The Dojo

This 1600 sf structure contains an open martial arts studio space as well as an attached apartment, greenhouse and library/meditation room. It combines passive-solar design with high mass adobe brick and high insulating straw-bale walls to help maintain a comfortable work and living area with minimal mechanical heating or cooling. The heavy timber framing utilizes Ponderosa Pine harvested from the burned mountainside of nearby Lama, and is exposed to the interior space to create a more organic and rustic atmosphere. A bamboo floor in the studio provides an ecological alternative to hardwood flooring as well as increased durability. The loft floor is built of locally harvested cedar, while the railing is made of aspen branches. The handcrafted front door utilizes several species of wood and is highlighted with stained glass. The “slate” roofing is made of recycled rubber. Back up heat is provided by a radiant Russian Stove. Greywater is reused in a greenhouse planter system . The interior plaster is finished with natural pigments and an Alis clay slip.