This mountain modern home located at the foot of the Gore Range in Three Peaks. Dubbed “Raven’s Nest” the home is a tight design collaboration between Mark Hogan at bhh Partners and Michael Rath at Trilogy Partners with plenty of insight and opportunity provided by the owners. Lots of glass on the south and west mountain facing sides, this 4000 square foot home is a legacy home for a young family that adores the outdoors. The home features a 30 foot high barrel vault ceiling at the entry, a custom water feature and massive chandeliers designed by Trilogy Partners. This was a BIM project, modeling, interiors, and materials selections by Trilogy Partners.

From the homeowner:  “It was while standing in a gallery in Hanoi one day last year that I learned to appreciate the true power of Trilogy’s 3D modeling technology. We had been searching for paintings for our new home in Summit County, but were having difficulty selecting individual pieces, uncertain how they would mesh with the planned design. The stress was increased by the fact that I was shopping alone, 8000 miles away from my wife in Colorado, and desperately afraid of making a mistake! Seeking advice, I sent a series of iPhone photos to Michael. Within hours, both of us received screenshots displaying the artwork as it would actually look in place, along with lighting, finishes, and furniture. This made our decision process so much easier, and it was amazing how closely the depictions in the model matched the finished product!

As we contemplated building our first custom home, we heard plenty of horror stories from friends and relatives. Our experience with Trilogy, however, belied all such expectations. Michael made the design process exciting and fun as we saw our ideas gradually take shape in the model. The computerized, online process made it easy to test out even small design changes and also allowed us to meet remotely when we didn’t have time to travel to Frisco. The software was incredibly detailed and powerful, allowing Michael to design even custom elements such as lighting fixtures and a water feature. Once we began construction, we found Trilogy to be good partners. They were transparent in their accounting and treated us with honesty and fairness at all times. When our home was finished we were dazzled, but not surprised, because it was just like the model! We found the build quality to be excellent; when problems have come up, Michael and our project manager Bill Ashley have been very responsive in addressing them, even long after the project was complete. They take great pride in their work and are not satisfied until everything is perfect. I have no reservations recommending Michael Rath and his team to anyone planning to build in the Colorado mountains, or anywhere else for that matter!”

Take the virtual tour of a Trilogy home in Silverthorne, Colorado.

Desktop Computer or Laptop– Click the link and allow the page to load. To start the Guided Tour, use your mouse to click the “play” button in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can pause the Guided Tour at any time by pressing the space bar, and resume the tour by again pressing play. To move through the space, use your arrow keys. To look up or down,  click & drag with your mouse. Moving up and down stairs is usually easier by clicking your mouse on one of the clear circles. Click on the dollhouse icon in the bottom right of the screen to view the entire space at once in either dollhouse or floorplan view.

On a phone, tablet or touchscreen– Once the page loads, press the play button for the Guided Tour, tap the screen to pause and explore the space, then press play again to resume tour. To move freely through the space, tap on the screen where you want to go. Drag your finger across the screen to look up, down, left or right. Tap the dollhouse icon in the bottom right to view the entire space at once in either dollhouse or floorplan view.

Going green doesn’t have to cost more. Experts at the NAHB Research Center have identified design and construction tactics that builders have used to minimize the cost premium for green.

Constructing a green home does come with some added costs, but a lot of builders find that green practices can actually reduce their construction costs and enhance the quality of the homes they build. Many green practices also result in operational and maintenance savings for homeowners.

Using a combination of input from builders participating in the National Green Building Certification Program and results from recent research we did for HUD on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, the NAHB Research Center has identified seven beneficial practices to consider when building green for the affordable market.

1. Work closely with your suppliers

If you’re new to green building in general or to building green homes with a lower price point, you may want to start your journey by talking with your product suppliers.

Richmond, Va.-based First Richmond Associates has been building quality workforce housing for nearly two decades. Recently, the builder decided that going green with its homes would provide even greater value to customers and set its product apart from the competition. Susan Hadder, president of First Richmond, admits the company didn’t know much about green building, so she let her suppliers know about the new direction they were taking and asked for their help.

“A lot of them were as new to green as we were,” says Hadder, “but they were excited to help us find the best product options available from various manufacturers. It was kind of fun for everyone to discover something new.”

Hadder says she got very quick responses from all her product reps, along with some incentives, which helped her identify what the company needed to get its new green homes certified to the National Green Building Standard (ICC 700). She was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the green product options that would garner points for the home in the certification process were actually an even swap for her in terms of price.

Specifically with flooring options, she found that recycled-content carpet and padding, engineered hardwood flooring, and recycled tile for the bathrooms were all competitively priced with the products she traditionally used — some a few pennies more per unit, some a few pennies less. First Richmond now has two of their Earth-Friendly workforce homes (sales prices range from the $170,000’s to low $200,000’s) Green Certified to ICC 700 by the NAHB Research Center, and the company has plans for more.

2. Look for two-for-one green product benefits

To maximize green benefits while keeping construction costs low, use products or practices with multiple green features. For example, when specifying cabinets or cabinet materials, look for those that have low- or no-formaldehyde content and are made of recycled material. That way, you may be able to gain green certification points for both indoor environmental quality and resource efficiency. While most green rating systems won’t allow for “double dipping” on points (i.e., claiming points in more than one area for the same green attribute in the same product or practice), most will allow for multiple green attributes in the same product to be counted across multiple point categories.

3. Don’t forget about water efficiency

In our work with HUD, we found that water efficiency improvements for both new and renovated affordable projects are commonly overlooked even though they offer a quantifiable benefit to homeowners for little to no additional construction cost. Be sure not to discount the cost benefits for affordable clients of low-flow faucets, toilets, and showerheads, as well as rated water-saving appliances.

As for finding the products at an affordable price, there is a much wider array of low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads on the market today than even five years ago, and the most basic models are cost neutral with comparable non-low-flow fixtures. Most major plumbing product manufacturers now offer these products, eliminating the need for costly special orders, in most cases. With bathroom sink faucets, even if your manufacturer of choice doesn’t make a low-flow version, you can buy replacement aerators that satisfy the requirements of most national green rating systems for around $2 a piece.

New construction on the Goose Pasture Tarn in Blue River, Colorado outside of Breckenridge.

 

4. Consider alternative framing techniques

Some changes in your framing materials or techniques might provide both cost/time savings and a means to an end in securing points toward green certification. For instance, consider using panels or trusses in lieu of site-built systems. These techniques are labor and resource efficient, resulting in less on-site waste and possibly lower labor and materials cost overall. Fabricated systems often create greater thermal efficiency over stick frames. Many green rating systems, including the National Green Building Standard, also award points for use of panels and trusses.

If you want to continue framing totally on site, there are several optimum value engineering (OVE) techniques that can save on material or labor costs, and can generate green points at the same time. Look into options like:

• Ladder blocking — uses less wood; provides more room for insulation; gets green points
• Two-stud corners — at least one less stud at each corner; allows for more fully insulated corner; gets green points
• Switch from 2x4s at 16 inches on center to 2x6s at 24 inches on center — may result in small increase in incremental cost initially, but gets a lot of green bang for your buck.

5. Explore low-cost strategies with design

Green, at any price point, is not accomplished through product selection alone. Many of the other “ingredients” for a green home involve strategies that can cost very little or nothing at all. For example, depending on the orientation and size of your lot, flipping a house plan is a very low-cost, low-effort activity that can result in green benefits like positioning the majority of windows on the south side of a home for passive solar and natural lighting gains.

6. Pay attention to placement and sizing of hvac and plumbing systems

Optimize your duct runs and centrally locate your mechanical room for material cost savings and increased energy efficiency. Even for smaller homes, be sure not to have more ducts or longer duct runs than you need in any part of the house. Using a central return also reduces material costs and is a simple system that can provide adequate circulation and cost savings to both you and your buyers.

Placing all your HVAC equipment, including ducts, in conditioned space within the home is also beneficial. In addition to creating significant energy savings for homeowners, this practice may also allow you to spec smaller, less-expensive HVAC equipment and limit or eliminate the need for additional insulation for the duct system. Many homes today, even those that may be otherwise energy and resource efficient, have oversized HVAC equipment. As the building envelope of your homes becomes tighter and more energy efficient, the HVAC burden is significantly reduced. A smaller system obviously costs less and could offset other green upgrades you’re making in your homes.

For your plumbing system, make sure you have chosen the most efficient design for your purposes. For multi-story homes, consider a stacked system, which will probably require shorter plumbing runs, less piping, and possibly less labor time from your plumbing contractor. Also consider centrally locating your water heater, as a central location makes the average of every run shorter, thereby reducing material costs.

7. Rely on green design professionals

Green homes often require a higher degree of precision in their design and construction to ensure that the finished product works the way it was designed to work, as a whole house relying on interdependent systems for its optimum efficiency and homeowner comfort. Having experts well versed in green products, practices, and protocols can save you thousands of dollars in trial-and-error and callbacks in the long run.

That being said, there are different ways to go about creating your design team. One way is to seek out experts in areas such as mechanical systems, plumbing design, and landscape architecture, with specific expertise in green building practices. Another tactic is to rally those with whom you already work to the pursuit of greener, more efficient homes. Similar to the enthusiasm and excitement Susan Hadder generated with her suppliers when First Richmond began seeking green solutions, you may generate the same kind of interest with your existing construction partners to learn all they can and contribute. Either way, it’s important to get everyone in your construction chain on the same page with what you’re trying to accomplish. Contractors and suppliers that are not informed can create inadvertent barriers to your ultimate success.

More information and technical detail about these techniques can be found on the Research Center’s technical website,www.ToolBase.org.

Created in 1964, the NAHB Research Center (www.nahbrc.com) is a full-service product commercialization company that strives to make housing more durable, affordable, and efficient. The Research Center provides public and private clients with an unrivaled depth of understanding of the housing industry and access to its business leaders.

Source : Professional Builder

Extreme remodel on the Goose Pasture Tarn in Blue River, Colorado

Did you know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claims about 40 to 50 percent of wood from demolished buildings can be reused in new construction? While in the past there were limited ways to recycle wood in the United States, it’s becoming a more common practice because there are so many ways recycled wood can be used by builders.

One of our favorite reclaimed timber projects was Trey Parker’s Steamboat Springs home. In his home, we used timbers that had been salvaged from a railroad bridge that had at one time covered a part of the Great Salt Lake, much to the delight of local wildlife who thought the salted timbers were dessert. Using reclaimed timber was a great choice to create the look that was desired for this home, as well as a way to continue in our efforts of creating an environmentally friendly home.

Reclaimed timber beams are also a great choice because aged wood is seasoned, which means it is more stable than newly cut wood. Along with using reclaimed timber beams, wood that has is historic, recycled, or reclaimed can also be used for flooring and walls in new construction. Recycled wood can also be useful as garden or yard art, or to create new furniture. Using reclaimed and recycled wood doesn’t have to stop at the framing of a home.

Here at Trilogy Partners, we strive to be as environmentally responsible as possible in our building practices. Using reclaimed timber and recycled wood is just one way we achieve that goal.

Reclaimed Timber Frame house

by Leo Wolfson| brought to you by Breckenridge Building Center

Fall is a time of transition and preparation in the High Country. As the leaves change color so turn the thoughts of Summit County residents to the winter (for better or worse) and six months of snowfall to come. This arctic onslaught is tough on almost any home and a few precautions need to be taken to ensure that yours is ready for winter’s grip.

Pipes: Preventing your pipes from freezing is an extremely important, cost-saving measure that must be taken before winter hits. Surrounding them with insulation or heat tape does the trick, as will heating the crawl space where the pipes are located. Jason Kompf of Antique Design Carpentry & Remodeling sees his fair share of poor winter prep in the High Country. “Wouldn’t be uncommon to have 20-something houses and (they are) flooded from         frozen pipes every winter,” he chuckled. Kompf recommends taking care of pipes no later than Thanksgiving.

Heating Systems & Furnaces: The last thing you’d ever want is to discover is that your furnace has given out when that first cold snap rolls around. Test your furnace now to make sure that it’s running effectively, which also helps with the frozen pipe issue. Often second-home owners will find out that their heating system has given out upon arrival, making for an inauspicious start to their vacation.

Close-up surfaces: Make sure all exposed wood is sealed up or caulked, which includes keeping paint up to date. “People neglect to paint up here. Every house should be painted on a three- to five-year cycle due to the UV rays and the sun and the weather,” explained Kompf. The extreme High Country elements do a number on the exterior of a house and the longer you wait to get it repainted the greater chance there’ll be wood damage. “I see that a lot — people calling me, they want (me to) repair siding or fix something. They haven’t painted in 15 years and it’s sunned,” said Kompf with a chuckle.

Keeping windows properly sealed is also important. This eliminates drafts and helps save on energy bills.

Gutters and other drainage fixtures: Make sure all leaves and other debris are cleaned out of your gutters. If you wait till spring it will likely be a muddy, moldy mess and could be harmful due to the weight that’s built up.

Decks: Kompf advises using a clear deck sealer on wood decks in the fall. The sealer protects from water damage and will help keep the color longer. Clean a deck frequently before applying the sealer and voilá! You’ll have a protected wood deck that even Old Man Winter can’t touch. If thinking of building a deck for your home this fall, consider a composite material, as it’s cheaper and less sensitive to nature’s elements.

The roof: As winter begins to ramp up, keep an eye out for the amount of snow that collects on your roof. Colorado powder may be light and dry but that hardly matters when 2 feet or more collects, often causing ice dams and structural damage. Kompf recommends shoveling a roof at least once a winter, but if Old Man Winter strikes with an early fury, a trip up to the top deck might be necessary in December.

“No matter how well your roof was done, water can get in there,” said Kompf. Before winter arrives look for loose or broken shingles. These small trouble spots can become large problems during the winter. On the interior, look for stains or damp spots in the crawlspace or top ceiling of your house which can lead to mold and roof damage if not taken care of.

Beware of the south: The south side of a structure may receive the most sun during the winter but this doesn’t mean it’s less exposed to the elements. The location actually creates a vicious melt/freeze cycle that chips away at paint and deteriorates the wood. Extra attention should be paid to this side regarding all previous preparations listed.

Article from Summit Daily courtesy of Breckenridge Building Center | 13445 Hwy. 9, Breckenridge (970) 453-2372 |http://www.breckenridgebuildingcenter.com

A lot of things need to be considered when planning out your home design. For example, what building materials do you want to use? If you’re looking to add both warmth and texture to your home design, then we highly recommend the use of stone.

Source: Trilogy Builds

Stone can be used in so many different ways throughout your home design, whether you simply want to use it as an accent for the front of your home or if you want to use it as the main building material for your house. The great thing about stone, besides its beautiful aesthetic, is the fact that it is a sustainable and natural material. Stone will last as well and won’t be prone to some of the issues that other materials such as wood are prone to, such as rot or termites.

Stone doesn’t necessarily have to be used for your walls either. Stone can be used indoors for your floors, your countertops or even for your fireplace surround. It doesn’t necessarily have to be used in the structure of your home either – for example, you could use gravel for your driveway.

Consider using stone and contact us at Trilogy Builds for additional advice.

Many homeowners forget about the smaller details when planning their home design. This is simply because they are too focused on the bigger features. However, the smaller details are what help to add a finished touch to the design. The following are a few examples of decorative hardware that you should use for inspiration when taking into account the details of your design:

Source: Houzz

• Sleek metal pulls – If you have modern cabinet and drawer styles in your kitchen, then metal pulls are the perfect compliment.

• Vintage glass knobs – Clear glass knobs go great with pretty much any décor. To add contrast to your cabinets or to simply brighten up the space, pick out some vintage colored glass knobs.

• Bronze or blackened steel handles – These are a great option for warm wood doors if you’re looking to compliment them instead of adding contrast such as chrome or nickel.

• Round handles – If your space is full of right-angled forms, then adding round handles to your rectangular cabinetry is a great way to break up the visual monotony.

These are just a few ideas for using decorative hardware. For additional home design advice, contact us at Trilogy Builds today.

If you’re looking for building materials that will provide your home with a unique aesthetic as well as a bit of personality, then we recommend combining the use of metal and wood together for beautiful results. The following are just a few examples of how you can mix metal with wood:

Source: Houzz

• Warm and inviting – Compliment your bronze light fixtures with several different types of wood in order to elevate the visual dimension of the space.
• Beautiful contrast – Choose a light wooden table and surround it with metal chairs or stools to add some interesting visual contrast instead of complimenting it with wood chairs.
• Industrial style – Build your kitchen island out of distressed wood and add metal to it to create a strong focal point. Add a bit of visual balance by surrounding the island with lighter metal stools.
• Wood furniture and metal décor – If you have distressed wood furniture pieces, such as dressers or bookcases, add some metal décor – like a small metal lamp – to provide some texture and depth.

Use these examples to inspire your use of wood and metal. Contact us at Trilogy Builds for additional home design advice.

Creating a green home design is a not only a great way to help reduce your environmental footprint, it’s also a fantastic way to introduce a unique aesthetic to your home. The following are a few ideas for upcycling, which involves repurposing different elements for new home design features:

Source: Houzz

• Backyard bathhouse – Build a luxurious little bathhouse outside of your home using your old claw foot tub and build a small roof above it – complete with a rolling bamboo privacy screen.
• Sliding barn door – If you have multiple uses for a pair of bookcases, use a sliding barn door to cover up one side when the other is in use. This is a great way to hide your electronics in your room’s design.
• Ladder shelf – Have an old ladder out in your shed that you never use? Attach it horizontally to your wall and use the rungs as book ends for your books! You can even paint the ladder whatever color you want to fit your interior design.

Use these ideas for inspiration in order to repurpose old objects for your green home design. For additional information on green home design, contact us at Trilogy Builds today.

Home automation is something that many people are implementing into their home designs due to the fact that it makes the home more convenient and functional. However, there’s an added benefit to home automation: reducing your environmental footprint.

Source: Freshome

So how exactly is home automation a green building feature? Well, one of the features that home automation can provide is the ability to integrate smart lighting controls that allow you to turn off all your lights at once with the touch of a button, as well as power controllers that will turn off appliances automatically. This makes using electricity much more efficient and helps to ensure that you’re not wasting energy.

Another excellent home automation feature is the occupancy sensor. We’ve all forgotten to turn off the lights when leaving the house at one point or another. By installing an occupancy sensor, you’ll ensure that your lights don’t just stay on until you return. This is because an occupancy sensor can detect if no one is at home and will automatically turn off your lights in an empty house.

Consider home automation as part of your green building design and contact us at Trilogy Builds for more green building techniques.

We are saddened to hear the news that the legendary entertainment icon Dick Clark has passed away today at the age of  82. His career, having spanned over sixty years, included “American Bandstand”, “Pyramid”, “TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes”, “American Music Awards” and of course “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”.

We just came across his California home, which was recently put on the market last month, on Inhabitat.com and thought we’d share it with you.

Clark’s $3.5 million home in Malibu was modeled after Fred and Wilma’s house on “The Flintstones.” We love how this home complements the beautiful landscape of the Pacific ocean.

Photo via Inhabitat

Photo via Inhabitat

Photo via Inhabtiat

Photo via Inhabitat

You will be missed Dick Clark. New Year’s Eve won’t be the same without you!