Boulder Custom Builder Bob Hughes “Nails It” For Architect Jim Logan
Boulder custom home builder Bob Hughes is at it again. Hughes construction is finishing up an incredible green-focused remodel on the personal residence of well-know local Boulder architect Jim Logan.
From the engineered lumber used for much of the framing, to 100 plus year old bricks (which are very green due to the very low ‘embodied energy’ which includes simply the transportation from Denver), Hughes has shown once again that he and his crew understand the wide variety of ways to implement green building techniques in a straight-forward and cost effective approach. This Boulder green builder has the experience and dedication to bring you honest and effective solutions to your home building or renovating project.
One thing that I love about this profile is that you get to see the home before much of the green built techniques and products are covered up. We went into the Logan residence just after insulation, doors and windows were in, to give you a rare peek at the guts of a project like this.
There’s a very important reason to be here, reporting on the project at this phase. Hughes makes it a policy to do a blower door test on all his construction projects at two points in the schedule. The first, and most important test is done before sheetrock and other finishing systems are in place. This way, the Hughes Construction crew can find any small leaks and REPAIR them before moving forward. Many other lesser builders only do the blower door test at the end, which really doesn’t provide any opportunity for improvement of the home. After all, what good is a report that you can do little about?!
Starting from the outside, we can see the exterior is enveloped in closed-cell Styrofoam insulation. This provides two benefits; first, there’s an expected insulation advantage due to the typical addition of about an R5 per inch value in the Styrofoam itself, but I think even more important is the thermal break you get from this sheathing. Remember, those wall studs are thermal transmitters, and this thermal break of insulation interrupts that unwanted heat transfer.
Inside, you’ll see in the video how Icynene spray foam insulation was used in the walls and ceilings. This open-cell expanding foam gives excellent insulation value, and also does a tremendous job of sealing potential heat and air leaks. There are two key reasons why you see smooth walls but bumpy ceilings. Both are explained in the video, and directly relate to how Hughes works hard to find balance in the way he approaches green building success.
Hughes says one of his primary goals is to build sustainable homes from a number of different viewpoints. Today, that means having a keen understanding of everything from reuse of products (think the 100 year old bricks, LSL studs and joists), to renewable energy solutions (the Logan home utilizes a geothermal energy system for home heating and cooling), and of course efficiency measures (insulation and good home sealing).
In my view, Bob Hughes nails it, not only for Jim Logan, but all of his clients when it comes to highly effective custom green building for Boulder and beyond.
Call or email me today to learn more about green building, and to get a personal introduction to one of Boulder’s leading experts on green building and custom home building.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® at RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
VaST Architecture Tackles 1960′s Split Level
This is another case study of work by local Boulder firm, VaST Architecture. VaST has set about doing great work in both new construction design, and remodeling and renovation work for their clients.
This profile shows how VaST brought its expertise to an otherwise ordinary home to make it an outstanding example of Boulder real estate at its modern, and green finest.
One of the cool things about this renovation project is that VaST really brought something special to the table for this client. But that’s what VaST does!
Originally, the homeowner had an architect friend put together some plans for a remodel that included popping the top to create a master suite. Apparently those plans hadn’t taken budget issues into the mix.
When the homeowner consulted with the VaST team, he realized another great solution was on tap for him. That’s what I love about this story; it’s situations like this where we often learn that really good communication and thorough consultative time nets the best results.
Working within the existing floorplan (not popping the top), Brandy, Joseph, and their team of experts at VaST Architecture helped this homeowner realize his goals.
With a focus on green techniques, modern design, and attention to the budget this homeowner got a complete remodel and exactly what he needed for his lifestyle choice. And, the end result is a home with more value, more live-ability, and lower operating costs.
Here are some of the details:
The interior was completely gutted, rooms were rearranged to suit the homeowner’s lifestyle needs and a list of some of the materials and techniques follows, call or email me if you’re ready for an introduction to the VaST team to talk about your upcoming project.
- New Windows by Serious Materials / Alpen (a Boulder company)
- New Stucco (low maintenance)
- New metal siding by Front Range Seamless
- New icynene insulation
- Natural Forbo linoleum in kitchen and bath
- Hakatai mosaic tile
- Low VOC paints and coatings
Want to meet the VaST architectural team to get more details, or thinking about a move? Call or email me, I’m hoping to have the chance to learn more about what you have planned!
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® at RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
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… OR, you can FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page,. Just see my video tour section, to see tours of Boulder real estate for sale, business profiles, neighborhood profiles, and new development profiles. I want you to find exactly what you want, and get all the info you need. Call or email me now to get straight answers, and start the process of finding the perfect solution to your real estate needs.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
Boulder Builder Profile: Hughes Construction
Bob Hughes has been in the custom home construction business building Boulder Real Estate for almost a quarter century. Hughes has been building green homes for many years, and his work on so many green building projects, including Bruce Oreck’s Next West House in Boulder, has provided a very high level of inspiration for him.
The culmination of Hughes’ work on built-green custom homes over the years has been realized in the most recent project, Boulder’s Next West House. Bob had a fortuitous meeting with Bruce Oreck and Boulder Architect, Jim Logan and it turned out that it was a great match.
I’ve given you two different examples of custom green building. In this profile of Hughes Construction, you get a look at Bob and Jan Hughes’ personal residence, and also the Next West house.
Some of what inspires Bob Hughes to keep his level of work at such a high quality is the ongoing enthusiastic support. All of his business comes from referrals from past client and top notch architects. Another indicator of Hughes’ professionalism and dedication to the green building community is his membership in the Boulder Green Building Guild (BGBG).
The Hughes personal residence includes many influences of Bob’s work on client projects, and a rather practical approach to green building. The Next West project is an exercise in just how far you can go green, but with an extraordinary example of how to flow architecturally into the traditional style of an historic neighborhood.
One of the challenges Hughes Construction faced with the next west house was the City of Boulder. Apparently Boulder Landmarks Board, a part of the city’s planning department, hasn’t been too keen on green features. That is, they tend to not like seeing green features such as solar panels. Consequently, when Simple Solar installed the PhotoVoltaic system it was implemented in such a way that most of the panels are not clearly visible.
Hughes worked carefully with Logan and others to overcome many challenging obstacles to build America’s greenest home. It’s the first and only LEED certified platinum, net-zero home.
Some of the important ideas that came through when talking with Hughes about his business include his willingness to give lots of credit to his wife Jan, who basically handles all of the back-end management and organization of the business, Bob’s passion for the business, and his critical attention to both aesthetic and technical details.
Bob’s comments to me about green building were insightful. What I heard him say was that while green building has many meanings for us, depending on whom you ask; there are obvious points we can all take to heart such as sustainability, efficiency, and comfort.
I’d say we have to remember that it’s good for you on many levels. As a consumer and homeowner, green building can save you money, improve your personal comfort, and give you a clear sense of reducing your impact on the environment.
Bob’s comment on green building is that it’s really future thinking. But future thinking doesn’t have to mean Jetson-esque architecture. Future thinking really means ecology, economy, and location. That certainly proves true with Bob’s projects. In fact, Bob recently quit driving a huge truck around since he’s mostly carting nothing larger than sets of blueprints, and now he drives a Honda Fit.
If you think you might have a major remodeling idea, or are ready to talk to an outstanding custom builder that has more hands on experience than perhaps any other in the industry, call or email me now, so that I can put you in touch with Hughes today.
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-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
Simple Solar Perfect Choice For Boulder Custom Builder
This business profile of locally owned Simple Solar focuses on a custom home built by Bob Hughes. Bob’s business, Hughes Construction, is a company which has a history of giving local Boulderites green building solutions. As a result, Simple Solar is a natural fit for Hughes and his Boulder real estate project.
With local roots locally as a company founded right here in Boulder Colorado, and extensive history as the most experienced solar electric system provider, Hughes found the choice to be simple for his photovoltaic power solution.
On the three different days when we worked on the location work for this video profile for you, we were lucky enough to experience the typical weather changes often found in Boulder. Our first day on site we talked with the crew briefly to learn that the early stages of the project were focused on setting the stage for installing the panels. As it turns out, the crew is full of highly experienced professionals, and in this case all of those on the team are electricians.
After the first day Boulder got a bit of snow and winter weather, which isn’t too surprising for us here in February. It wasn’t a problem for the Simple Solar team since they have several projects under way during any given week. Attention was shifted towards adding resources to another project while we waited.
Fortunately for everyone, Boulder’s weather includes 300+ days of sunshine and the following day brought just that. As you can see in our video profile tour, warm sunshine prevailed and the crew was back on the job and finishing up the final steps to get the system finished and up and running.
One of the most important things I have learned about Simple Solar is that they are very strongly oriented on understanding their client’s goals. This shows up in the consultation part of the process as they help homeowners look carefully at how both Simple Solar and the homeowner can work together to maximize the effectiveness of their solar system, as well as the financial efficiencies of the project design.
When you talk to a consultant at Simple Solar, you’ll see that the objective is not to propose the largest possible system that might fit on your roof. Rather, Simple Solar consultants work closely with you as a homeowner to understand your needs.
I’ve seen some systems designed by Simple Solar which met the objective of creating a solution where the homeowner would continuously produce more electricity than they could use, and consequently the system always sells energy back to the grid.
Other systems have been designed to simply supplement the electricity needs for the homeowner. Whichever solution makes the most sense for you, it can be done, and it is possible to have a keen eye on the return on your investment (ROI) at the same time.
In the case of this particular installation, Bob Hughes designed this home very carefully so that it was exceptionally energy efficient, and it was also insulated and sealed very well. Knowing that a Photovoltaic solar system was part of the long range plan played a big part in how he designed and built this home. He even installed ‘tie-offs’ along the ridge line of his roof knowing that installation professionals from Simple Solar would have to contend with the very steep roof pitch on his home.
This steep roof pitch actually works very well for the photovoltaic panels. The angle works to maximize the efficiency of the panels (they get some of the highest levels of sunlight at this angle), and it also helps to promote snow shedding so that the panels are once again exposed to sunlight as quickly as possible.
Hughes chose a somewhat smaller than average system of about 3.5 kilowatts. He didn’t want to completely offset his electric bill, but did want to find a compromise between aesthetics in building design and function along with eco conscious choices. The two dormer features add essential living space solutions for the home, but they interrupt the space that could have been otherwise used for solar panels on the south facing portion of the roof.
Under typical circumstances, this size of solar photovoltaic system might be able to supply about 50% of the electricity needs for a house like Bob’s. However, given the forethought Hughes had about his home, he’ll likely see a return from his solar system of somewhere around up to 70% of his actual electric energy needs. Nice work Bob!
Another key to this system is the use of the SunPower 225 panels. These are very sexy and stealthy all-black panels that produce a whopping 225 watts each. Simple Solar engineered this system to work with 16 panels which brings the total system potential up to about 3.6 kilowatts. In many areas, SunPower is only available through one dealer in a given market, and here locally Simple Solar is a premier SunPower dealer. What I love about the SunPower 225′s is their low-key, stealthy look. and even more important to many of you in our science and technology rich community; the SunPower panels are extremely efficient. You get a huge bang for your buck with these panels!
What also makes a solar photovoltaic system attractive is the attention given to details. Things such as solar panel placement, location of the conduit runs, ingress and egress points of the conduit and electric lines between the panels and the inverter, and also the location of the inverter itself. We want these things installed to the ancillary parts and pieces are as unobtrusive as possible. Simple Solar did a bang-up job for Hughes, as they have for many other clients during their decade + run of experience in the industry.
I still believe that the main focus of any home solution is to find a way to make the project fit in with your personal values and mission for your home. Simple solar is the kind of organization that embodies this kind of principle.
My goal is to bring you business profiles on people and businesses who definitely have a goal of their own to know their client’s needs, and to work closely to meet their personal goals. I hope that this profile gives you another reason to want to call or email me now, so that I can help you connect with one of the regions best solar electric providers.
-Zachary Epps, full-time RE/MAX professional, Realtor®, and EcoBroker®
FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page, all of my tours are categorized for you to help you find just what you are looking for! Business Profiles, Neighborhood Profiles, and Homes for Sale, or just browse the list from my Video Tour start page!
Best of all, you could call or email me now, so we can start talking about what’s important to you about the Boulder real estate market! I look forward to hearing from you.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
3R Roofing Has 20 Year Boulder History
David Coddington, and his roofing business 3R Roofing, has been helping Boulder area residents with roofing needs of all types for over two decades. What caused me to sit up and take notice of David and his business is his focus. His focus drives him places many others won’t go.
I noticed that the focus he has on learning how to get to the essential truth of his client’s needs. Does that sound a little intangible for a roofing company? Well, let me tell you that while it may indeed be Boulder, it’s not some sort of lip service to a spiritual town. Want to talk about how this works in an industry so ‘industrial’ in appearance as roofing? Call or email me and I’ll get you in touch with David today.
David’s passion for honestly helping people has even driven him to launch a special project that serves the community and the environment. You’ll get to learn more about the Roofs to Roads project soon.
For now, I want you to know that I share this tour with you to introduce you to a local roofing company, and it’s owner as a way of trying to give something back. My business profiles aren’t paid endorsements, but rather some effort on my part to give you an insight into knowing people I know, who are smart, experienced, passionate, and bigger than just the money they earn being the professionals they are every day.
I first met David Coddington a few years ago at a small local group of business people. I learned soon that he definitely walks the walk when it comes to caring about the environment. He has a keen understanding for the intricacies of his industry, and works hard to continue to bring new solutions to each project.
If it wasn’t for a little bit of dogged determination on my part, I may not have learned how passionate David really is about his industry. As a fairly soft-spoken and carefully thoughtful individual, I found that David remains focused on both his client’s current needs for a roofing solution.
He also has brought a new dimension to the roofing industry which we haven’t seen in many areas. He looks at every project with a sense of how he can make the impact of his work as small as possible to the environment. That could mean a high level of recycled content in the materials chosen for a roofing project, or working out a plan for creating an economy of scale such that a new or replacement roof system may not have to be updated for many more years than some other less green alternative.
Sometimes there’s actually a lower overall annual cost, and a higher ROI, while at the same time being more Eco-Friendly.
Ok, so you say you just want that old asphalt shingle roof ripped off, and are sensitive to any added costs of being green? You say that ‘green’s not your thing’? That’s cool too, but David may implement his Roofs to Roads program so you both get exactly what’s on your program.
Come back and visit again and we’ll show you more about 3R Roofing and what David Coddington has in store for us in the Boulder building and roofing community. Or better yet, let’s get you two in touch.
Call or email me with questions, let’s get you in touch with a great roofer and an excellent man I’m happy to professionally recommend, and recently proud to call a friend.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
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… OR, you can FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page, all of my tours are categorized for you to help you find just what you are looking for! Business Profiles, Neighborhood Profiles, and Homes for Sale, or just browse the list from my Video Tour start page!
Best of all, you could call or email me now, so we can start talking about what’s important to you about the Boulder real estate market! I look forward to hearing from you.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
Profile of VaST Architecture by Boulder Realtor
As a Boulder Realtor who’s interested in spreading the word when I learn about great businesses in our area, I felt compelled to start with a profile of VaST architecture. Architect Joseph Vigil and Designer Brandy LeMae invited me to their own home as a start in our first video profile of their work.
I thought what better place to begin than to share with you the kind of work they do than their own home? There are many very specific details in this home that come into play. Some choices are aesthetic, some are functional.
The crew at VaST likes to call what they do high-performance architecture and green design. I think that’s a great way to summarize their work and their focus.
One of the first aspects of their work that makes sense to me for us to explore is style. Their work has been called modern, sometimes contemporary, and even eclectic. If you explore their work a little bit, you’ll likely notice evidence of Bauhaus influence, the Case Study Program, modernism, and even prairie style.
While many architects and design teams like to feel that they embody a certain style, and VaST’s studio of professionals certainly do, a lot of what comes into play when the rubber meets the road is the details.
Sustainability is an important element for many of us these days, and it is for Brandy, Joseph, and the team of people at VaST also. They tend to take what they call a holistic approach to their work. It seems to be about meeting a client’s needs, answering to the impact on the environment support durability, and that are easy to maintain.
The use of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs), and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF’s) are just a couple examples of the kinds of choices in building materials and techniques that VaST likes to implement to increase their client’s comfort, low energy costs, and sustainability for their new homes.
If you’re thinking about moving and want to talk about your next steps, call or email me today so we can get started in connecting you with the best professionals in the industry our community has to offer.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
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… OR, you can FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page, all of my tours are categorized for you to help you find just what you are looking for! Business Profiles, Neighborhood Profiles, and Homes for Sale, or just browse the list from my Video Tour start page!
Best of all, you could call or email me now, so we can start talking about what’s important to you about the Boulder real estate market! I look forward to hearing from you.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
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If you're thinking about buying or selling Boulder real estate or you just want more information, about relocating to the Boulder area call me today!
(303) 520-0070
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