Solar Takes a Turn for Sexy

by Maggie Flickinger

Solar has embarked on a European vacation, tossing caution to the wind and flaunting its sexy curves in Madrid. Thousands have flocked to ogle the Solar Homes on display at the Solar Decathlon Europe in Madrid.  Colorado has a history with these competitions, having won both the 2002 and 2005 US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlons.  However in 2007 and again in 2009, Germany swept the stage with their restrained yet sophisticated architectural language and perfect energy score.  At SD Europe, will one of their three entries score again amidst steep competition from Europe, the US, and Asia? 

My favorite? The Living Equia, a sustainable minimalist’s dream home (but hey, I’ve always had some quasi-Brutalist proclivities).  Beyond the standard systems, the team has also developed an intriguing material technology involving roof-installed wax globules which melt and solidify diurnally to cool the home.

“Beat-to-Hell Modernism”

by Maggie Flickinger

We’ve had a lot of media coverage over the years, and you never quite know what a writer will glean from an interview.  So, we had to chuckle when we saw the David Barrett quote Yellowscene Magazine pulled for their feature on Contemporary Colorado, “It’s beat-to-hell sophistication that balances, warms and brings a handmade quality to these splendid, dynamic homes.”

Chatting with Andrea, the article’s author, we discussed some unique conditions that occur in Colorado, as well as proclivities of the Colorado families we’ve worked with, that we believe should affect the “look” of a modern Colorado home.