When we think about antlered animals trotting across a roof, they're usually tied to a sled carrying Santa Claus.



But for the Bourgeault family, it doesn't need to be Dec. 24 to see deer or even moose on the roof of their Bearspaw home.



"We see them up there all the time," says Kendra Bourgeault, one of Ken and Jeanette's three daughters. And the hoofed wildlife get on the roof like climbing a hill -- which is exactly what they're doing.



The Bourgeaults live in a bungalow on Woodland Lane tucked into the side of an excavated hill. The 2,400-square-foot home is on a treed, 0.8-hectare lot and is now on the market for $875,000.



The house was built by Terra-Dome Corp. in 1990 by pouring concrete domes into the excavated hill space.



These domes were then capped with tar and backfilled, creating a living roof. Since then, the home has been updated and renovated inside and out.



Ken says he heard a previous owner kept a goat on the property to trim the grass on the roof, but he doesn't mind zipping his riding mower across the land that covers his unique country acreage home.



"It's fun for me to come up here and cut the roof," says Ken with a laugh. The hilltop view is also a draw, with an eye-catching look at the Rocky Mountains, he says.



Between the animals, riding mower and any other activity on the Bourgeault's rooftop lawn, if you think things get noisy, think again, says Ken.



"One thing about this house is, it's quiet. You don't hear a thing," he says of the home, which is buffered by concrete and mother nature.



But benefits to the home go beyond that, offering energy effi ciency that chops power bills, says Ken.



The home uses a hot water heating system. It doesn't include air conditioning due to the fact the home is naturally cool "because it's all dirt above you," says Ken.



The family can control the warmth of the home through a three-zone thermostat as well as the use of blinds to cover its soaring windows, he says.



The home's energy bills "are about half" of what his family paid while living at a single-family home in Calgary prior to moving to Bearspaw about three-and-a-half years ago, says Ken.



To that end, sunshine isn't a problem. "Some people think it may be like living in a basement, but it's not like that at all," he says.



In particular, the home's open concept main living space -- including an expansive kitchen and great room under a 12-foot ceiling -- is showered with natural light through tall side windows.



It also includes one of two dome-style skylights. The other skylight is over a side hallway which connects to the home's four bedrooms and three bathrooms.



The home also includes a bonus room with a wood-burning fireplace and a large den the Bourgeaults use as a home office and a laundry room.



In 2009, the Bourgeaults had porcelain tile installed throughout the home, other than the bedrooms which were given new carpeting.



The home's exterior colour was updated in 2010 with an elastomeric-type paint designed for stucco exteriors.



The three bedrooms walls were changed from Plexiglas to solid walls in 2011 -- and the kitchen island was reshaped to a more modern style and granite tile was placed on the kitchen counters within the past year.



While the owners don't have a basement for storage space, there's plenty of room in the home's detached garage.



The three-car garage has a second storey loft the Bourgeaults use to tuck away their skis and other seasonal belongings.



While the home has a den for a home office, the loft can double as a space to escape to and run a business, says Glen Godlonton, a realtor with Re/Max.



"I was showing it to a guy the other day who said this would make a great office," he says. Also included at the property is a Quonset that was once a large, open shed.



Ken renovated the 800-square-foot building to be his "man cave," he says. Ken belongs to a band that rehearses in the space.



He also used it as a dance hall when one of his daughters got married.



WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW



MODEL: The home is 2,400 square feet and includes four bedrooms.



BUILDER: Terra-Dome Corp.



AREA: Bearspaw is a community west of Calgary.



PRICE: The home is listed at $875,000.



INFORMATION: E-mail glen@glengodlonton.com



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