Long before construction began on his Colorado mountain home, Robert Dowski was searching for something very specific. He wanted land that could power a house as much as frame it.

The retired venture capitalist, who spent decades investing in technology and telecom companies in New York and Boston, approached the project with a systems mindset. Rather than designing a house first and fitting it onto a site, he spent nearly two years combing through parcels around Steamboat Springs looking for one that could support an unusually complex energy strategy.

It would need room for a football-field-scale geoexchange loop, open exposure for solar trackers, and enough wind flow to make a turbine viable. Eventually, he found it atop a ridge outside town.

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“This was the only hilltop site I could find that had a direct view of sunrise and sunset, I mean 360-degree views—with a 40-mile view in both directions,” Dowski explained to Robb Report. “The hilltop on the west side of town also provided the best micro-climate for wind.”

Completed after he relocated to Colorado in 2010, the resulting residence spans 6,860 square feet on nearly eight acres with sweeping views stretching from the Steamboat Ski Area to the Flat Tops, Hahns Peak, and the Zirkel Mountains. The property, now listed for $5.45 million with The Agency’s Chris Paoli and Kenny Reisman, pairs mountain architecture with infrastructure more commonly associated with commercial buildings.

Beneath the landscape, a geoexchange system composed of 16 trenches, each roughly 10 feet deep and 150 feet long, taps the earth’s stable temperature to handle heating and cooling. Above ground, solar panels mounted on trackers follow the sun across the sky, while a ducted wind turbine captures additional energy from the ridge’s steady airflow.

“Each system addresses a different part of the home’s energy picture,” Dowski said. “Together, they offset a significant portion of the home’s electrical load.”

Inside, the five-bedroom residence blends lodge-style scale with spaces designed for hosting. A vaulted great room framed by hand-carved wood beams centers around a floor-to-ceiling Pennsylvania bluestone fireplace, while clerestory windows bring the surrounding peaks into view. The layout includes two primary suites, a three-bedroom guest wing with its own kitchenette and entrance, and a lower level outfitted with a home theater, gym, game room, and a 12-person hot tub.

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Behind the scenes, the home’s mechanical backbone was designed to accommodate large gatherings. A commercial-style water system allows six showers to run simultaneously, supported by a large storage tank, pressure pump, and dual high-capacity water heaters. The ventilation system incorporates electrostatic air cleaning, humidification, and outside-air exchange and can support MERV 20 filters capable of removing smoke from forest fires. “You can vent the house and enjoy a smoke-free environment,” Dowski said.

After nearly 16 years in the home, Dowski admits he’s ready for a new chapter and perhaps another ambitious build. “While we have a lifetime of great memories of winter and summer events, our wanderlust is calling us to explore new horizons,” he said. “Maybe the West Coast. Maybe Europe. New Zealand. Who knows what’s next? Plus, at some point, we get to build yet another new place. And what a place that will be.”

Click here to see more photos of this self-sufficient Colorado home.