“It started with an ominous cloud of smoke in Boulder County…” 

Kevin and Casey Lombardo of Louisville, Colorado moved out West for a slower-paced after spending years on the East Coast. On December 30, 2021 as the yellow haze of the Marshall Fire became visible, the Lombardos didn’t initially think much of it, as wildfires have become a regular occurrence in Colorado. It was only after walking out to their front lawn that they realized that this fire was different, it was imminent, and they needed to evacuate immediately. Only a few hours later, their Louisville home had been completely engulfed in flames. 

The built environment is something we think of as mostly permanent. Transience is more familiar with jobs, relationships, and experiences; but if the objects we live and work in are destroyed, we are surprised and devastated. We tend to plaster the idea of permanence over the physical. But when infrastructure fails us, how do we move forward? 

With mindful building practices, support, and resilience. 

The SOLITEX Mento membrane is acting as the exterior air barrier and WRB. The vertical strapping is creating the rainscreen and will hold the exterior finish siding.

The SOLITEX Mento membrane is acting as the exterior air barrier and WRB. The vertical strapping is creating the rainscreen and will hold the exterior finish siding.

For the overhangs on this project the team used SOLITEX Mento Plus on the exterior as the WRB and to support dense pack cellulose.

The Intello Plus is the interior air barrier and vapor control. This project used a service cavity inboard of the Intello to limit air barrier penetrations and create a chase for the electrical install. The "stitch taping" of the Intello seams were done to offer additional support for the dense pack cellulose.

The Intello was "stitch taped" to create extra support for the dense pack cellulose insulation used in the wall cavities. This project "wrapped the rim joist" for the floor transitions. You can see the dark blue ADHERO 3000 membrane that was used for connecting the Intello at the floor transitions.

"Stitch taping" of the Intello seams were done to offer additional support for the dense pack cellulose.

The light blue TESCON PROFIL tape is used to airseal the Intello membrane to all 4 interior sides of the windows/doors to transition the air barrier from the Intello to the window/door.

A red Blower door setup in this exterior door to test the project's airtightness. The Intello Plus is the interior air barrier and vapor control and this project used a service cavity inboard of the Intello to limit air barrier penetrations and create a chase for the electrical install.

The light blue TESCON PROFIL tape is used to airseal the Intello membrane to all 4 interior sides of the windows/doors to transition the air barrier from the Intello to the window/door.

The light blue TESCON PROFIL tape is used to airseal the Intello membrane to all 4 interior sides of the windows/doors to transition the air barrier from the Intello to the window/door.

As one returns to the area today, there are still reminders of the devastation from Colorado’s most destructive wildfire that forever changed the lives of those in the Boulder County community. While many of the homes in the neighborhood are rebuilt or in the process of doing so, a charred curb on the sidewalk is a haunting reminder of what happened on that dark day in December as the towns of Louisville and Superior were taken over by flames. 

A home is an extension of our own identities in a way. It’s a deeper reflection of who we are and what matters to us; it’s an expression of our idea of comfort and sense of self. However when the natural forces of the universe take course, and obliterate what we think of as a “constant,” i.e., when your home burns down in an unpredictable wildfire, how do we proceed? For the Lombardo family, their plan was to rebuild stronger by implementing the Passive House standard – a new reflection of their identity, one that harmonized with Mother Nature, created a new vision, a new “sense of self,” and a new awareness of high performance building strategies. 

With an incredibly supportive team at Shape Architecture and Living Craft Design Build, and a mindset of resilience, Kevin and Casey Lombardo have successfully rebuilt their home, named the Sunflower Sanctuary, to be more durable, high-performance, healthy, and comfortable. This home achieved the Passive House standard at 0.3 ACH50 (that is twice as airtight as Passive House standard, which is 0.6 ACH50!) with the help of Pro Clima’s INTELLO Plus interior smart vapor retarder and SOLITEX MENTO Plus, a vapor-open exterior weather resistive barrier. Beyond the products was the attitude and perspective, and Kevin and Casey approached this unforeseen situation with ambition and determination to create a better building that could withstand the triumphs of Mother Nature. It may have started with an ominous cloud of smoke in Boulder County, but it’s ended with a promising perspective on how to build like the future depends on it.