stais residence
custom home
breckenridge, colorado

Architectural projects are opportunities to explore and have fun with design ideas, as clients and budgets allow. When Matt Stais, our principal architect, set out to design a new home for his family, it became a laboratory, a test project for pushing the envelope - integrating architectural aesthetics with sustainable design, on a budget.

An in-town site was selected, close to amenities, recreation & transit, with an existing A-frame near the end of its life span. That building was 'deconstructed', essentially recycled as much as possible, to lessen our waste stream. The driveway was combined with an adjacent property, eliminating a curb cut on a busy road, enhancing community (and family) safety.

The new home is sited along an east-west axis, to optimize solar gain, with views to the southeast and southwest, and located to maintain existing mature spruce & fir trees. The pine beetles have helped maximize solar exposure, with over 40 trees removed during construction.

The site presents solar opportunities which form the core of the design intent, both aesthetically, by blending the interior and exterior living spaces, and technically, using the sun to create a more pleasant (and efficient) place to live. Passive solar techniques include daylighting, extensive south-facing glass (protected by insulating shades at night), properly sized overhangs to block summer sun but allow winter sun to penetrate deep into the home, thermal mass in the floors and walls, and thermosiphoning air panels at the south wall. Active solar systems include two types of photovoltaic panels and preheat for domestic hot water. These systems are optimized by the east-west building orientation.

The intent for the building exterior is a feeling of 'tautness': a tight skin which wraps the interior spaces, with openings appropriate to function and the contemporary theme. Materials emphasize a natural look and feel that will weather well in the harsh high-altitude environment, and are varied to suggest a hint of what lies inside. The roof configuration is relatively simple for ease of construction and maintenance. Dormers are limited to sheds; there are no roof valleys. Roof edges include a 3 foot zinc strip to help snow slide off and minimize ice dams and the need for heated gutters and downspouts.

Interiors continue the theme of the contemporary snow country home: materials are natural, honest, stout, trending towards simple, clean and elegant. Vertical zoning of living and sleeping areas creates distinct parts of the house that family and friends can enjoy with a certain degree of privacy and separation, which is a priority for the growing family. Ample storage maximizes living space and minimizes clutter.

510 Wellington represents another step towards better high-performance buildings for all our clientele. We're taking it through LEED for Homes, Energy Star, Built Green Colorado, and the new Summit Sustainable Building Code programs as demonstration and documentation tools.

• site area: .63 acres
• finished area: 3,638 sf
• unfinished area: 1,026 sf
• total building area: 4,664 sf
• design: spring 2008
• construction: 2008-2009

[ click here to view media coverage of this project ]

[ click here to learn more about this project ]