South west Elevation

BLM to the North

Solarium sun line October 4 at High Noon

Sun Line at the beginning of May.

Dining Room 1/21/08

Full sun in the winter and no sun in the summer

Dining Room

Dining Room 6/26/10

summer no direct sun

Kitchen

Note the pantry door cool room on the north. Walke in to lots of room to store food pots and pans etc.

Written Description...

Be sure to look at all the posts by clicking on "older posts" at the end of each page.

This home is passive solar design, therefore it is oriented to the sun with windows to the south. In the summer the sun is high in the horizon and the overhang shades any direct sun keeping it cool. The thick massive thermal walls remove the heat and the cool night desert air cools the walls again at night. In the winter the sun is low in the horizon and the sun penetrated deep into the home heating the thermal mass. This home works with nature and at times I swear it is alive! The north exterior wall and roof reduces air infiltration and heat loss by reducing the number of windows and doors. There is only one door to the north which has an operable window. The interior is an open layout for day lighting and heat transfer. The interior if very rustic, and very resilient. No Carpet, except for two of the bedrooms. The stucco finish is low maintenance and keeps the mice out. No mice! It has a cold room pantry on the north side of the kitchen. This not only keeps root vegetables fresh for months but the pantry is also an insulating air buffer for added efficiency. Six years ago I replaced the roof, exterior doors and rebuilt the sun room including new insulated glass. Previous roof was 30 years old and leaking. No Leaks! It has Grand Junction City water coming from the new treatment plant on Purdy Mesa. The (Clerestory) windows above shed light on the north side of the house creating a great interior environment. The exterior walls are 14 inches thick and the interior walls are 12 inches for excellent thermal storage for passive heating and cooling. CLICK "OLDER POST" BUTTON FOR MORE PHOTOS=============>

Kitchen

Kitchen

Note the natural light coming from clerestory windows above.

Solarium 6/26/10

Note there is no direct sun. Taken 6/26/10

Southern Exterior 6/26/09

View West Towards the Mesa

Watering with well water. It is a pressurized system with in ground raintree sprinkler system. Electrical consumption for well/irrigation system is about $10/month.

Living Room 1/21/08

Note sun line. Blinds can be shut to reduce glare while watching TV.

Many people wonder what its like during different times of the year so I tried to include photos from through out the year. With the Clerestory lighting above, all the southern windows, and natural earth tones the lighting is always changing and amazing.

Living Room

Pole barn is well maintained sheathed with long lasting metal. Should be easy to set up for animals.

Sun Porch (solarium) 12/19/09

It works great to move the picnic table in for the winter and out for the summer, or not. I have had great winter gardens. Very efficient, because it harvests the sun and has lots of thermal mass to store the heat to carry through those bitter cold winter nights. In the summer the mass walls remove the heat then at night the cool desert air cools the mass walls again. It works with nature not against. This home is not like grid dependant homes, you can leave the home in the dead of winter w/o heat and it will not freeze, it heats itself.

Exterior wall section

Master Bedroom

General Design Schematic

correction to this drawing: the roof insulation has an r value of r-30.

Southwest Elevation blm land to the north

Tractor included at $239,900

The Kubota tractor in the back ground would be included at $239,900. It has a brush hog, ditcher, front loader and rear blade attachment. I'm thinking about getting a post hole auger.