Beautifully Sustainable
By Travis Crooke
Photos: © Tim Murphy Photography
Is it possible to combine elegant design and beautiful craftsmanship with the concept of sustainability? In the past, the answer has been a simple no. Custom design was associated with extravagance and sustainability went with simplicity. These days things are changing and Maxann and Jay Collins are on the cutting edge of this transformation. The couple recently added onto and remodeled their entire house in Steamboat Springs. While their primary focus was to design a beautiful summer home, thanks to their appreciation of local craftsmen and their builders’ use of local materials, they quickly realized they were getting a sustainable house out of the bargain as well.
The Project Starts
Thirty years ago, Jay and Maxann, together with another couple, bought the property on Clubhouse Drive to use as a Steamboat vacation property. Maxann, the driving force behind the remodel, says "the house spoke to me when we originally bought it." The property had character and she knew it was the perfect ski home for the two young families.
The house has been a part of family vacations ever since. Two years ago, the couple knew they would be retiring soon, so they started searching for a summer home. The house spoke to Maxann again and she realized they already had the home they were looking for, it just needed some changes. They bought out the other family and started making plans to remodel the home. Little did the couple know that their first act of sustainability was updating an existing structure instead of building an entirely new one.
Art, especially local art, is a central part of the couple's beliefs and philanthropy. From the start of the project, Maxann and Jay insisted that everybody working on the project was from the area. Local tradesmen were important to them because they wanted each person to be recognized within the Yampa Valley for expertise in their respective trade. As it turns out, they used nearly forty local businesses throughout the project. Applying a trickledown effect, they kept hundreds of local residents employed during a difficult economic time and did their part to help sustain the local economy.
At first, the couple hired Mike Ramsey of JMR Construction to simply expand the family room. Mike has established himself as one of the finest general contractors in the valley. His attention to detail and foresight demonstrated to the Collinses that he is an artist in his trade. His reputation as one of the most environmentally conscious builders further enhanced the bond between art and sustainability.
When Mike began the project, he met with his architect partner of over twenty-five years, Dennis Schlachter of DSDA Homes, and outlined plans for a small expansion to the main family room. Once Mike’s team began work on the project, they quickly realized that more work and time was necessary. Fortunately, Maxann was entirely open to the idea. The floodgates opened and as the team worked through each obstacle that arose on the remodel, Maxann decided to expand the project further. Normally this could be a problem because many of the craftsmen need to start other projects. Thanks to the slow economy, many were available. Maxann was pleased because she got total commitment on the rebuild. The folks involved in the project were thus granted more freedom to capitalize on their talents and incorporate sustainable practices in their personal way.
The Project Expands
The first addition to the project Ramsey suggested was the inclusion of beetle kill lumber. Traditionally, most wood construction uses cedar, but Mike has enjoyed building with the beetle kill wood of the lodgepole pine. He knew Maxann appreciated artistic building materials and this wood seemed perfect. Together they visited the lumberyard of Joe Bonn Wood Products and picked out all of the major beams and the siding for the home. Maxann liked the look of planks that still had an unfinished, or "live edge" to them. The team recognized this and ultimately included this feature into much of the trim, interior beams, and custom furniture of the house.
Once Joe understood Maxann preferred the live edge look, he set aside unique pieces of lumber that he knew Maxann would love. Maxann appreciated this because she got custom lumber unique to the region. The beetle kill is sustainable because transportation costs are minimal for the lumber and it is an overly-abundant natural resource in the Yampa Valley.
It seemed practical to replace all of the windows with more efficient window glass at the same time as the siding. Maxann chose windows that were designed with beveled edges on the interior glass pane. They give the house a custom look and tie in with the live edge pine trim. In addition, her grandchildren noticed that the bevels create a prism effect that shines rainbows within the home throughout the day. Steve Ringwelski, of Liberty Sash & Door, recommended Kolbe LoE² - 240 (read Low E 240) windows because he has found them to be extremely energy efficient. The 240 rating facilitates a consistent internal temperature throughout the year and reduces extraneous heat loss.
Columbine Insulation provided the blown-in batt (BIB) and JM Corbond spray foam insulation. These types of insulation trap air more efficiently than traditional insulation because they prevent air from moving in any direction. Traditional insulation keeps air from permeating it, but it does not stop air from traveling up the walls and out of the roof. Spray insulations fill all of the crevasses between studs and drywall and thus trap air more efficiently. Columbine uses JM Corbond Insulation, which is designed for high altitude homes and it is Greenguard Certified.
Sam Graham of Valley Electrical Systems has had an exceptional contribution to the house, not just this project. Sam was the original electrician on the job when the house was built over thirty years ago. Mike has been subcontracting with Sam for years, so it happened that Sam returned to one of his older endeavors. Initially, Valley Electrical tried to add to the existing system when Maxann was simply going to expand the family room. Once the project spread, Sam decided to start fresh. By his estimates, Sam actually saved material and time by doing a complete rebuild. He has never remodeled one of his older projects as much as this one. He notes that he enjoyed getting a second chance at organizing the system more efficiently, and he liked customizing it to the specific desires of Jay and Maxann.
Warmboard Radiant Subfloor® panels are installed throughout the house. Subfloor panels are traditionally plywood panels placed over the floor joists and under the finished floor. Warmboard is a form of subfloor paneling with an aluminum skin that circulates heated water throughout the subfloor panels via a system of radiant tubing. The heat from the water is radiated through the finished floor and thus heats the house very evenly. This water is heated via a highly efficient on-demand heating unit. Mike knew from his previous experience with Warmboard that this would provide the Collins' home with efficient and very comfortable heating with lower water temperatures. Maxann likes the radiant floor heating because it is not visible like the electric baseboard heaters that once cluttered the house. Radiant floor heating is more sustainable than traditional baseboard heaters because the on-demand heating unit requires less energy for the same effect and the Warmboard distributes the heat evenly and efficiently. In addition, the new system uses control zones, so Maxann and Jay only heat the areas of the house they are currently using.
The ceiling to the Great room addition was troubling to Maxann because she wanted a raised roof that highlights the grandness of the room. Mike noted that lofting the ceiling was not possible with the existing roofline. Upon further inspection, Mike noticed the original roof was sagging. Kona Ward of Revelation Roofing replaced the roof and the architect, Dennis Schlachter, of DSDA Homes, then designed an additional roofline over the family room, master bedroom, and garage. Mike also extended the new roof line over the new front porch. The extended roof provides passive solar benefits and shades the new Great Room from late afternoon glare. The new roof raises the original eight-foot ceiling in the family room to eleven feet six inches which creates a cathedral effect. Mike was happy that he was able to highlight additional live edge beetle kill beam work and Maxann had a truly "Great" room.
Randy Lentz, owner of Best Painting and Advanced Garage Doors, painted the residence and installed the garage doors. He used stain for the exterior and interior beams and applied paint to the interior walls. The beams throughout the home are stained either a brown to match the cabinetry or slightly green to coincide with the green Maxann chose for the interior walls. However, the beams in the master bedroom have a natural stain that emphasizes the blue veneer of the beetle kill wood. Randy notes that he used twenty-eight different stains on the project so that each color and hue match exactly. When possible, he applied water base clear finishes that are more environmentally friendly than lacquer. Most of the paint was low VOC (volatile organic compound). The garage doors were custom built for the project with beetle kill tongue & groove paneling. Randy admires Mike's attention to detail and appreciates that Ramsey keeps the same local team for his projects. This allows the team to work more efficiently together while at the same time the overall quality of the work is superior.
The Project is Customized
The Collinses are patrons of the arts and have already spent many hours in Steamboat's art galleries. Maxann already owned a few sculptures by Sandy Graves and was so impressed with her work that she commissioned Graves to design and fabricate all of the hardware in the house. Each cabinet handle, door knob, and lock in the residence is designed, cast, and hand painted by Sandy. She looked all over the globe for internal hardware that would fit the door handles she had created. Ironically, she found a provider in Denver who met her exact requirements. Everything is cast in bronze. While each piece is truly a unique piece of art, the materials, casting location, and labor were all as close to the residence as possible. Maxann included additional pieces of Sandy’s work within the house as well. Look for more information about Sandy and her work in this issue's Artist Profile.
Sandy notes that it was fantastic working with Maxann because, "she honors artists and wants them to do their best work." Once tradesmen understood this concept, they were encouraged to take the project to new levels. In addition to the artistic highlights of each tradesman, the house is adorned by artwork and sculpture by local artists. The only art that is not local is from artists from Bastrop, Texas, where Jay and Maxann reside when not in Steamboat. Thus, while this art is not local to Steamboat, it is still local to the Collins family.
Bruce Caplowe and his team at Rumor Design + Re-Design supplied some of the furniture for the residence. He featured recycled teak that is both artistically pleasing and sustainable. Each piece is constructed from reclaimed wood from salvaged buildings and ships. The teak is naturally distressed and thus offers unique characteristics. No two pieces are alike, and almost everything has been recycled. This furniture is further proof that pairing elegant design with sustainable practices is becoming the new direction of high fashion.
Another artistic highlight of the project is the stone work found throughout the home. Yvonne Connett of Interior Surroundings supplied all of the natural stone and tile to the bathrooms, the kitchen backsplash, the kitchen floor, and the fireplace found in the Great room. In addition, Yvonne installed the natural wool carpeting in the downstairs bedrooms and supplied the wood shutters and window coverings to the entire residence. Each bathroom has a unique design that Yvonne proposed to Maxann. Yvonne notes that she likes to have the homeowner find one thing they love about the project. From here, Yvonne tries to tailor her craftsmanship to focus on this one thing. That way the homeowner can relax, and Yvonne can worry about the details. Yvonne realized that Maxann loves art, thus each bathroom is unique and a true custom masterpiece. All of the materials Yvonne used were natural with no processing. She notes they are green because they are literally directly from the earth.
Working closely with Yvonne and Maxann, Cortney Connolly of M&N Plumbing supplied all of the fixtures for the kitchen and baths. The project features hand painted sinks by Kohler. The finishes on the toilets and faucets match the color scheme of their respective rooms, and all faucets and shower heads in the residence are Water Sense Approved which means they promote water conservation.
No remodel is complete without the landscaping. Cory Wood of Corman Construction headed up the landscaping. He has been responsible for the maintenance of the property for seven years and was the obvious choice. Cory xeriscaped the yard, which means all of the plants and trees are indigenous and require minimal additional maintenance. Boulders used to line the beds and swills (channels for excess water runoff) are from Steamboat and Milner, Colorado. Timbers for the steps are from Alpine Lumber and Caveman Stone provided the fill stone. Only perennials were used in the beds, so annual planting is not necessary. Currently there is no irrigation but Mike included a hook-up if the couple should decide to install it in the future.
In the end, the couple had always hoped to build a house exactly as they wanted. They just did not think it was going to be their old vacation house in Steamboat. Jay and Maxann are happy because the home now displays a plethora of artistic elements and features custom aspects throughout the residence. They were surprised because these elegant highlights were sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Features
Do It NOW!
GeoExchange Heating & Cooling Systems
Green Businesses Walk the Talk
Departments
The Green Scene
Open Burning Regulations in Routt County
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Builder Perspectives
Real Estate
Shop Green Homes in the Steamboat Springs MLS
Artist Profile