Page 57 - Green Builder May-June 2020 Issue

MARIPOSA
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50-55 GB 0520 Mariposa.indd
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MEADOWS
Exterior Motives
Don’t be fooled by the tranquil
appearance of the VISION House at
Mariposa Meadows—this is a
powerhouse built to withstand the most
extreme weather.
BY CATI O’KEEFE
PRING FINALLY COMES TO THE MEADOW. The U.S.
Forest Service truck idles at the gate while a ranger
unlocks the metal bars that have blocked traffic from the
forest road during the treacherous winter season. It is this
way every year. From the first real snowfall in November
through the end of May, the road to Mariposa Meadows,
S deep within the San Juan mountains of Colorado near
Tellurid, remains closed.
A few miles down the road, quietly under blankets of snow, the three
super high-performance units that make up the VISION House at Mari-
posa Meadows complex stand serene and cozy. Set for completion in the
short work window of the next four to five months of amenable weather,
now is their moment to shine.
BUILDING SCIENCE WHEN IT REALLY COUNTS
Mariposa Meadows will debut this year, and its timing could not be
more perfect. As the world grapples with coronavirus and climate
change, interest in living more sustainably has heightened. “On social
media, news, blogs and forums, people are actively talking about the
coronavirus pandemic’s ironic positive environmental impact,” says Sara
Gutterman, Green Builder Media CEO and co-owner of the project. “We’ve
seen reports of measurable improvements in air and water quality over
the past few weeks because of the shutdown of business, industry and
transportation across the globe.” (See “Consumers Want Resilient Houses
and Self-Sufficient Lifestyles” chart, page 52.)
While the country—including the building industry—needs to get back
to business, is it possible that new sustainable paradigms will emerge,
allowing us to house people in smarter ways? Could we indeed have the
best of both worlds—a sustainable environment and housing that offers
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