This is the "Boulder" lifestyle home, which embraces the natural environment surrounding it.

The home is based on a modern design style, with an emphasis on "Livability". The home is built to the highest of construction standards, using primarily eco-friendly and health conscious building materials. 

The home is also designed to be easy to maintain, inside and out.

The floor plan is open by design and minimizes "transitional space" such as hallways and corridors.

The result:  It lives as a home which is "much-larger" than its measured square footage.

The use of each room in the home has been carefully considered in the design and scale of each space. The public spaces are wide-open and create a comfortable "sense-of-place".

One simply feels peaceful being in this home.

The bedrooms are designed recognizing that bedrooms should be a place for relaxation, intimacy, and sleep.

The light blue ceiling above the entire second story gives a peaceful open-air feeling to the bedrooms. When the lights are turned off at night, the blue ceiling gives a feeling of infinite sky above.

The home’s heating and cooling systems are state-of-the-art. The overall concept is based on a high-thermal mass design. The masses within the home act as heat sinks and heat storage devices. For example, the lower level floors are twelve inch thick concrete.   During the winter, the floors help store and stabilize the interior environmental temperature.

 

 

 

     

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During the summer, the 12" thick concrete slabs cool down at night.  During the day, the  to act as heat sinks and absorb the heat gained during the daytime.  

The roof overhangs are calculated to keep direct sunlight out of the upper levels during the summer months.

Heating:

The boiler is state-of-the-art German technology and is 97% efficient. The computer behind the boiler is based on SMART-technology; its computer system uses predictive algorithms and usage history to become more efficient and accurate over time. The home has a secondary furnace for forced air heat. This heating system offers complete system redundancy to the main heating boiler-based unit.

              PASSIVE AIR CIRCULATION FOR FALL, SPRING, AND SUMMER NIGHTS.

Interior floor finishes are Bamboo, Polished Concrete, and Marble throughout the entire home and Studio.

The bathroom countertops are granite throughout.

Visible fixtures and hardware are all of the highest quality available, in the order of Grohe, Dohrn-Brach, Newport Brass, tempered glass sinks, custom steel and bamboo handrails, etc.

However, the non-visible items, hidden under the drywall and finishes, are just as important, if not more. For example, the water supply lines to the bathtub and shower fixtures are all over-sized. This makes filling the 6 ft jetted master tub a matter of minutes.

Similarly, the ductwork throughout is thicker than most residential ductwork; with fully lined insulated trunks;  to minimize sound transmission; and all joints in the ductwork sealed to commercial. The list of not-easily-seen but easy-to-appreciate features goes on and on.

Kitchen:

       

  

Designed for the chef! 

This kitchen looks great but also works extremely well.  

Appliances have all been selected with design, Energy usage, and practicality in mind.    

Every cabinet and built-in item of this house is custom.  The storage innovations throughout are exceptional.

Custom design and fabrication was opted for throughout the house, over the use of off-the-shelf items. For example, every kitchen cabinet is hand built and different from the one next to it. The dining area has a caramelized Bamboo wine bar with granite countertop and backsplash.

The Bosch cook-top is a high output design, producing heat comparable to large commercial units, yet much easier to clean and without the heavy clunky look.

 Storage is everywhere.  This makes it possible to own stuff and live an organized life without clutter.

Every window in the house is placed with function in mind. The window units are Hurd and are equipped with Low-e performance glass. Some windows are placed to allow for airflow, while others are placed strategically to maximize views.

For example, the awning windows in the living room area are placed low on the west side and high on the East, to maximize natural convective air flow and cross ventilation. The skylight in the upper level opens and is electric, allowing warm air to escape during the summer months.

PICTURE OF VIEW FROM LIVING ROOM WINDOW

Internally, air is slowly extracted from the bedrooms by a continuous-operation air circulation duct system, to replace breathing air with fresh air without having to open windows. This air extraction system is manually switched, or automatically when used with the air conditioner. When it is used with the air conditioner, the extraction system serves as a room backpressure "equalizer", which results in more-even air distribution and delivery throughout.

In addition, all four bedrooms have ceiling fans for air circulation.

Making the Living Environment a healthy one and designed to keep it that way

Recognizing that Radon is the Number #2 cause of lung cancer in the US (after cigarette smoke), the home has been equipped with a Radon extraction loop under all of the lower level concrete floor surfaces. Although no Radon has been detected in the home to date, any gasses that might accumulate under the slab in the future can be extracted passively or by adding a fan to the Radon extraction loop.

The entire home and studio are hard-wired for computer local area networking, coax cable, interior and exterior speakers, and phone lines.  Two 2" conduits connect the separate studio structure to the house, for future wiring needs/upgrades and new technologies in connectivity.

Finishes for wood floors have been selected based on their durability and low off-gassing qualities. The bamboo floors have all been finished with five coats of Bonna water-based floor finish. The wood countertops, concrete floors, and the bamboo cabinets were finished with a combination of oil and wax finishes. These finishes were selected for their eco-friendly qualities as well as cosmetic reasons. For example, the oiled bamboo cabinets and countertops have a rich color and depth to the finish, something that is not achievable with polyurethane and varnish finishes.

Lighting is primarily low voltage throughout the home. The quality of light from an MR-16 low voltage lighting is superior, as it is a more balanced and full spectrum light source than standard lighting systems. It is also more energy efficient. Light is directed more accurately to the surfaces to be lit, which results in energy savings. 

Masonry and steel make the exterior of the house very easy to maintain. Each steel section of window casing was cut on site, welded, removed to be sand blasted, and finally Powder-Coated prior to re-installation. The level of detailing and care that has gone into the construction of this home is exceptional. They will also ensure a long life for the structure and its finishes.

The front porch has been prepared for a radiant heat and a barbeque with gas lines running to each location. From this front porch, the new owners will be able to enjoy breakfast while watching the cross-country skiers in the winter, or relax and admire the sunset any day of the year.

The rear porch, on the other hand, is a protected private place for relaxation, outdoor dining, and meditation. 

One of the advantages of the courtyard is that, upon looking out to the rear of the home, one sees an extension of the house (the Studio), and not the neighbors yard.  The entire home, patio, and studio feel very private.

Although there are neighbors around, one tends to feel very protected and very private in this home.

The second story porch, with incredible views of the mountains and Flatirons, is pre-wired for a hot tub/spa and has direct access from the master bathroom.

The landscaping trees were sourced from a local nursery and are Colorado-grown. Conditioned to the altitude and soil conditions of Boulder County, the trees have an advantage over imported trees in the areas of growth and health. The new owners can customize the landscaping. It can be based on grass and/or xeroscaped horizontal surfaces.

The soil around the perimeter of the home was scraped before final grade and replaced with 18" of conditioned and fertilized potting-soil. There is a location on the South of the house for a small organic vegetable garden. The sprinkler system is installed. There is a rough-in for a low-voltage yard lighting system.

In the private patio area, there is also a water storage tank installed, as well as power, for a water fountain/water-feature in the future.

Handicap Accessibility:   The lower level bedroom is fully handicap accessible.  The entire lower level, including front and rear porches are designed to be accessible. 

The list of special features and special design considerations for this home are extensive.   

The entire lower level, including a second downstairs Master Bedroom, is fully handicapped accessible. The lower level master bathroom is ready to receive grab-bars and other handicap specific requirements should they be necessary.