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2014 Houses Awards Gallery

Adanado

By jlbarrett, member
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Our project is called Adanado, which is the Cherokee word for Spirit. The home, currently seeking LEED Platinum certification, is located in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado at an elevation of 7,600 feet.  It is a brutally beautiful environment with harsh winds and intense sun and one of the coldest locations in the country with winter temperatures dropping to 50 below zero. A high alpine desert, the San Luis Valley receives only 7″ of rainfall per year. 

The goal for the project was to create a home that could be built using local resources and with a minimal footprint on the land. To accomplish this, the home’s walls were constructed of rammed earth, using only the soil found onsite. 230 tons of earth were stabilized with a small amount of portland cement, then tamped into place inside the formwork over a period of nine days. The formwork was then taken apart and reused to construct the roof framing. 2x12s became framing members and the plywood forms were re-used as the roof sheathing.

The home is completely off grid, so a well was dug prior to the start of construction. Solar PV panels provide all the electricity for the home, and heating is through radiant floors. Solar evacuated tubes heat the water for the radiant floor system and all domestic hot water. 

Tremendous thermal mass alleviates the need for air conditioning. The walls range from 4′ thick on the north side, to 2′-4″ thick everywhere else. Four inches of rigid insulation were embedded into the center of the walls during construction to further increase the R-values and protect against the extreme winter temperatures. Triple pane insulated windows provide dramatic views of the 14,000 foot peaks. A whole house fan allows the house to be ventilated in the summer during the cool evening and morning hours, while the HRV system maintains the internal temperature while providing fresh air exchange.

The site contains a mixture of sand and clay deposits, which made clay finishes on the interior walls a natural choice. Instead of painting the interior walls the architect created a homemade mixture of sand, clay, pigments and binders that were hand troweled and burnished over the interior surfaces. 

Wind is a constant issue so it was important to find a way to enjoy the outdoors while providing shelter from the wind. To do so the home has its back to the prevailing winds and a covered terrace is centrally located, accessible from each of the main rooms. 

With a minimal budget the goal was to capitalize on resources found onsite, create a net zero energy home, and use local labor to construct the walls. No one on the project team had any prior experience with rammed earth, yet the process was very simple and the end result dramatic. Finished construction cost for the home was under $200,000.

Additional information and photos taken during construction can be seen at www.adanado.com.

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View Comments

  1. mathisken | Feb 26, 2015 07:34am | #1

    nice

  2. isoliprince | Feb 27, 2015 06:58am | #2

    superb

  3. johnsonpaul | Mar 10, 2015 10:38pm | #3

    coooooooooooooooool

  4. jamiekrover | Mar 12, 2015 06:15am | #4

    Nice , I love it

  5. Mack007 | Mar 17, 2015 02:50am | #5

    This is called capitalization on resources

  6. alfredsmithh | Mar 21, 2015 05:27am | #6

    Tremendous thermal mass. I love this

  7. RosieDavis | Mar 30, 2015 03:54am | #7

    Thanks for sharing your project

  8. Jazzken | Mar 31, 2015 06:59am | #8

    Very nice

  9. jasskr0 | Apr 03, 2015 04:36am | #9

    This is perfect for now

  10. Sandyadkin | Apr 13, 2015 03:18am | #10

    I love this as as well

  11. SoniaGupt | Apr 18, 2015 12:53am | #11

    Thanks

  12. Katiecastillo | May 25, 2015 03:07pm | #12

    Great work

  13. GerardoSantos | Jul 09, 2015 05:23am | #13

    Thats great

  14. adoraribs | Jul 23, 2015 06:07am | #14

    This is amazing

  15. adoraribs | Jul 23, 2015 06:16am | #15

    This is great one

  16. AmandaPride1 | Apr 12, 2016 12:35am | #16

    What a wonderful idea very neat

  17. RisaPolden | Apr 19, 2016 01:45am | #17

    Amazing

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