Design Services:
Our primary goal is to help you fullfill your dreams. Good listening skills, probing questions and responsive ideas lie at the heart of our approach. We try to help you uncover and articulate your goals, values and tastes. We understand the rigors of Montana's economy, the local climate and construction processes. From that knowledge base, we can suggest appropriate solutions to your needs. A variety of hand drawn and computer graphics are used to help you imagine what your home might be.
Montana Energy+Design offers a wide range of residential design services including:
- Site Analysis: building site evaluation, natural resource evaluation, surveying.
- Schematic Design: idea generation, program development, sketches, scope of work.
- Design Development: drawing development, coordination with consultants.
- Construction Documents: working drawings, details, specifications, and material evaluations.
- Construction Administration: contracts, budgets, site visits and evaluations, disbursments, post occupancy evaluations.
We provide energy and financial analysis on all kinds of projects. We advise clients on investment strategies.
We provide scope of work, cost and energy analysis and schematic design services for prospective projects.
We evaluate Owner's plans from outside sources, provide additional detailing and evaluate materials and equipment.
We evaluate site development plans, subdivision plans and Master Plans for Owners and Developers.
We can work as the lead designer or as a consultant for other Architects and Developers. We encourage setting up a team of professionals to produce an integrated, well coordinated project. We strongly advise that sustainable design issues be put on the table as early as possible.
Jim Baerg has a Masters in Architecture from the University of Washington and 5 years experience working as Intern Architect and Architect-in-Training for established architectural firms. Prior to that, Jim ran a design/build firm in the Gallatin Valley for 16 years.
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Chinese style Solar Greenhouse
Imagine, as a market gardener, growing fresh, organic food all year in Montana without any fossil fuels. Tomatoes into November and December, new greens starting in February. These off season crops offer higher profit margins because the alternative for consumers is the tired produce in the grocery stores.
The Chinese started developing solar greenhouses in the 1970's and now have over 3 million acres of them. Their mature design grows vegetables year-round and is energy self sufficient up to the 42nd parallel.
We are currently working with a Montana market gardener to build a commercial solar greenhouse next year. Our goals are to use the Chinese model and proportions but adapt to our local materials and building practices. We know that the building will have to perform well, but also be inexpensive enough to make the economics work.
Please call or write if you have interest in a similar project.