Brady House

The Brady House is an Energy Star home that was built on a city in-fill lot. It is a stunning four bedroom home with a detached garage, situated within close proximity to the residents' work and school. The passive solar design allows the family to lean back and embrace the sun. The home is super-insulated and uses radiant floors powered by a high efficiency boiler to heat the house. A Tulikivi masonry heater is also used to add comfort during winter months.

A Durisol Wall Form System is used on the main level of the home with a double wall frame on the second floor. The siding is rough sawn fir over a rain screen with custom flashing. There is no paint or stain to refinish on the outside.

Many reclaimed materials were incorporated into this project. The wood floors are maple from the Belgrade Mercantile, and all the interior doors are from Yellowstone National Park. Reclaimed bowling alleys from Country Lanes were used for shelves and countertops.

When the sun is shining, the electric meter is slowed or sometimes reversed due to the 2.1KW Photovoltaic array that is net metered. Water is conserved by a combination of low flow fixtures, dual flush toilets and a hot water recirculation pump.

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Gakke Yama

Gakke Yama is also an Energy Star home built on a reclaimed lot near Montana State University. The owners had move out of the existing 1951 house because of moisture and air quality issues. Riverbend Builders dismantled the entire home and saved any useful material to be used in the new home. A stone fireplace that had high sentimental value to the owners was saved. It is a geological representation of the Gallatin Valley and built by a friend. After demolition, the two story fireplace was left standing in the middle of the lot and the new home was built around it, creating a continuous insulated envelope.

Floor joists from the old house were used as rafter tails and other framing members were milled into interior trim. Durisol wall construction created a huge thermal mass in the home that, once warmed or cooled, keeps the temperature very even. Stained concrete floors that are heated by radiant tubes run throughout the house. Much of the home's floor plan takes advantage of passive solar gain and natural daylight.

There is a 5.5KW photovoltaic system on 2 roofs. A solar hot water panel sits prominently on the south wall by the front walk. This panel provides domestic hot water for the owners. A well was drilled on site for landscape irrigation and used to supply non potable locations in the house such as showers and toilets.

Curtis Street House

Curtis Street is the first Energy Star home in Bozeman, Montana and won the prestigious Excellence in Historic Preservation award from the city of Bozeman. It was a 100 year old, one bedroom home that had fallen into disrepair. The house was lifted off its crumbling foundation and rolled into the side yard to allow space for excavation. A new concrete foundation was poured to create a full daylight basement. The house was replaced and reframed to make the floor plan more efficient. This allowed for an open space of kitchen, dining and living room, with a master bed and bath on the main floor. The lower level contains two bedrooms, two half baths and a living room. The existing walls and roof were filled with insulation and became a very comfortable and bright home. The siding is Hardie Plank with a durable painted finish. The home has a 2kw solar array set on a post out back and is net metered.

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Taylor House

The Taylor house is a fishing home located on a ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana. It is a spectacular three bedroom, three and a half bath home designed around the family's active lifestyle. It is an extremely energy efficient home that can be monitored remotely. When the family decides to visit, they can turn up the heat before they get there. A Tulikivi will take the chill off once they arrive. The exterior finishes are a combination of wood siding, stucco and stone veneer; the stones were gathered from the homesite and require no maintenance. Inside, stained concrete floors, reclaimed timbers and plaster walls add comfort and durability.