Panorama House by Thrive Home Builders

Panorama House in Breckenridge, Colorado, is a groundbreaking project that combines striking design, exceptional comfort, and aggressive sustainability in one of the harshest climates in the U.S. The 6,632-square-foot, all-electric home is a model of what’s possible in net-zero and carbon-neutral construction, even in climate zone 7. Situated on a flat, two-acre lot, every living space captures panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains’ Ten Mile Range and the Breckenridge Ski Area. Built as a custom home but serving as a model for production builders, lessons learned were shared with the industry through a series of articles in ProBuilder magazine, culminating in a feature article in November 2024. Panorama House also led to a 61 unit carbon neutral, net zero energy workforce housing project called Stables Village for the Town of Breckenridge.

Designed by Allen-Guerra Architecture, the home features double-wall construction, triple-pane windows, rooftop solar, and battery backup.. Thrive also paid close attention to air sealing, flashing, and weather barrier installation, educating the local workforce to ensure performance targets were met. Onsite training was provided by both DuPont and James Hardie.

The home rests on a crawlspace with 2” rigid foam subgrade insulation. Among the home’s most innovative features is a fiberglass foundation. Panels were cut to length in the factory and delivered to the site. Panels consist of a 2” thick panel resembling a SIP panel with fiberglass sheets sandwiching foam. The panel is then stiffened with fiberglass 2x4’s, 16” on center, creating a total thickness of the assembly of 5.5”. The bays created by the 2x4’s were then further insulated with R-19 fiberglass batts, bringing the full assembly to R-37 for the stem wall.  The foundation was installed in under two days and was cost neutral with lower embodied carbon when compared to a traditional cast in place concrete foundation.

The home utilized offsite construction with roof trusses, floor trusses and wall panels constructed in Denver and shipped to Breckenridge. Floor trusses were converted into floor cassettes in the framing contractor’s shop in Breckenridge before placement.

The home also incorporates heat pump hot water heaters, cold-climate heat pumps, humidification and Rheia small diameter ducts. Located in the wildland interface, the home has fire sprinklers, a steel roof, James Hardie fiber-cement siding and a vented attic using Vulcan intumescent vents for fire resiliency.

The home achieved a HERS Score of 1, and certification for DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, EPA Indoor airPLUS, Energy Star NextGen, and LEED Gold. Embodied carbon was calculated using automated takeoffs from Mitek software and One Click LCA. An offset was purchased from CNaught. Operational carbon was reduced by the home's all-electric construction and offset by rooftop solar and batteries. The Emissions Summary in the HERS rating show zero emissions of SO2, NOx and a site EUI of zero. Ultimately, the Panorama House isn't just a high-performance home. By blending aesthetics with cutting-edge sustainability, Thrive Home Builders is demonstrating how to take environmental stewardship mainstream, while proving that comfort, beauty, and climate responsibility can co-exist.

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