Chautauqua Green Remodel - Boulder
C.A.R.E. Award Winner :: 2006
Elements of the original floor plan kept the residents of this half-century-old
home from enjoying the potential benefits of its strong southern exposure.
Additional challenges included a dark, cramped living room; an outdated,
inefficient kitchen; and an overall need for more - and more intelligent -
space. We moved a poorly placed staircase, remodeled nearly every room in the
house and replaced the small covered porch with a large and open sunroom
designed to be 96% solar heated. We added solar panels, improved the insulation
and replaced the inefficient single-pane, metal-framed windows. The result is an
elegant home that happens to be incredibly energy efficient; today, it's
comfortable and attractive (and it uses two-thirds less energy than it did
before the remodel).
"It's much more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing than I expected. [Green
remodeling] really makes a better home."
-J. K., Homeowner