The Earthship Remodel

This unique house is located in southwest Colorado Springs, and as you can see the neighborhood is lush and beautiful! An "earthship" is a house constructed of recycled tires which are covered in stucco most commonly found in New Mexico. They are built to be independent of the electrical grid or in other words "zero energy."



The windows are tilted to allow sunlight deep into the house, warming it even in the winter (the passive solar technique). Unfortunately, there are some flaws with this design, including leakage around the edge of the windows. It turns out that now window companies won't even warranty windows if they are sloped like this. We're fixing the problem by putting in new vertical windows, which will give our clients more space inside and less exposure to the elements. The roof will extended to hang over the windows to protect them further.



As long as we're remodeling, our clients decided they might as well give the outside a new look too! We worked with them to reach this design for a quaint front face with tower and minerets. The tower is over the entrance and will feature a stained glass window, which will cast its colors inside during the day and be illuminated from inside at night.



This project is being bid at the moment - we're looking forward to its completion!

Home design trends

As architects we love to pioneer fresh ideas, but our job is also to give our clients what they want. That's why I was glad to see some of these trends in AIA’s (American Institute of Architect's) Home Design Trends Survey for the first quarter of 2009:

63 percent of respondents saw consumer interest in-home accessibility increasing
More homes are being designed so that is easier for elderly folks or people with disabilities to navigate them. Most or all of the living space is focused on a single floor; door, hallway and bathroom widths are widen enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

We like this trend because of the long-term focus. Many people may not require accessibility now, but as they age, sell their homes, or have disabled visitors remodeling won't be required to fit new needs.

Two-thirds of residential architects report increasing interest in low-maintenance landscaping (e.g. xeriscaping)
"Xeriscaping" literally means "dry landscaping" and is also refered to as water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping, and smart scaping. Native plants are the focus here instead of plants which depend on daily waterings from a sprinkler.

We like this trend because it is eco-friendly and economical - so much water is wasted keeping large lawns alive! Additionally, the xeriscaping is much more natural and it really is beautiful.