BigHorn Home Improvement Center: Silverthorne, Colorado

The BigHorn Home Improvement Center in Silverthorne, Colorado, was designed using a whole-building approach, looking at the way that the building's site, windows, walls, floors, electrical, and mechanical systems could work together most efficiently. The center includes a hardware store and building materials warehouse space, and features a 9.0 kw photovoltaic system to provide an average of 25%of the building's electricity. The BigHorn Center is one of the nation's first commercial buildings to integrate daylighting and natural ventilation cooling systems into a retail space. It is expected to reduce energy costs by 62% compared to conventionally designed retail buidings.