A.D.U.
Provided: Full Service Architecture + Interior Design + General Contracting
Location: Boulder, CO
Completed: Winter 2021
Tres Birds designed and built an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Boulder, Colorado. The 800 square foot home is efficiently designed, well insulated, and has been designated a “Affordable Accessory Unit” rental property by the City of Boulder Affordable Housing Program.
This small home is made primarily of reclaimed bowling alley lanes and plywood. The 50 year old bowling alley wood is used as a structurally independent mezzanine floor system. Reject tile from a Boulder artisan is used throughout the bathroom and in the kitchen. The skylight is made from a dichroic glass panel that was a rejected stock from a past Tres Birds project. As the angle of the sun changes throughout the day and season, so do the light/color effects within the living space, creating a vibrant show of colored light throughout. Window locations and roof overhangs were designed specifically to maximize natural light in the home while providing adequate shading for summer sun. In the winter, the continuous standing seam exterior is designed to be low maintenance and to quickly shed snow with its 12:12 roof pitch.
The ADU scores well for energy efficiency. The envelope is tight and well insulated. Radiant floor heating and cooling keep the climate comfortable. Lighting, security, HVAC, and the operable skylight can all be controlled by the occupant’s phone, cutting down on energy waste. The home received a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 33, not far off from Europe’s stringent Passive House requirement of HERS 20. For reference, a new standard home scores HERS 100 and an Energy Smart home scores HERS 85.
Location: Boulder, CO
Completed: Winter 2021
Tres Birds designed and built an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Boulder, Colorado. The 800 square foot home is efficiently designed, well insulated, and has been designated a “Affordable Accessory Unit” rental property by the City of Boulder Affordable Housing Program.
This small home is made primarily of reclaimed bowling alley lanes and plywood. The 50 year old bowling alley wood is used as a structurally independent mezzanine floor system. Reject tile from a Boulder artisan is used throughout the bathroom and in the kitchen. The skylight is made from a dichroic glass panel that was a rejected stock from a past Tres Birds project. As the angle of the sun changes throughout the day and season, so do the light/color effects within the living space, creating a vibrant show of colored light throughout. Window locations and roof overhangs were designed specifically to maximize natural light in the home while providing adequate shading for summer sun. In the winter, the continuous standing seam exterior is designed to be low maintenance and to quickly shed snow with its 12:12 roof pitch.
The ADU scores well for energy efficiency. The envelope is tight and well insulated. Radiant floor heating and cooling keep the climate comfortable. Lighting, security, HVAC, and the operable skylight can all be controlled by the occupant’s phone, cutting down on energy waste. The home received a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 33, not far off from Europe’s stringent Passive House requirement of HERS 20. For reference, a new standard home scores HERS 100 and an Energy Smart home scores HERS 85.
