| Location: | Franktown, CO | |
| Owner: | Confidential | |
| Architect: | James H. Gardner | |
| General Contractor: | Shapes & Spaces | |
| Construction Period: | 1993 - 2002 | |
| LEED® Rating: | Not Applicable | |
| Description: | This residence on the Flying Dolphin Ranch is located about 8 miles southeast of Franktown, CO (southeast of Castle Rock). The residence was constructed with two-string straw-bales (18” thick) used as the north wall of the building that serves as the spine of the layout. Steel columns were spaced every three bales with I-beams above to support the roof load. The steel structure and straw-bales along with tensile cables to the outside created a structural system to withstand the extreme wind load on the site. The roof structure consists of exposed open web trusses (wood top and bottom cord) with tongue and groove as ceiling. All interior walls are framed in steel. Wood used in the house is exposed. The south wall and the walls in the solarium are integral colored split face cmu for the tempering of the sun’s heat. The solarium was designed to act as a heating, cooling and humidifying space. It is a separate cell of the building. It can be completely closed off when it is either too warm from excessive gain or cool from night loss. The solarium will also be used as a large ventilator allowing north/south breezes to pass through. This is aided by two ceiling fans and a 6,000 cfm wall fan, if needed. Humidity will be added to the air by a circulating water fountain from a cistern that collects water off of the roof. The house is heated by radiant hot water heat under the floor slabs. It is intended for this water to be heated by hot water solar panels.This residence was designed to be handicapped accessible. It was designed to be used as a current residence with long-range plans of someday being donated to a handicap organization. | |
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