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Known as the Mariposa Garden House, this award-winning indoor-outdoor residence in Boulder, Colorado, was designed by Renée del Gaudio Architecture for a family of three living in the Lower Chautauqua neighborhood at the foot of the Boulder Flatirons. A decade ago, interior designer Stephanie Waddell moved with her husband and young son into an aging 1948 ranch house in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. By 2017, it was time to update the 1,750-square-foot dwelling, as the family needed more space. For help, Waddell turned to close friend Renée del Gaudio, whose Boulder-based firm focuses on site-specific design.
Del Gaudio conceived a drastic plan: raze the original house, but preserve its irregular, blocky footprint, which steps around little pockets of greenery. “The redeeming quality of the house was its footprint — the twists and turns the exterior walls took in relation to the landscape on the property,” says del Gaudio. “The original foundation was not so much a constraint as a real opportunity.” Atop the existing 1940s concrete foundation rose the Mariposa Garden House: a two-level, 3,150-square-foot structure comprising rectilinear volumes with ample glazing, flat roof planes, and a series of surrounding gardens.
The concept of this project is “A House of Gardens and Light”, an approach that places equal emphasis on energy efficiency, luminous spaces, and deep connections to the landscape. The design minimizes energy use through strategic massing, orientation, and roof design. A 3-inch-thick radiant concrete slab creates highly efficient heating. Motorized clerestory windows open to vent the house at the ceiling where heat builds up, and bring natural light to all interior spaces. An 8kW photovoltaic array makes the home net-zero electric. Continue below to see the floor plan of this home!
DESIGN DETAILS
ARCHITECT Renée del Gaudio Architecture
CONSTRUCTION Coburn Development
INTERIOR DESIGN Istoria Interiors
LANDSCAPE DESIGN Marpa Landscape Architecture
The garage includes two electric vehicle charging outlets. An 8kW photo-voltaic array makes this dwelling net-zero electric. A two-story masonry chimney anchors the design. The owners pass through the masonry walls when entering the home from the rear. Turn to the interior, the chimney delivers a fireplace to the central living area.
On the exterior facade, the chimney houses the outdoor cooking grill. Ascend upstairs and out to the master bedroom roof deck, and the chimney delivers a cozy outdoor fireplace for two.
The architecture works in tandem with the landscape. Gardens connect each interior space to light, air, and nature. Native plants and existing mature trees create a well established, low-water garden.
What We Love About This Home
This energy-efficient home was designed to maximize an indoor-outdoor connection, linking spaces to the garden at every turn. Characterized by clean lines and a modern material palette, this luminous home is designed for entertaining in style. We are especially loving the bedroom with its sliding glass doors leading out to an intimate roof deck with a fireplace, idyllic for sunrise/sunset.
Tell Us: What details in the design of this home do you find most appealing and why in the Comments below!
Note: Have a look at a couple of other wonderful projects that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this project: Cozy rustic cabin perched on cliff overlooking Colorado’s mountains and Rustic Meets Contemporary: Hillside Home in the Rocky Mountains.
ACCOLADES: 2020 AIA Colorado Award of Excellence, the 2020 AIA Colorado North Award of Distinction, and the 2020 AIA Editor’s Choice Award.
Motorized clerestory windows draw in natural light and ventilation from all directions.
PHOTOGRAPHER David Lauer
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