Home Crush: Sustainable Colorado Cabin

This Colorado family has a long history with Steamboat Springs. Laurie Reed worked as a ski instructor here during college. After she and her husband, Dave, married, they came back frequently with their two sons. When it came time to build a home, they wanted it on the hills they loved so much.

Their love of the land demanded they build a home that did as little damage to it as possible. They settled on solar panels so their electricity use was net zero, but also used salvaged wood, planted two green roofs, and installed a metal roof to not pollute runoff water. See the house by the numbers below—and check out the whole story in our September issue.

Counting down to zero

500—number of “grasscrete” pavers that make up the driveway to help prevent runoff

400—inches of snow that fell during construction of this house

30—percent tax credit earned as a result of the home’s solar system

20—number of varieties of sedum on the roof that consume carbon and stabilize the home’s temperature

19—number of dollars spent per month on administrative costs for the grid

16—number of solar panels clipped to the roof, enough to meet needs for the vacation house with space to add more when the residence becomes full-time

1—number of recycled tractor-trailer truck rims put into the ground outside for use as a fire pit

0—total yearly electricity use

(2: Times we went to Colorado to shoot this house–once to capture the fall color and another to get snaps of the family)

photography by Thomas J. Story for Sunset