Studio Shed Project

BOULDER STUDIO SHED:

14' x 26', slate grey Collins siding, 2-metal trim red French doors with double pane Low-E glass, 3' x 3' operable window, operable celestory windows, accent lighting at each door, white garage door, insulated cement foundation. Interior wall construction 2x6 stud walls w/ Icynene spray foam insulation applied on all interior seams w/ 5 ½ inch back fill of blown cellulose insulation bringing walls to R24-26. Ceiling was 2” of Icynene spray foam w/ 5 inches of back fill cellulose bring ceiling to R33-R34. Base, window door trim, and ceiling paneling all completed w/ Colorado and S. Dakota beetle kill pine wood (www.sears-trostel.com).

Barb and Eric of Boulder, CO had an adventurous week in Juarez, Mexico back in 2007 helping to build a 400 sq. ft. home to house a family of eight. They along w/ other members of their church were some of the last people allowed into Juarez, Mexico to participate in this humanitarian building project because of escalating street / gang violence. Their experience south of the border led them to live simply and scale down their environmental footprint on the planet when it came time to remodeling their home.

With their 2 children one 13 years old and the brother 8 years old, their family had outgrown their 60’s ranch style home without a garage and longed for a suitable storage space to house Barb’s pottery and jewelry hobbies plus the family’s recreational climbing and outdoor gear. Their research w/ city building permits and local builders led them to believe an addition onto the existing home was out of their budget. That was until they discovered a company at a local eco design store offering affordable prefabricated contemporary styled structures. Working w/ the owner of Studio Shed, Barb and Eric decided to build a detached structure to accommodate their hobbies and recreational toys. The structure was to be placed where a typical garage might be suited on the property that afforded them to watch their kids play in the backyard, be a space to escape for creative endeavors yet be ready for resale because it had a 9’ garage door.

When I arrived on the scene as a referral from a drywall company (Alpern Drywall) the bones of the building were complete. My job was to insulate the space and finish it within a “green” context. That meaning I had to come up w/ a plan to insulate it well but within budget; apply drywall and bring green trim features to the finish work. Working closely w/ Barb and Eric we decided a hybrid approach to insulating the building with both Icynene® open celled spray foam backfilled w/ blown cellulose was an affordable system coming w/in their budget. Additionally, I recommended native beetle kill pine wood be used for the base, window and trim finish, but also for an attractive ceiling cover. They were on board! At the end of the project, the family was thrilled w/ the results and eager to move in.