Colorado is gearing up for the first-ever USA Pro Cycling Challenge on August 22^nd-28th. This race will feature the world’s top professional cyclists facing off against each other and the unforgiving Rocky Mountain terrain. Hoping to become the next Tour de France, this seven-day, 600-mile-long trek will span across 11 Colorado cities including our own Breckenridge.

The 16 international teams with 128 of the world’s best riders will be cycling through the streets of downtown Breckenridge on Saturday, August 27th. If you’d like to witness this historic Colorado ride visit the Breckenridge page on the USA Pro Cycling Challenge website.

Best of luck to all cyclists!

We recently came across Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey house on Apartment Therapy’s American Style. Wright along with other notable architects from the mid-century modern era helped shape American architecture. Their designs are as relevant and fresh today as they were over 60 years ago.

Completed in 1941, the Pope-Leighey home followed Wright’s Usonian design principle, which is considered to be the origins of the popular “ranch-style” homes.  Frank Lloyd Wright, like many of us here in Colorado, was inspired by his natural surroundings. The Pope-Leighey home, located in Virginia, could easily blend in with our mountain-style architecture.

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

What do you think about Wright’s Usonian design?

With projects like FLEDERHAUS in Vienna, Austria it is easy to see how architecture can impact our local parks and recreation. This eco-friendly, five-story structure designed by Heri & Salli, is the perfect place to lounge after a busy day seeing the sites in Vienna. With over a dozen hammocks available for public use this “haus” has given new meaning to laying around.

Courtesy of ArchDaily. Photography by Mischa Erben

Courtesy of ArchDaily. Photography by Mischa Erben

Courtesy of ArchDaily. Photography by Mischa Erben

Courtesy of ArchDaily. Photography by Mischa Erben

Courtesy of ArchDaily. Photography by Mischa Erben

If you happen to find yourself in Vienna, this vertical public space is open daily until October from 10am till 7pm.

What do you think about a structure like this here in Colorado? Do you think our residents would find this a suitable use of public space?

Trilogy Partners is committed to sustainable and energy efficient custom home design, incorporating passive solar technologies, renewable energy resources and solar orientation in the design of custom Colorado mountain homes. Site selection and building placement is critical to the successful energy efficient passive solar home.

When a family is planning to build a new custom home, it is advantageous to include the custom home designer very early in the site selection and home design phase in order to plan ahead for passive solar technology. Passive solar is based on the orientation of the building relative to the sun at different seasons of the year.

A few of the more common solar energy design tools are the use of natural daylighting to light interior spaces, cool air flow through the house at night to modify temperatures, thermal heat storage in masonry walls, thermal insulation, and proper solar orientation for north and south facing facades.

One of the most beneficial and aesthetically pleasing solar technology design strategies is to use large south facing windows for custom homes in seasonally cold climates. An example of this form of passive solar design is utilized by Trilogy Partners in the custom Colorado mountain home, shown to the right. For additional information about passive solar design in custom Colorado mountain homes, contact Trilogy Partners by calling 970.453.2230 or visiting the Trilogy Partners Website. Trilogy Partners is located in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Rustic! You might think of this word as an adjective to describe Colorado mountain homes, but did you know it’s also the name of an American architectural style of the early twentieth century? It’s a style similar to one of its fashionable predecessors, the Shingle Style.

Rustic Style architecture is characterized by the following exterior design features: over-hanging, steeply sloped roofs mirroring surrounding mountain features, and easily shedding snow; stone foundations, shingle roofing materials; and log, wood plank and shingle wall materials.

Interior and floor plan features include an informality of design and spatial arrangement, large stone fire places with stone slab fireplace mantels, and big rocking chair porches. The Rustic Style building is sited naturally to fit into the landscape in an informal and functionally efficient manner.

A few of the best examples of the style are located in US state and national parks:

Multnomah Falls Lodge (1925, A. E. Doyle, Troutdale, Oregon) is a beautiful example of this asymmetrical, steep flowing roof, wood and stone architectural style.

Timberline Lodge (1937, US Forest Service Architects, Oregon) with its stone foundation and steep roof lines, is a classic Rustic Style building of the period. Buffalo and bear head carvings decorate the exposed eave ends.

A contemporary Colorado mountain home example that is suggestive of the early American Rustic Architectural Style was designed by Trilogy Partners. Known locally as ‘Calecho’, the architects describe the Calecho design style as follows, “All elements combine to form a symphony that embraces mountain history and modern mountain living.”

If you are fond of the Rustic Architectural Style and planning to building a custom home, please contact Trilogy Partners of Breckenridge, Colorado at 970-453-2230 for information about their custom home design-build process.

Photo Sources:  Trilogy Partners and Wikipedia

Tuesday, July 12, The New York Times reported on the new law which supports green energy. The energy law was enacted. It was then repealed by Republicans. Because of a vote of 233 to 193, the repeal was recently defeated. Since Democrats are the minority in the House, the defeat of the repeal shows that people desire green reform.

The two stages of the new light bulb standards have exceptions for specialty lights, candelabra lamps, three-way bulbs, and black lights. Although the new light bulbs cost more than current light bulbs, the energy savings should lower energy bills and offset the price of the new bulbs. The yearly savings could total $50.

Stage 1:

Jan 1 – 2014

25 to 30 percent more efficient

Stage 2:

2015-2020

60 percent more efficient

Learn about Trilogy Partners green designs and advanced building technologies.

Image courtesy of fficial U.S. Navy Imagery via Flickr

London is gearing up for next summer’s Olympics and it looks like they will have all construction completed on time with over 80% of the projects already finished.

Olympic Stadium, which will host both the opening and closing ceremonies, will surely take center stage next summer. Located at the southern entrance of the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, this stadium will definitely become a London landmark.

Olympic Stadium in London. Courtesy of London Attractions

Olympic Stadium in London. Courtesy of BBC

The Aquatics Centre, called the ‘gateway’ to the Park, will include a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool and a 50m warm-up training pool.

Aquatics Centre in London. Courtesy of Skyscraperlife.com

Aquatics Centre in London. Courtesy of BBC

The Basketball Arena is one of the largest temporary venues built for any Games.

Basketball Arena in London. Courtesy of London2012.com

Basketball Stadium in London. Courtesy of BBC

Other venues being utilized during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London are Wembley Stadium, which will host soccer; Excel will host boxing, fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling; North Greenwich Arena will feature artistic gymnastics, trampoline and basketball; Earls Court – volleyball.

Courtesy of BBC

It is definitely a massive undertaking for any city to host an Olympic game. Colorado (Denver) was all set to host the 1976 Olympics here, but pulled out in 72′ because of worries about the impact to the environment. It looks like London will come out on top and we can’t wait to see how all the venues look once fully completed.

Net zero energy homes are emerging as the new standard in current energy conservation trends. These homes are called net zero, to signify that the home may not take a net positive amount of energy from the grid, in a one year period. The home may actually use energy from the grid at times, but it must then also deliver energy back to the grid at other times.

The two primary design principles utilized in the net zero home are:

1. Using energy efficient materials and strategies
2. The use of renewable energy resources

Details affecting solar orientation, geothermal systems, and passive solar energy technology impact the overall form of the zero net energy home in the early design phase.

Technological considerations such as heat pump selection and location; floor, roof and wall insulation systems; and energy efficient appliances and lighting systems all contribute to the success of the net zero energy home.

Over 100 net zero energy homes currently exist in the United States. Trilogy Partners completed the first net zero energy home in Breckenridge, Colorado in the Timber Trails neighborhood in 2010. More and more net zero energy homes will be constructed in coming years as the technology becomes more affordable, and as public awareness and education increases.

Photo sources: GE, Trilogy Partners

What images come to mind when you think of Colorado mountain homes? Are you visualizing pictures of attractive timber frame homes, stonework, natural and local materials, lots of windows, passive solar technology and homes blended naturally in to the surroundings?

Add expert financial management, sustainability and energy efficient home building to that list of images, and you will be describing the design-build philosophy of Trilogy Partners, award winning custom home builders located in Breckenridge, Colorado.

With years of experience in building custom Colorado mountain homes, Trilogy successfully manages the entire project including oversight of the design process, permitting, construction documentation, contractor coordination, and financial accounting.

Winners of the Summit County 2007 Builder of the Year Award, Trilogy Partners employs an integrated and seamless design-build process that serves the best interest of the client.  Committed to excellence in design and craftsmanship, Trilogy Partners are experienced custom home builders who micro manage all of the details, from the conceptual design phase right through to the completion of your beautiful Colorado mountain home.

Take, for example, the Trilogy Partners’ ‘Buffalo Terrace home.  Designed as a retirement home for the owners, Trilogy combined beauty, energy efficient technology, and green materials to produce a stunning illustration of the best in Colorado mountain homes, tastefully designed inside and out.  Utilizing timber frame design and meticulous attention to detail, ‘Buffalo Terrace’ proved to be a notable success.

Trilogy Partners specializes in energy efficient home building, and cutting edge sustainable architecture.  It’s more than just a design philosophy; Trilogy works to set an example of social and environmental responsibility by using new technologies and maintaining the highest eco-friendly standards.  For the best in custom home builders of Colorado mountain homes, contact Trilogy Partners.

Photo credit: Trilogy Partners

Twin concerns about affordability and energy efficiency are driving the trend in new-home design toward smaller homes, according to industry experts. While prospective homebuyers still want specific amenities in newly constructed homes, such as a family room, a spacious kitchen and an elegant master bath, they also are willing to give up or downsize some rooms for the benefit of a more affordable price.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey of homebuilders, designers, architects, manufacturers and marketing specialists, “The New Home in 2015,” reveals that respondents think the average single-family home will shrink to 2,152 square feet in 2015, a decrease of approximately 10 percent from the average single-family home completed in 2010, which is 2,392 square feet.

“To put this in perspective, the peak home size so far was in 2007 at 2,521 square feet,” said Stephen Melman, director of economic services for NAHB. “In 1973, the average new home was 1,660 square feet. The real story is that for the past 35 years, new homes got larger every year, except when they hit a plateau during recessions. The question is whether this time it is different.

“Our members think home sizes will continue to shrink because of energy costs. People want to have a home they can afford and one they can afford to heat.”

Mr. Melman said other factors influencing smaller home sizes include the prevalence in the market of first-time homebuyers, who tend to start with smaller homes, and baby boomers who are becoming empty-nesters needing less space.

While it takes time to design and build new homes, many builders already have introduced smaller model homes as part of their collection of home designs.

“Architects and designers have been careful to keep the elements of a home that matter most to buyers, so while homes are a bit smaller, they are also better designed,” Mr. Melman said. “In some cases, designers are using fewer interior walls, adding more windows and increasing the size of the family room, great room or kitchen in order to meet the lifestyle requirements of buyers. In order to make some spaces larger, they need to eliminate the living room or the fifth bedroom upstairs.”

At K. Hovnanian Homes, new single-family home models are available in some communities with 1,500 to 1,600 square feet, and in some active-adult communities designs start at 1,100 square feet.

“Home sizes depend a lot on the area, and in many places we are still offering large homes because there is demand for them,” said Dee Minich, group senior vice president of sales and marketing for K. Hovnanian Homes. “In some cases, we are offering smaller single-family homes geared to first-time buyers to compete with town homes.”

Ms. Minich said that while some rooms are getting smaller, buyers still want large kitchens, great rooms and family rooms.

“In some of our smaller homes, we have taken out the living room and converted it to a library,” Ms. Minich said. “Some buyers want the option of extending the library and adding an adjacent full bath so that the room can someday be used as a first-floor bedroom.”

Ms. Minich said the space added by eliminating the living room often is used for a bigger kitchen.

“A lot of buyers want the option of expanding the center island in the kitchen because when people entertain, they like having a seating area in the kitchen and extra counter space. Plus, this adds more homework space for the kids.”

At Van Metre Homes, smaller and more energy-efficient homes have been introduced with a living room that buyers can convert into a study rather than having both a living room and study on the first floor.

“We’ve found that buyers don’t want the upkeep or the cost of heating a bigger home,” said Krista Peterson, director of marketing and design center for Van Metre Homes. “We’re using flexible space on the upper level for a retreat for homework or a reading corner with the option of closing it off for a fifth bedroom.”

Ms. Peterson said Van Metre has worked with engineers to design homes that need less wood, which makes the houses more affordable.

“We’ve found that people still want a big kitchen and breakfast area,” Ms. Peterson said. “If we design the breakfast area to be large enough, buyers don’t always need to add an optional morning room.”

Ms. Peterson said buyers still want comfortable rooms and special features working within the constraints of a smaller price tag and less living space.

“Buyers still want a nice master bath, but they are willing to have a larger shower with a smaller garden tub instead of a huge soaking tub,” Ms. Peterson said. “They want to make sure the secondary bedrooms are large enough and that the closets are big enough, too, so they will ask for a smaller upper hall and a smaller master sitting room to have that extra space someplace else.”

Ms. Minich said that in some smaller homes the dining room is shrinking a little because families tend to use their breakfast area or extended morning room for meals.

“In some cases, the homeowners opt to convert the dining room to a library,” Ms. Minich said. “A home office has become important for almost everyone these days because of telecommuting and working after hours. Sometimes both the husband and wife each want a separate office space.”

Ms. Minich said another important feature for most buyers, even with a smaller home, is to have an open area for entertaining, such as a family room or great room open to the kitchen.

The NAHB survey showed that a well-organized laundry room and mudroom is No. 3 on the list of important features for buyers.

“Combining the mudroom and laundry room can be one way to economize on space, but buyers really want functionality in these rooms,” Mr. Melman said.

He said shrinking the foyer and moving stairs to one side can be another way to gain more space for first-floor rooms.

“A first-floor bedroom is fifth on the list of ‘very likely’ features, which is a shift,” Mr. Melman said. “This could be in response to the trend toward multiple generations living together in one home, because a first-floor bedroom offers extra privacy for in-laws, the homeowners or a boomerang adult child. A Pew Research study showed that multigenerational households with at least two generations of adults living together grew to 6.1 percent of all households in 2010, up from 4.8 percent in 2000.”

At Van Metre Homes, every collection of new homes includes at least one design with a first-floor bedroom instead of a living room or study.

“Buyers want flexibility, so many of them opt for a rough-in for a full bath next to the study or on the lower level so they can add bedrooms and baths later,” Ms. Peterson said.

One more trend for new homes is increased energy efficiency.

“Sixty-eight percent of builders say that homes will include more green features, particularly low-E windows, engineered wood and dual-flush toilets,” Mr. Melman said. “The challenge is that everyone wants to be green until it costs too much. The survey showed that if a home costs 5 [percent] to 10 percent more for green features, that is acceptable to buyers, but if the cost is 10 percent or more, they are less likely to choose that house.”

Both Van Metre Homes and K. Hovnanian Homes build all Energy Star-certified homes, in part, because buyers are concerned about reducing their utility bills.

“Buyers expect energy efficiency to be part of the package of buying a new home,” Ms. Minich said. “They want to know they will be comfortable and that they won’t have to overspend on utilities.”

While the homes of the future may be smaller, builders are designing homes to meet the desires of their buyers for flexible rooms, open entertaining spaces and a comfortable kitchen.

Source: washingtontimes.com