BUILD FORWARD
The Design
“Firewise” construction uses non-combustible siding and roofing, triple pane windows tempered, no overhangs, and minimal exterior trim as well as wrapped in a fire proof insulation system. The house will exceed the proposed WUI ordinance. See our presentation on passive house and fire in this video.
This pre-designed series is the first of its kind to meet the rigorous Passive House energy modeling and design specific to the Front Range climate. This means it will use up to 80% less energy than a code built home and be much more comfortable. A home designed to last generations.
While solar panels are not required for Passive House, the roof is optimized for solar systems which a modest size can run the entire home home and larger size will even charge electric vehicles.
Multiple floor plan options and floor sizes with the option for custom floor planning. We are custom designers and builders, so bring us your specific needs.
Build Back Better With Passive House
Next Step
We developed the Firewise Colorado Passive House house design specifically to meet the zoning of the Sagamore planned development in Superior, but the design can be built on other home sites in Superior, Louisville, unincorporated Boulder County, or elsewhere in the Front Range climate. If you are interested in having us adapt this house to your lot, please fill out our Google form below.
RESTORE 1
FIRST FLOOR 860 SF
SECOND FLOOR 940 SF
BASEMENT 810 SF
STORAGE 350 SF
RESTORE 2
FIRST FLOOR 860 SF
SECOND FLOOR 1300 SF
BASEMENT 810 SF
STORAGE 350 SF
RESTORE 3
FIRST FLOOR 1100 SF
SECOND FLOOR 1300 SF
BASEMENT 1030 SF
STORAGE 350 SF
Priced from $550,000 after incentives
RESTORE 1 is currently priced at $600,000. Incentives and rebates we’ve identified so far will reduce the cost by around $50,000, to about $550,000. The base construction cost includes the house itself on a level lot, plus utilities, driveway, entry walkway, and front and rear patios. It includes fire-proof siding and roofing, triple-glazed windows and doors, high quality, Energy-Star appliances including an induction range and bottom freezer refrigerator, a front-loading washer and heat pump dryer.
Included finishes feature floating engineered wood flooring (no vinyl), ceramic tile on the floors in the bathrooms and entry, high-quality cabinetry, painted wood sills and drywall wraps for the windows, solid surface countertops, and LED lighting.
All electric key mechanical systems include high efficiency heat recovery ventilation, heat pump for cooling and heating, and a heat pump water heater.
We offer upgrades in appliances, materials and finishes, lighting, and lighting controls. A solar photovoltaic system will be offered as well. The roof is designed to accommodate solar panels on any of the roof slopes, depending on what works best for your site. We have several minor variations of the plan ready to go, and further customization of the design is also possible on an hourly basis. We are happy to adjust the plan to meet your needs.
Specifications may change. We are continuing to research the best assemblies, materials, finishes, appliances and equipment for this house. Please contact us for detailed information on pricing.
Financial Incentives and Discounts for our house in the Marshall Fire Area
$37,500 incentive for certified Passive House houses from Xcel Energy.
$10,000 incentive for all-electric homes
$8,000 Inflation Reduction Act incentive for heat pump heating and cooling
Inflation Reduction Act incentives for renewable energy (still researching this)
secured discount on heat pump water heaters
secured discount on Passive House house wrap and other sealing materials
savings on top of the line heat recovery ventilation equipment
distributing the cost of high quality design over multiple households gets you a more thoughtful design for costs comparable to a production build (and savings in some areas!)
Disaster Resilience Rebuilding program offers $25,000-$100,000 grant based on income eligibility.
Andrew Michler is a Certified Passive House Designer, author and building designer. His project MARTaK is the recipient of the 2018 Grand Overall Winner Green Home of the Year, Green Builder Magazine and is the first certified passive house in Colorado. Andrew did all of the Passive House modeling for the RESTORE house.
Chuck Bower is a Certified Passive House Builder. He is known for building high-quality homes in the Denver region. Chuck is the contractor for the first RESTORE house, under construction now.
