Colorado Barndominium

stats:

Location:

Nederland, CO

Square Footage:

Conditioned Area 4010 SF
Includes 3,000 SF Conditioned Workshop & Garage Area

Construction Date:
Spring 2024

Completion Date:
Summer 2025

Many people come to Colorado’s mountains chasing adventure and hoping to earn a moment of tranquility at the top. Our clients wanted that same calm translated into a barndominium on a spectacular mountain parcel up the canyon from Boulder. They asked our team to help make it real. From the start, we guided them through the Rockies’ version of “adventure,” navigating fast-changing weather, mining-era remnants, surprise scrap-metal debris, and even seasonal elk traffic so the project could stay on track and ultimately deliver a place built for crafts, hobbies, and everyday living.

Intro

  • This is a 40 acre lot on Hurricane Hill. The topography is quite challenging and there were very few sites suitable for a building or a driveway. We settled on a spot that already had an ATV trail that could be widened. The goal was to maintain natural features of the site, which is a primary focus of Boulder County’s Planning and Zoning department.
  • The site for the building, while flat in comparison to the rest of the site, is still quite sloped. The floor plan was split into 3 segments that step down with the topography so the soil could be less disturbed.
  • Fun fact, during excavation, it was found that this property used to be a scrap metal dump site (at least in an unofficial capacity) and truckloads of scrap metal were harvested and removed from the site. This created building height conflicts due to the county’s unique way of measuring existing grade. It took a lot of back and forth, but we were able to solve the county’s concerns with lots of documentation.
  • Many of the materials chosen have a natural look but also pay homage to the town’s (and property’s) mining history. All materials were also selected to be wild fire resistant.

What problems are we solving?

  • The site has challenging slope and no obvious access to the site. Extra planning department processes were needed to get this permit approved while maintaining the existing landscape to the highest degree possible.

Client Drivers

  • The client wanted a barndominium that was a small part living quarters, and a large part workshops areas to serve a number of crafts and hobbies.
  • Nederland/mining aesthetic, while still feeling modern


Construction Type

  • Standard, but energy efficient construction

Energy Efficiency

  • Well insulated
  • Solar with battery backups
  • Radiant floor heating throughout.


Floor Plan

    • The barndominium is largely one level, stepping with the topography. The lower part of the main floor is the living area with an open upper level loft office. The rest of the living area contains a bedroom suite, large kitchen, and living room with a wrap-around style deck.
    • Going up a few steps takes one to the main workshop. Closest to the living quarters in this shop is a large mudroom with laundry, outdoor equipment storage, a half bath, and large utility room with space for the solar batteries.
    • The rest of the main workshop has parking for 2 cars and plenty of workbenches for ceramics, metalwork, and other crafts.
    • A few more steps up leads to the upper workshop which is largely a painting studio with a large storage closet.


Thankfully this one has a happy ending. Though the process was testing, both in design and execution, the end result is a tranquil barndominum crafted into the hillside, solid and strong, ready for plenty of adventure in the years to come.

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