When that sun comes out you will be wanting to make the most of it and this is easily done with some creative use of the architecture. Any green building has the ability to provide a cooling effect so you can enjoy the outdoors in a far more relaxed manner. What are the most ideal starting points then?

Source: Trilogy Partner’s Portfolio

• Shade can help when glass doors just aren’t enough. With a shading device you can minimize any greenhouse effects whilst allowing enough heat through to relax in.

• White is the best color for any roofing surfaces, due to its ability for repelling heat. This in turn keeps your home cooler and more comfortable.

• Foliage and water features can really help to keep the atmosphere fresher and cooler. They can also act as shading when needs be as well.

• Architecture incorporating a chimney effect will allow any warm air to rise whilst retaining a cooler atmosphere below. This should then leave you with a more comfortable environment.

There are many more methods for creating a green building that fully utilities its cool architecture. For more information, or for any other inquiries, then contact our experts at Trilogy Partners  today.

Here at Trilogy Partners we are often asked about what other homeowners have added to their home. While your residence is specific to you, there are certain features that make it a more pleasant place to be. If you are making plans for a home remodeling, consider adding heated floors.

Whether you live in cooler climes, or dislike the cold feel of your floor beneath your feet, a heated floor is an excellent option to remedy this problem. The bathroom is often the most frequent location that this warming solution is used.

Stepping out of a warm shower, or tub, and on to a cold floor is a shock that no one ever enjoys. Some might say it even ruins the whole experience of the warm water. We can rid you of this issue by placing heating elements under the flooring keeping it warm for your bare feet.

The heated flooring feature has many aspects which include a timed cycle to guarantee your floor is warm when you need it to be.

Speak to our design professionals about other wonderful elements we can implement in your home to make it your own personalized retreat.

A growing trend in luxury home design is green building. The growing concern about saving the planet, preserving resources, and doing more with less is catching on like wildfire. However when it comes to green roofs, there are a lot of misconceptions that may be keeping you from diving into this trend. Let’s talk a bit about some of those myths here.

Source: freedigitalphotos.net

Myth #1: Green roofs cause leaks.

Not true! A leaky roof is caused by improper installation or wearing away of the waterproofing membrane — whether you have a green roof or a traditional roof.

Myth #2: You can DIY a green roof by putting dirt on the roof.

Not true! You need more than just potting soil to make a good green roof. In addition, your home needs to be analyzed by a green roofing specialist to determine if your home can handle the weight of rain soaked dirt and plants.

Myth #3: Green roofs are complicated and expensive.

Not true! People are confused about what is new to them. That is why hiring the right green roofing specialist is essential to getting the facts about how green roofs can improve your home life.

For more information about getting your very own green roof, then contact us today at Trilogy Partners

The addition of natural materials is an excellent way to tie the interior décor of a home with its outdoor spaces and its setting. The neutral colors and textures of these materials make for a subtle but beautiful transition. Here are a few ideas to help you accomplish this goal:

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

• Reclaimed Wood Floors: The repurposing of old wood into flooring is beneficial in two ways. It adds a dramatic aesthetic element to your home and also helps preserve the natural environment.

• Natural Stone: There is a natural stone to fit any décor from traditional to contemporary. In addition, they are suitable for any room from counters in the kitchen through the fireplace in the family room to the walls and floor of the bathroom.

• Sisal Window-Treatments: Usually seen in rugs, this natural material has gained a lot of popularity with interior designers in the last few years. It is soft, durable and available in a wide variety of colors and styles.

For more information on this and other green building topics, please contact us at Trilogy Partners.

Source: Trilogy Partners

Homeowners are considering the impact they have on the Earth. Whether building a home or thinking about a renovation, you can make a conscious effort to use green building materials that do everything from conserving nonrenewable resources to being more energy-efficient. Trilogy is a believer in sustainability, and recommends these green building materials.

• Bamboo. The fastest growing grass in the world is biodegradable and offers a sturdy, solid option that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Research also shows that bamboo releases a high concentration of oxygen into the atmosphere.
• Composite Decking. Resistant to stain and mold, this option is green-friendly. First, it’s made with reclaimed and recycled materials, which helps to save the trees. Second, it’s long-lasting.
• Eco Paint. Homeowners who are concerned about volatile organic compounds can opt for eco paint, which is known for having low concentration of that harmful stuff. Plus, the air quality in your house will improve.
• Reclaimed Lumber. Save the forests by using sustainable timber made with salvaged wood.
• Recycled Glass. Glass scraps from beer bottles, glasses and other objects receive new life as counters, backsplashes and other additions.

Stay tuned on the latest green building trends from Trilogy.

A home may be aesthetically appealing, but is it also efficient? Such is the question addressed by green building, a resource-efficient process applied to a structure’s cycle. Nowadays, builders are expected to create beautiful homes with minimal waste.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Facebook Page

Energy efficiency is the usual focus when the topic of green building comes up, but that’s only one aspect. Many other designs focus on others. Let’s take prefabrication (or prefab construction, prefab for short) as an example. In prefabrication, the foundation is built in the construction site, but the floors, walls, roof, etc. are built and assembled in a factory, to be transported to the site. On a smaller scale, this is also the idea behind the DIY furniture of IKEA.

Because they’re mass-produced in a factory, prefabs are cost-efficient, but are still high in quality. They’re also flexible because they can be used for several homes and still yield a unique look for each, depending on the architects working on the construction. Think of prefabs as Lego blocks — kids with the same set of blocks can create different designs.

We at Trilogy Builds support new ideas that improve efficiency. As our tagline aptly puts it, we design smart and build beautiful.

The use of box beam ceilings in a home is a beautiful detail often found in more traditionally styled homes, but it is also finding its way into other interior design styles. This detail can add elegance, and yet be functional when installed as a hollow version as a way to install lighting and keep wires or pipes hidden from view without tearing down the existing ceiling.

Source: Trilogy Partner’s Official Website

You will most often see box beam ceilings in kitchens and dining rooms, but this stunning feature can be added to almost any room to enhance its atmosphere. For example, in a living room, box beams can be used to frame skylights.

Depending upon your design and color scheme, there are various ways to enhance your kitchen or dining room decor with box beams. You could chose to go with natural wood, pure white, or a color that matches a trim already used within the room. Alternatively, the color of the box beams can be an interesting contrast to what already exists in that space.

For more information on using box beam ceilings, or to talk to a local professional in Breckenridge, contact us today at Trilogy Partners.

Green home design is the future. Using recycled and sustainable materials, solar panels, energy conserving products and appliances are all components of green living.

An eco-friendly home begins with its position on the lot. In Colorado, the home should sit on an east-west axis whenever possible. Large windows should face south to bring in more light while northern windows can be smaller to keep out the cold.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

Rooms should be designed to receive as much natural light as possible. A great mountain view will probably determine the room and window placement for a new home in the Rockies. Roofs can have skylights and allow for snow and water run-off that is collected and used for gray water. A roof can also be designed to support a garden with grass and shrubs for natural insulation.

Solar panels are added on the roof side that receives the most sunlight. A new green designed home can use a combination of municipal power and solar energy with the emphasis on energy independence.

Trilogy Partners is rapidly gaining a reputation in Colorado as a leading builder of sustainable, eco-friendly homes, so contact us today about your home construction dreams.

The building industry stands to learn from new green building technologies being developed by a team of Stanford University students who are working on Start.Home. This project is Stanford’s entry in this year’s Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Start.Home integrates technology that allows the home to be customized and be added on to as the needs of its residents change. The 12’x15’x10’ pre-fabricated and pre-engineered core meets the standard of net-zero energy efficiency with features such as open spaces, natural lighting, and passive ventilation. Included in this unit is a 7 kilowatt photovoltaic system that is capable of producing up to 30 kilowatt-hours daily of solar energy.

The Start.home base unit includes a kitchen, bathroom, living areas, and room for mechanical components. The primary structural system of this innovative green design consists of structural insulated panels that are pre-cut before being delivered to the job site. This allows for convenient delivery on a standard-sized truck trailer and for easy construction.

Stanford’s team is just one of 20 teams entered in the Solar Decathlon, which promotes innovation in solar technology based on ten criteria including design, market appeal, affordability, energy balance among other factors.

If you are interested in getting more information about green home design or incorporating elements of Start.Home’s design into your Colorado building project, contact the sustainable building professionals at Trilogy Partners today.

Green homes are becoming more and more popular because of the benefits brought to the homeowners. In both cost and appearance, green homes are in no sense inferior to their counterparts. In fact, green homes cost less to live in, making them the smart choice in the post-recession economy.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

Here are some sustainable design ideas for your home:

• The R-House is designed from the ground up for optimal insulation so as to reduce heating and cooling bills. It features a super-insulated exterior, matched to minimized windows and a mechanical unit that circulates air throughout the home.

• Designed based on the same principles as the R-House, the TED House uses components and materials such as cellulose, EPS insulation, R-10 windows, and an air barrier to insulate it against its surroundings. However, it also uses design tricks such as an extended space above the kitchen to improve comfort, while allowing a degree of customization for interested consumers.

• Resembling nothing so much as a commercial building in an urban landscape, Live/Work/Home is nonetheless based on longhouses. Its central space stretches from front to back, while sliding panels and solar tubes let in as much light as needed.

For more sustainable home designs, please contact us at Trilogy Partners.