2023 CGBG Annual Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our CGBG Awards 2023! Thank you to all our nominees - your hard work and efforts are applauded and greatly appreciated by everyone in the community!

 
 
 

ELY MERHEB

Ely has been volunteering with CGBG since becoming a member in 2019. Her efforts leading the charge for the 2023 Green Home Tour booklet contributed to a very successful event. In addition to her contributions with CGBG, Ely, as a proud Puerto Rican woman, has been a dedicated member of AIA Colorado’s Justice-Equity-Diversity-Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) Committee since its inception in 2018. As part of the committee, she has focused on making AIA Colorado’s annual Award Program more equitable by advocating for the use of gender-neutral language in all application documents, inclusion of a J.E.D.I. disclaimer, institution of a community Impact Award, expansion of award categories, and collection and analysis of demographic data to track progress.

She has also been committed to a J.E.D.I. presence at the annual Practice and Design Conference (P+DC), guiding important social justice discussions impacting the profession. In 2022 she co-chaired the J.E.D.I. committee and co-led the joint AIA CO and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) CO One Question Series. For five months, five diverse local practitioners were asked how J.E.D.I. is incorporated into their personal and professional lives. The Series culminated with an impactful panel discussion at the P+DC. For this year’s conference, she co-organizing the “Engaging J.E.D.I. Workshop”. Additionally, she co-sponsored the Design Like a Girl Mentorship Program introducing girls to architecture, construction, & engineering, which started last fall and has two upcoming sessions in the spring .

 
 

EMILY FREEMAN


Emily Freeman is a Policy Advisor, Circular Economy for the City of Boulder. She oversees the success of Boulder’s Deconstruction ordinance to keep carbon intensive building materials available for reuse and recycling. Since ordinance implementation Boulder has diverted 72% of building materials from the landfill. Emily is leading efforts to identify opportunities for improvement, engage with the deconstruction community, and drive progress towards the city’s goals.

The work that Emily is doing to try to connect different communities together as far as starting their deconstruction ordinances is really powerful and important. It's so meaningful that she is engaging the contractors and stakeholders who are actually affected by this ordinance to solicit advice and critiques to make the program better. It's clear that Emily cares about the spirit of green building and deconstruction, and not just the statistics.

Emily was instrumental this year to the deconstruction of the former Boulder Community Health Hospital which "allowed for reuse and recycling of almost 94% of the hospital’s building materials by weight instead of entombing them in landfills.”

 
 

nature and nurture

margaret miller

university of colorado, boulder

Nature and Nurture brings forms of the natural environment into the built environment. Learning from natural systems that have evolved throughout time allows the building to evolve into the future, while maintaining what is needed in current times. Biophilic design connects occupants closer to nature, which is shown throughout Nature and Nurture. The roofs of Nature and Nurture replicate valleys controlling and adjusting to the water flow created by the natural environment. The high points of the roof open up to views facing the Flatirons to the west and Valmont Park to the north-east further emphasizing the connection to nature. Through the low points of the roof, water is brought into the building to feed the plants in the buildings and water the surrounding lawns in Valmont Park through a storage tank underneath the building.

The plants found throughout the buildings purify the air, resembling a human breathing in air from a dense forest. The dendriform columns are the trees of the forest supporting the structure of the building. The columns are the life of the building, as they are in nature. The trees hold together the river banks, purify the air, and shelter and protection. The beams within Nature and Nurture simulate the trees found within nature.


Within the west building is a space called the ‘kidney bean’. The kidney bean rests on the second floor open to the first floor. The opening of the floors allows the tree beams to grow through the building. The east building features a space called the ‘wishbone’. The wishbone is similar in structure to the kidney bean, however the form is different. The form of the wishbone shaped space creates a private space for employees but still allows for localized circulation to occur at the center of the space.

Lastly, the connection between the two buildings is the bridge. The bridge features an outdoor area on the second floor of the building. The space is similar to arches carved out by water, as the bridge is not directly connected to the ground level which connects back to the overarching theme of biomimicry. In the future the bridge connection will turn into a fully edible garden greenhouse for the cafe to use. Nature and Nurture brings natural elements into the built environment.

  • Natural ventilation through the clerestory and the use of the solar chimney, which is attached to the dendriform column to circulate air throughout the building

  • Daylighting into the building through clerestory windows on all sides of the building, with limited windows on the east and west sides of the buildings to reduce heat loss.

  • Increased vegetation and organic shaped walls and floors to increase health and awareness throughout the buildings

  • Vegetation growing up and around the dendriform column to purify the inside air

  • Low E value windows to reduce heat gain and loss, with operable windows at human level

  • Rainwater collection and filtration through the use of gutters that lead to the rain gardens on the second floor walkway, which then goes under ground for filtration

  • The roof contains solar panels as another sustainable energy source

 
 

NEDERLAND PASSIVE HOUSE | SHAPE ARCHITGECTURE STUDIO

Nestled into a rocky hillside, this 3,000 sf certified Passive House maximizes both comfort and views. Oriented to capture southern sun and southwest vistas, this home is designed to resist the brutal winds and intense climate of its mountain setting. At over 8,000’ above sea level and Climate Zone 7, creating such a light filled, comfortable home, requiring minimal energy to heat is a true engineering and design feat.

Dark vertical metal siding with red cedar accents evoke the surrounding ponderosa forest and native understory. As one approaches the house, the form is low and set into the hill, integrating with the boulders and rock formations exposed in the steep slope. An angular wood entry vestibule with a butterfly roof welcomes visitors while the cedar-wrapped carport allows a snapshot view of the beautiful ponderosa hillside beyond. Large living room windows dramatically frame the Indian Peak Wilderness and Eldora Ski Area in the distance, while French oak floors and cabinetry millwork create a sense of warmth and refuge.

The residence is Passive House International (PHIUS) certified. Half of the home faces due south for optimal solar gain, while the other is angled to the southwest to optimize views and nestle into the steep topography. The windows and overhangs are calibrated to capture nearly 50% of the required heat energy from the solar energy; the remaining heat is provided through human occupancy and a superefficient electric heat pump radiant floor heating system.

A concrete slab on the lower level absorbs the direct solar gain and re-radiates the heat during the cold nights (even in summer). An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) system provides continuous fresh, filtered, outside air at all times, which captures the heat in outgoing warm air and transfers it to incoming fresh air.