artistically incorporated around the ecological components. So how does it work? This innovative green home is built around passive solar design, which incorporates features in the home and its natural surroundings that capture the sun’s low rays in winter and deflect the sun’s high rays in summer. This process naturally warms and cools the interior of the house in opposite seasons. Design and layout of windows, walls and floors collect, store and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and block solar heat in the summer. The home’s orientation, elevation, room layout, materials and surrounding outdoor landscaping all contribute to the success of the process.
Equally detailed with livability in mind, additional features of this 3,008-square-foot, two-story eco-home include a secure and private end of a cul-de-sac location backing to a scenic agricultural preserve. A private courtyard, shaded by beautiful grape vines and trees, welcomes visitors. Numerous beautifully landscaped gardens grace the property’s exquisitely laid out one-third acre lot. An attached solarium provides a little taste of summer year-round and creates a unique perspective during Boulder’s famously picturesque winters. An updated kitchen with granite and stainless steel appliances and wood stove, along with a durable metal roof and a side loading garage, add to the appeal of this unique, green prototype home.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.
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