A Bright Spot

Timber Homes Illustrated,
June 2006
Written by Cheryl Kenny| Photography by Roger Wade
Colorado Home Pulls Energy
From the Sun

That ‘70’s tune “Let the Sun Shine In”could be the theme song for Mary and Roger Burnett’s solar-powered timber frame home in Norwood, CO.

When the Burnett’s decide to build on 40 acres carved from a family cattle ranch, they had two goals: incorporating warm, elegant timbers, and bringing in a whole lot of sun. To make that happen, they hired Judd Dickey, the architect owner of Mountain Timber Design, which then was a representative for Riverbend Timber Framing. “We liked the Riverbend product,” notes Mary, an administrative assistance whose hobby is architecture and design. “And we liked that Judd not only knows about timber frames, but also solar design.”

Light and Bright
Judd and his associate, Kurt Schwartz, designed an open floor plan, modern, craftsman-style home. The 3,200-square foot house has a timber framed center bay, which comprises the great room-dining area and a home office, plus two wings. One wong is partially timber framed and includes the kitchen and laundry room. It connects a two-story garage via a breezeway. The opposite wing, which accommodates the master bedroom suite, does not use timber. A second floor has 2 bedrooms with a bath, and a loft overlooking the great room.

The component of the house are visually delineated on the exterior by a varied roof line. “In a Craftsman-style house, the roof reaches down like arms to grab the land,” Judd says. “The more you do this, the less the house looks like a sore thumb in its surroundings. This house looks like it grew there.”

Mountain Timber Design built the house with timbers and Insulspan structural insulated panels (SIPS) supplied by Riverbend. Roger, who works for a plumbing contractor, acted as general contractor for the remainder of the construction.

Wood and natural light dominate the great room, with a huge, south-facing wall of oak framed windows, arched at about 20 square feet. The expanse of windows offers what Mary calls her “million dollar view” of the San Juan Mountains and abundant wildlife, including elk, wild turkeys, and flocks of woodpeckers.

The room’s classic king post truss system begins a couple of feet from the window wall and, via beams that run through the exterior of the wall, connects to an outside truss system on the back porch. “I love that the outside trusses can be seen from the great room,” Mary says. “I don’t think the room would have the same feel without those massive timbers.”

Judd agrees. “One of the most interesting timber features are the double column ‘trophy’ trusses used on the front entry and the rear gable,” he notes. “I like to see a timber frame with framing on the outside, to let the rest of the world in on the fun. If you have a nice stylish truss on the exterior, it adds so much style.”

The timbers warm and tie together the stucco and cultured stone exterior of the of the house, as well as the interior. “I like the meld the inside with the outdoors,” Judd notes. “The wood, being a natural material, acts as a bridge between the man-made and the God-made: nature.”

Quality not Quantity
The outside timbers are white oak, which handles the elements well. The interior timbers are a combination of Red and White Oak, given a natural oil finish to keep them light. Judd was careful not to go overboard on wood. “I don’t like the tremendous amount of wood that I see in some homes, where it feels closed in. I try to use what I have well; it’s quality over quantity.”
The Burnett home reflects quality, not only in its construction and appearance, but also its energy efficiency. Judd’s design makes maximum use of the Colorado sun. The great room’s window wall allows southern sunlight to reach far into the home’s interior, including the loft, so that the heat rises and keeps the home warm. To prevent overheating, Judd used 3-foot roof overhangs to shade the rooms during high summer sun periods.

The floors, of colored, stamped concrete, act as a passive solar collector by retaining heat. Under the floors is a radiant heating system, which, like the lights and appliances, is solar powered through two photovoltaic panels located behind the garage. Two sets of batteries store power for cloudy days.

The couple also uses a solar panel system for hot water. They have a propane generator for back up, but have used it only rarely since the house was completed in 2000.
Using solar power does require careful planning. “It means strategic planning on where to place the rooms and windows relative to the outdoors, the sun,” Judd says. It also means having only low-energy, low-voltage appliances, and being careful when to use them. “We wait until a sunny Saturday to use the washing machine, instead of at 10 o’clock at night,” Mary notes. “We keep the trees around the house short so they don’t block the sun.”
Yet all the planning is worth it, Mary says. “Except for adding more zones for the radiant heating, this is exactly what we wanted. We are very pleased with the solar aspect; it costs very little to heat the house.”

“Our home is open, but warm and comfortable,” Mary adds. “Its very conductive to informal family gatherings.” The warmth is enhanced by the Burnett’s personal touches—muskets that Roger made from a kit, an artistic circle of collectible antique barbed wired that Mary wound together herself—often framed by the home’s timbers.

“To a large extent, the timbers make a good backdrop, a ‘container’ for Mary’s style of decorating,” Judd points out. “The wood is also warm and smooth. It tells its own story in the configuration, and with each individual piece of wood itself.”