Passive Solar Heating
The primary structures at M:W are designed and built to take advantage of Colorado's "sunny" days. We work to achieve sustainability by using locally available recycled materials to create Passive Solar Heated structures. By adapting construction techniques to use sustainable materials, and integrating the unique design combinations of size and location of doors, windows, walls and roof overhangs the buildings work as a unit gather the most solar gain possible. M:W has created simple but energy efficient buildings. While these considerations may be directed to any building, achieving an ideal solution requires careful integration of these principles.
Passive heating systems make use of naturally available heat sources to keep a building warm without the need for stoves or other heating devices. All of the buildings at Mission:Wolf are designed with large, south-facing windows to let in sunlight to keep us warm during the day, the same way the interior of a car left in the sunlight will get warm, even on a cold day. I addition, the buildings are well insulated and dug into the hillside so the north walls are earth-bermed, which helps keep much of the heat from the sun indoors, and greatly reducing the amount of firewood we need to burn to get through the winter.
Passive heating systems make use of naturally available heat sources to keep a building warm without the need for stoves or other heating devices. All of the buildings at Mission:Wolf are designed with large, south-facing windows to let in sunlight to keep us warm during the day, the same way the interior of a car left in the sunlight will get warm, even on a cold day. I addition, the buildings are well insulated and dug into the hillside so the north walls are earth-bermed, which helps keep much of the heat from the sun indoors, and greatly reducing the amount of firewood we need to burn to get through the winter.