FOCO - The Limetree
Address: 1904 Marlene Dr Fort Collins 80524
Architect: Greg D. Fisher, Architect
Greg D. Fisher, Architect
Greg D. Fisher founded his award-winning architectural practice in 1993, focusing on simple, authentic, and responsible design. A longtime sustainability advocate, he has led numerous high-performance building projects, served green-building organizations and educational initiatives, and received the Colorado Green Building Guild’s Green Champion Award (2020) and Colorado USGBC Volunteer of the Year Award (2009).
https://www.gregdfisherarchitect.com/Builder: Lime Tree Carpentry
Interior: Lime Tree Carpentry
Structural: CDC Engineering, LLC
MEP: Rockview Designs
Landscape: Waterwise
PHI rater: Bldgtyp
Owners: Dawson Linde
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SUMMARY
Built: 2027
Size: 4,154-SF
Budget: Not disclosed
Type: New Construction
Performance: All Electric, PHI Low-E
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NARRATIVE
The Limetree Residence is a high-performance Passive House that demonstrates how thoughtful design can reduce both operational and embodied carbon. From the beginning, the homeowners and architect evaluated the growing family’s needs alongside the environmental cost of remodeling versus rebuilding.
Multiple remodel concepts were explored, but the extent of the required program, low existing ceiling heights, and concerns about the health and wellness of the existing home ultimately made renovation impractical. Rather than demolishing everything and constructing a new foundation, the project preserves and reuses the existing foundation, significantly reducing demolition waste and the embodied carbon associated with new concrete.
The new residence is all-electric and designed around Passive House certification, minimizing energy demand while creating a durable, healthy, and comfortable home. A highly insulated double-wall assembly with an interior service cavity provide continuous thermal and air control layers while reducing penetrations and simplifying the integration of electrical and mechanical systems.
The project represents a holistic approach to sustainability—balancing family needs, wellness, operational energy, material impacts, and responsible reuse of existing resources. As both homeowner and general contractor, the owner is also experiencing firsthand the opportunities and challenges of translating Passive House goals into construction.
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MATERIALS & CONSERVATION
Fire resilient features: Class A roofing, Fire retardant siding, Triple pane windows
Natural Materials:
Conservation: The home makes use of a previously existing foundation to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.
Featured Sponsors
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SPECIFICATIONS
WINDOWS
Spec: Smartwin by Advantage Architectural Woodwork
Uf 0.11, SHGC 0.317
ENVELOPE + INSULATION
Airtightness: 0.6 ACH50 or better
Slab: R-35, EPS
Wall underground: R-35, Smartrock over Rockwool Comfortboard
Wall aboveground: R-56, Dense-pack cellulose
Roof: R-90+, Dense-pack Cellulose (vaults) & Loose-fill Cellulose (attics)
MECHANICAL
Heat Pump:
ERV:
Water heater:
ON-SITE RENEWABLES
PV:
Geothermal:
OTHER GREEN FEATURES
EV Charging
Induction Cooktop
Heat Pump Dryer
Sustainable landscaping
Platinum Sponsors
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