Planning Guide Universal Design Zero Energy Homes Design Resources
Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer Guide Bid Process

The Design Process

Planning for a new home can be an exciting, challenging and sometimes overwhelming experience. For most of us, a new home is one of the largest financial decisions we will make, and one that done properly can provide benefits for years to come. Not only in dollars and cents, but also in the many things money can't buy. The right home reflects the priorities of your family, from a vaulted great room perfect for holiday celebrations to a sunlit breakfast area ideal for Saturday morning pancakes.

We have designed a Planning Guide to assist you in the selection and design of your new home. It is equally useful for selecting from a library of existing plans as well as guiding you in the design of a custom home. You will be asked to define priorities, establish needs and explore adjacencies, all of which combine to form a foundation of guidelines from which to proceed. If you are interested in designing a new home simply include a completed copy of the guide along with any additional sketches or ideas for a design proposal. Most of us wouldn't think twice about hiring an expert Financial Planner to set up our retirement accounts, use that same good judgment by selecting quality design and construction services when you plan your next home.

Download Your Home Planning Guide: PDF (requires free Adobe Reader) or Word

ICFs, Universal Design and Zero Energy Homes - Things to Consider When Planning Your Home

If you are considering building an ICF home, you are familiar with its many benefits and you probably intend to make it a home that you can live in comfortably through retirement. In this case, you need to be aware of Universal Design (UD) features and Zero Energy Home (ZEH) guidelines as you are designing your home.

Universal design is the process of designing products and environments that are usable to the greatest extent possible, by everyone regardless of their age or ability. In your home this means considering design features such as wider hallways, front-load washers/dryers, central vacuum systems, height of cabinetry, or even an apartment for a caregiver or family member.

A ZEH is a house that is connected to the utility grid, but can be designed and constructed to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. To be a successful ZEH house it should have two important elements - it uses less electricity than typical homes, and it uses solar (or wind) energy to produce electricity.

The U.S. Department of Energy's guide - Small Wind Electric Systems, A Colorado Consumer's Guide - provides some practical information and resources for individuals considering wind energy in Colorado.

We have compiled a resource list to provide you with a starting point as you begin to consider these important design ideas. Check back with us periodically as we are always adding to it.

Download Design Resources in PDF (requires free Adobe Reader) or Word. Includes live web links to all resources.

About Our Bid Process: Estimating the cost of building your custom home is an extensive process that requires us to understand your specific wants, tastes and needs. In order to insure that we provide the most accurate estimates possible, we will only bid projects after we have discussed the project with you either by phone or in person.

If there’s anything else we can do, just give us a call at 719.630.8767 or drop us a note at info@openrangeconstruction.com.