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A place in the sun

Condo complex lauded for funky design that emphasizes solar power

Betsy Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 30, 2006 at midnight

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LONGMONT - The cornfield across the highway looks as if it has been set ablaze each time the sun rises above the horizon. Rays pierce Mo Robbins' bright yellow bedroom window, stirring him awake on days he sleeps in.

"The sun reminds you of what a great day it's going to be," he says.

The sun's energy also drives down his gas and electrical bill. Mo and his wife, Teresa, will pay less than $35 a month this winter to heat and light their 1,025-square-foot unit at Solar Village Prospect. Their building is designed to convert the sun into hot water for bathing, laundry and the dishes. It wrings electricity out of a bright day to light up the courtyard at night. And it heats the home in winter.

Located at Prospect New Town in Longmont, Solar Village is a 2006 Architects' Choice winner. A panel of judges from the Rocky Mountain News, the American Institute of Architects Denver chapter and the city and county of Denver chose it from more than 50 entries.

Architect Michael Tavel designed a complex that includes 16 residential units on top of 8,000 square feet of commercial space. Its sculptural walls and roofs harness the sun's power.

"How do you take this noisy location near a highway and make it a wonderful place to live?" Tavel asks. "The architecture on the inside is relaxed and informal. The outside is more serious and urban, as befits a Main Street building."

Tavel's client is Alex Platt, whom he met in 1994 when they worked for a Denver architectural firm. Nine years later, they teamed up to create Solar Village Prospect.

Completed in January, the 28,000-square- foot complex consists of two buildings where residential units range from 650 to 1,400 square feet.

"We identified the home buyer as very hip, somebody who was well educated or environmentally conscious and creative when it comes to ideas about living and work," says Platt, 43, of Boulder. "They could walk to a cafe for a cup of coffee - they didn't have to drive."

The two buildings form a horseshoe around a south-facing courtyard at U.S. 287 and Tenacity Drive, presenting several distinctly different facades.

The complex is a landmark. To the east, Robbins' bright yellow bedroom window and several other openings pop out of a white stucco wall. The south side is a recessed stack of housing units, broken up by terraces, galvanized steel stairways and awnings made of iridescent photovoltaic solar panels. The north side is mostly brick, lending a comforting, hometown feel for pedestrians strolling to shops and restaurants.

"The brick helps set the scene," Tavel says. "It also helps to absorb the sounds of the traffic and makes you feel very anchored and solid."

A courtyard elevator makes most of the units wheelchair-accessible, and most open out onto terraces. Others have private balconies for umbrella-shaded tables and chairs.

"They can set out pots of plants and herbs to personalize the space," says Tavel, 44. "It's a type of space designed to make the owners want to come out and add more of themselves to it."

Although the complex is modernist in style, architectural details hint at the good old days. Some units have brick or old-fashioned clapboard siding. Others feature double-hung windows or built-in awnings. In reality, though, these details are part of an earth-friendly plan. The low-maintenance clapboard is made of concrete and recycled materials; the brick stores heat from the sun; the double-hung windows provide high-tech insulation; and the awnings give shade.

Even some of the roofs do double duty: Their concealed solar hot water panels generate heating and hot water year-round.

Mo and Teresa Robbins were the first to move in this spring. They live with their cat, Zamora, in a studio above the parking garage. Their first floor consists of an open living area and kitchen, with a small bathroom tucked away in the back. The kitchen is equipped with energy-efficient stainless steel appliances. Countertops are covered with granite tiles instead of slabs, and the cabinets are made of low-toxic panels. But looks count - the doors are maple.

The second level, an open sleeping loft up a flight of exposed stairs, is cooled during the summer with an energy-efficient air conditioner.

Some units are more conventional. Several come with the open kitchen and living area but offer more privacy. A hallway leads to a master suite and other bedrooms as well as a powder room and storage space, all concealed behind old-fashioned, five-panel doors that were in vogue in the 1930s and '40s.

Even the paints, finishes and glues were chosen carefully. They are nontoxic and almost odorless, and the molding is milled out of wood scraps jointed together.

"The most beautiful aspect of the building in my mind is the sense of community that it has created," Platt says. "In the courtyard, homeowners can interact with each other when they walk from their car to their unit.

"They can sit on the benches, stairs or stoops and talk to their neighbors."

"It's an example of what environmentally sensitive, urban living may be like in the future," Tavel says. "The trend here is toward living in urban, mixed-use neighborhoods, where people get out of their cars, walk to work and have a stronger sense of community."

Power surge

A few resources and products to check out to learn more about solar technology:

• 2006 Denver Tour of Solar and Green-Built Homes

This annual event, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7, features 15 homes and businesses. It starts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitor Center, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden; $20 per carload or $35 a person for guided bus tour. 303-806-5317

• Experimental solar panel kit

Learn the principles of photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity; $32.95, plus shipping, from or call 1-800-828-7777.

• Solar workshops

Classes are available at the Colorado Energy Science Center in Lakewood. To find out more, go to or call 303-216-2026.

• Solar thermal collectors

Placed out of sight on the roof, these panels can provide hot water for bathing, laundry and dishwashing; $8,000 to $9,000 at Industrial Solar Technology, 303-279-8108, .

• Solar tax credits

Learn how to get tax credits and rebates for your solar-power improvements, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center in Golden. To register call 303-216-2026, ext. 150.

The details

• What: Solar Village Prospect, a residential and commercial complex

• Where: Prospect New Town, U.S. 287 and Tenacity Drive, Longmont

• Architect: Michael Tavel of Michael Tavel Architects, Denver

• Developer: Alex Platt of Solar Village, Boulder

• Size: 8,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor; 20,000 square feet of living space

• Cost: The most expensive unit is $350,000.

• Other awards: A sustainability award from the Denver chapter of the American Institute of Architects; design award from the Colorado Renewable Energy Society.

• More information: www.solarvillage life.com

or 303-954-2792