This unique house is located in southwest Colorado Springs, and as you can see the neighborhood is lush and beautiful! An "earthship" is a house constructed of recycled tires which are covered in stucco most commonly found in New Mexico. They are built to be independent of the electrical grid or in other words "zero energy."
The windows are tilted to allow sunlight deep into the house, warming it even in the winter (the passive solar technique). Unfortunately, there are some flaws with this design, including leakage around the edge of the windows. It turns out that now window companies won't even warranty windows if they are sloped like this. We're fixing the problem by putting in new vertical windows, which will give our clients more space inside and less exposure to the elements. The roof will be extended to hang over the windows to protect them further.
As long as we're remodeling, our clients decided they might as well give the outside a new look too! We worked with them to reach this design for a quaint front face with tower and minerets. The tower is over the entrance and will feature a stained glass window, which will cast its colors inside during the day and be illuminated from inside at night.
This project is being bid at the moment - we're looking forward to its completion!