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The front entry of the Snowmass
Golf Clubhouse shows hints at the lofty interior with abundant
natural light. |
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Credit: Pat Sudmeier |
Snow Mass Golf Clubhouse
The Snowmass Golf Clubhouse in Snowmass, Colorado,
is the winner of the 2005 CRES Renewable Energy in Buildings Awards in
the category of commercial buildings.
The Aspen Skiing Company designated this building for “green
construction” from the beginning of the project and built an
educational display to explain its green features. The company makes
the clubhouse available for community events.
The U.S. Green Building Council recently certified the clubhouse as
meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver
under its green building rating system. This is the second LEED-certified
building owned by the Aspen Skiing Company and the third LEED-certified
commercial building in the Roaring Fork Valley. At the time of this
award in June 2005, the Snowmass Golf Clubhouse is the 50th building
in Colorado to certify with LEED.
All of the electricity for the building comes from wind energy through
Holy Cross Electric Company’s green pricing program, Wind Power
Pioneers.
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The view of the Snowmass Golf
Clubhouse shows abundant windows opening into the occupied areas
to provide fresh air. |
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Credit: Pat Sudmeier |
Unique Design Features
As part of the construction project, Aspen Skiing Company reorganized
the entire golf course for better play and to reduce the equipment
needed for maintenance. Designers used the amount of space needed to
store equipment indoors on the first floor to determine the eventual
size of the clubhouse. They settled on two stories that contain
approximately 10,000 square feet of floor area.
Aspen Skiing Company planted the golf course with native grasses,
which are hardier and use much less water than grasses used on
conventional golf courses. In addition, the company rehabilitated a
local creek as part of the project.
Additional features include:
50% of the lumber used in the building was certified that it was
harvested sustainably.
The finish wood for the bar ceiling, casework, and cabinetry is
eucalyptus, which is a fast-growing tree and considered to be a
renewable resource (compared with wood from old-growth forests).
Toilets are low-water dual-flush type that exceed code requirements.
Showerheads are low-flow type.
Small amount of carpet is made from recycled materials.
Roof insulation is R-55, well above local code requirements.
Walls are insulated to levels above code requirements.
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Natural daylight is the only
source of light for the interior hallways of the Snowmass Golf
Clubhouse during the day. |
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Credit: Pat Sudmeier |
Low Energy Consumption
The Snowmass Golf Clubhouse is a case study in how to combine solar
energy with energy efficiency in a commercial building. The design
team estimates this structure is 60% more efficient than similar
structures built using conventional construction. The clubhouse is
oriented east to west so that occupied spaces on the second floor,
including the bar, dining area, and pro shop, face south and receive
solar warming in the winter and natural daylight year round.
Supplementary heating and cooling comes entirely from a heat pump
connected to an adjacent pond. There are no boilers or conventional
air conditioning equipment. None of the refrigeration equipment uses
chlorofluorocarbons or hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which damage the
ozone layer in the upper atmosphere.
The building takes full advantage of natural ventilation with operable
windows on all sides of the structure. Motorized clerestory windows in
the gallery hall vents warm air in summer and brings in additional
fresh air. On the first floor, the golf cart storage garage has an
efficient exhaust system that is wired to sensors instead of timers so
that it operates only when needed.
The Award Winning Team
The winning team is led by CCY Architects in Basalt. Other partners
included:
- Monroe & Newell Engineers, Inc.
- Resource Engineering Group, Inc.
- RA Nelson & Associates
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