OSB SIPs

Structural Insulating Panels (SIPs) are a composite building material consisting of a panel of insulating material, usually foam, sandwiched between two wooden layers. The wood can be oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood. Sometimes more exotic materials, such as sheet metal or concrete board, are substituted for the wooden layers. SIPs replace several components found in conventionally framed buildings including studs, joists and insulation. SIPs are most commonly used to construct exterior walls and roofs but may have other applications, such as insulated ceilings beneath conventionally framed roof truss systems.

Structural Insulating Panels have a history dating back to the 1940s when structural wall panels were first invented. Over the years the technologies and materials incorporated in SIPs have improved. In addition, computerized CNC cutting machines allow SIP panels to be factory manufactured and then cut to the exact size needed for construction, providing a certain level of prefabrication not seen in conventional construction.

Panels for Walls and Roofs

Homes using SIP panel construction tend to have a very tight envelope. Air infiltration, or draftiness, is eliminated and the walls themselves have a very high insulating quality. SIPs may cost more than conventional framing, but because they bring extreme energy efficiency to buildings, they lower operating costs. SIP panels are often combined with post and beam construction where the panels drape the frame creating an extremely durable and energy efficient structure. Trilogy Partners utilizes SIP panels in all of its Timber Frame and Post and Beam homes.

Steamboat Residence by Trilogy Partners

We’ve all seen Timber Frame before. If you’ve ever gone into an old barn or public space or residence and seen vertical timber posts supporting a lattice of beams and trusses overhead, you’ve been in a Timber Frame building.Timber Frame is a type of post and beam construction. Post and Beam is a general term for a structure that is structurally supported by posts and beams. Those posts and beams could be made of any wood material including man made wooden laminates that consist of smaller dimensional lumber glued together to form heavier beams and posts. But with a Timber Frame, the frame consists of actual timbers from trees, milled to fit precisely together. Timber Frame often utilizes an ancient style of joinery referred to as mortise and tenon to join the different timber elements. These joints are often fastened together with wooden pegs rather than nails or screws found in conventional stud wall construction.

Timber Frame Barn Under Construction

We know Timber Frame to be a superior building process and product because Timber Frame structures are some of the oldest man-made structures in existence. In Asia and Europe Timber Frame structures have survived for more than one thousand years. The Chinese perfected the art of Timber Framing as far back as 9500 BC. Many famous European Castles utilize Timber Frame. In addition to superior longevity, Timber Frame can be combined with some of the latest technologies, such as Structural Insulating Panels, to provide extremely energy efficient structures. A timber frame can be constructed from reclaimed or recycled materials, such as old railroad bridges, barns, and other structures where large timbers were used for structural purposes. The Steamboat House, which is a Timber Fame, utilizes timbers reclaimed from a railroad trestle and Structural Insulating Panels for superior energy efficiency. In addition, the entire home was sided in reclaimed barn siding. This home, located high in the rocky mountains, consumes about half the natural gas for heating purposes as it would were it conventionally framed and insulated.

So, if you combine the superior construction benefits along with the sustainable benefits, it easy to see why Timber Frame building has undergone a resurgence in the past several decades. The future for Timber Frame is just as bright as its long and storied past.

Global Warming should not matter. That’s right. I said it. Here I am, a partner at Trilogy Partners, a leader in sustainable building practices, and I just said Global Warming shouldn’t matter. Oh, it’s not that I don’t think Global Warming exists. Anyone as smart as a Polar Bear living on a melting ice flow knows that the planet is heating up. And yes, this time around I think we humans are the cause of that increased “hotness.” Because just as we fill our landfills with incalculable amounts of waste, we fill our skies with nearly inestimable amounts of waste in the form of greenhouse gases. We are the litterbugs of this planet. Make no mistake about it. I have read the research. Listened to the scientists. And I agree with them. Global Warming exists as a waste product of the human race. Even knowing all that I say, so what. Global Warming doesn’t really matter as an issue. For those who don’t believe in Global Warming I say, okay. Let’s take it off the table. Because we can’t agree, let’s stop fighting over it and move on. So, what’s next? What’s left on the table? Well, what I see is a whole bunch of other reasons why we should turn to sustainable practices and stop polluting this planet.

Polluting Is Bad Why Can’t We Stop?

That’s right. Even if there is no Global Warming there are plenty of other reasons why we should stop treating this planet, air, earth, and sea, as one infinitely large trashcan. We can agree on that, can’t we? I think so. I have yet to meet anyone who thought that million of barrels of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico was a good thing. Can we all agree that  when you’re speeding down the Texas road drinking a beer, it’s simply not right to throw that beer can out the window. Most people would agree that littering is bad. Polluting is bad. And yet, talking about dumping things from the car, how much waste do we dump from our tailpipes on our daily drive to and from the kids soccer games? The only difference between the beer can out the window and the carbon monoxide out the tailpipe is that we can’t actually SEE the CO.  How is it that just because CO isn’t visible to the human eye it’s okay just to let it flow from our cars into the atmosphere? It seems like we as a species are trying to convince ourselves that all this human waste isn’t such a bad thing so long as it’s kept out of sight. Don’t we burn or bury all the evidence? Or set it adrift because after all, if the ocean is big enough to take care of all the oil we spill into it, surely it can handle a few billion plastic bottles and trash bags and untold gallons of industrial waste.

Thinking About The Future

The reality check is that we should stop polluting even if Global Warming doesn’t exist. Come on. Even if the planet is relatively healthy today, as the Global Warming naysayers er…. say, does anyone honestly think that the planet is going to be healthy in 200 years if we keep doing what we’re doing.  Every second of every day there are more people on this planet than ever in the history of… history. The human waste problem is only going to get worse if we stay this course. So yes, if Global Warming doesn’t matter to you I say, okay, let’s say you’re right. But there are billions of reasons why we still need to change our current behaviors. The way we treat this planet, our air, water, and earth. We need to change our polluting ways. I’m not talking about saving Polar Bears. And I’m not even considering the ethical and moral arguments to why we shouldn’t harm our planet. I’m thinking only this:  if we don’t keep our planet healthy, how is it going to keep our species healthy? If we can’t agree that a healthy planet is necessary for a healthy species, I think it’s fairly certain that we as a species are going to end up much like the waste we create. And that is; we are going to end up burried. Out of sight, and out of mind.

Oh, and one more thing. If God had wanted all that greenhouse gas in the air, don’t you think he would have put it there in the first place?

1. Proves that you’re a leader and a roll model
2. Demonstrates that beauty is more than skin deep
3. Gives you something to talk and/or brag about at cocktail parties
4. Shows your good taste, common sense, and innate intelligence
5. Helps promote a new, sustainable economy
6. Protects the kritters large and small
7. Proves you’re cool for keeping the planet cool
8. Shows the Kiddies that you care
9. Just plain good Karma
10. Makes you feel good all over

I can remember right after my brother and I decided to build our first house, I called my mother on the phone. “Mom,” I said. “We’re going to build a house. And I don’t know anything about interior design. Can you help me?”  She laughed.”Nope, I’m not an interior designer.” Wise words from Mom. A lot of people think that anyone can do interior design. Often homeowners will tell us, “No, we don’t need an interior designer. I can do that.” When I hear that, all I can do is sigh as I think to myself, “when you get sick and need an operation, do you perform one on yourself?”

Good Interior Design

Good interior design is an equal mix of talent and experience/education. A few of our homeowners have one of these necessary elements. But none so far have had both. And there’s also the element of time. Most owners have work, family, and plenty of other things on their plates already. And so they simply don’t have the time to do a first rate job shopping and selecting materials. Which means that the builder, who is also not an interior designer, ends up acting as the owner’s design assistant.

It Just Doesn’t Make $ense

From a financial standpoint, an owner acting as an owner/designer usually doesn’t make sense either. Designers make most of their income by buying items at wholesale through their dealer network. They then charge the client retail for the design elements. This standard markup means that the owner receives, in exchange for paying the retail price, design services, shopping services, advice, and most importantly, a practiced, skilled eye. In some cases the designer may choose to charge a flat fee and then pass on savings to the owner. But in most cases, adding a professional interior designer to the design team doesn’t cost more money than the “do it yourself” approach.

Hire a Designer

After my Mom refused to help me on my first house, I hired an interior designer. Sure, it cost a little more money than I would have spent had I acted as owner/designer. But my designer saved me a lot of time and ultimately, it was some of the best money I ever spent. The home sold the day we finished it. It turned out beautifully and looks as current today as it did 11 years ago when it was finished. I went on to do several more homes with this interior designer until I gained experience and discovered I had a talent for interior design. At this point Trilogy brought interior design in house. Since then, we’ve been awarded and published and are widely recognized as a top interior design firm. And I advise all my clients to do exactly what I did on my first home. Hire an interior designer. And reap the rewards.

People will see one of my projects for the first time and well, I get this question a lot. “Where did you get your ideas?” they’ll ask. The simple answer is that first, I got inspired. And then, from somewhere, ideas started to fly in. But first comes inspiration. And it always happens. With every project. Because it has to if I’m to do my job and design the best house I know how.

Inspiration. I cannot over exaggerate the importance of inspiration as part of the creative process. Because inspiration brings passion. Integrity and honesty. Originality. And utility to every project. And long after I’m gone, inspiration stays behind to greet the homeowner, their family, and their guests ever time they enter the house. Or wake up in the morning. Inspiration is forever.

As to how the inspiration comes, the process usually goes something like this: I start thinking about the client. I ponder their… well their humanity, as strange as that may sound.  What is this house going to mean to them. Usually the house is a dream… something they’ve been wanting their entire lives. It’s an ambition that has survived through time, through years. Often this house represents sacrifice and certainly a measure of success. I’ll even ask the client, “what does this house mean to you?” Usually, it means a whole lot. Enough, on occasion, to make eyes well with tears. There is a story behind every house because there is a story behind the people who want to build it and each story is uniquely, beautifully human. It is from that seed of humanity that I feel the need, and a commitment, to help my client achieve their goals.  I feel inspired as my clients’ dreams become mine. And from that inspiration comes a passion that infuses the process with energy and originality.

Top Ten Reasons Why Design and Build Simply Works Better

The Steamboat Project was Design Build

1. Comprehensive budget – prepared by experienced number crunchers who are intimate with every phase of the project from planning through design to construction and interior design.
2. Beginning to end supervision – One entity supervises the project from inception to completion creating continuity and project expertise.
3. Seamless multi-disciplined integration – All the necessary disciplines (architecture, planning, engineering, construction, interior design) are housed under the same roof and answer to the same authority creating simplified workflow.
4. Single entity accountability –  If something ain’t right, one entity is responsible for correcting the supervision and has the authority to do it.
5. Breadth of knowledge – The team is experienced in all phases of a homebuilding project, not just a particular discipline. The result is a synergistic knowledge base.
6. Parallel track design and construction – During design, construction budget, timeframe, and  logistical issues are examined while during construction, design changes can be readily implemented.
7. Design guidance and input – Builder sits at the design table. Who better to provide relevant design guidance than someone experienced in homebuilding.
8. Budgetary input during design – A builder intimate with the design process can provide cost management advice during the design phase.
9. Proven team member/players – The team members know each other well having worked on many projects together
10. Accessibility – The client always has access to the entire team through any single team member.

Note: Design and Build projects by Trilogy Partners include Caleb’s Journey, Rounds Road, Calecho, Steamboat, Kauai, and others featured in the project gallery.

Design Rendering of Trilogy Design Build Project "Calecho"

Trilogy is a Design Build residential construction company. But just what is Design Build?

What It Isn’t

Let me answer that question by first giving and example of what Design Build is not. Suppose you want to build your dream home (or any home, for that matter.) What’s the first thing you do? Right, buy a lot. So you contact a real estate agent who helps you find a lot. Now you own a lot. It may be , in industry parlance, a highly build-able lot. Or it may require expensive infrastructure that you weren’t counting on. You’ll find that out later on. Okay, still you own the lot. Now you need someone to design a house for the lot. Taking a deep breath you initiate an interview process and then hire an architect. An engineer. And you may or may not need other specialists or someone to help with planning, building permits and all the other details necessary before you can even begin to build. Then you need to hire a builder. You audition a bunch of builders. You may ask for a bid from each one. The bid is based on a budget based on the drawings the architect and engineer have produced. Some of the bids are low, some high. Some of the builders say the plans are adequate for construction. Others say the plans are inadequate and they  need more information, something the architect disputes. So you lay awake at night. Which builder do you hire? One builder says your lot will be difficult to build on. Another says it’s a piece of cake. Do you hire the lowest bid? What if a builder with a fantastic reputation comes in at a higher price. Is he worth the extra money? And then a couple of the builders say they don’t like fixed price budgets and that their clients prefer Cost Plus contracts and budgets. What are they talking about? The one thing you know for sure. Every builder, the architect, the engineer, the interior designer, everyone associated with the project seems to have a different opinion about every question you ask.

This is not Design Build. Design Build proposes a completely different organizational structure.

What It Is

With Design Build the client engages one entity to oversee the entirety of the home building project to include but not limited to lot choice, planning, architectural design and interior design. The Design Builder puts together an experienced team and facilitates the interaction between the design and build project participants. Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Construction, Interior Design, Interior Decorating integrate seamlessly around the table provided by the Design Builder. Most Design Builders will even suggest that they take a roll in helping the client and the real estate professional secure the best lot. The Design Builder is the party responsible for the successful outcome of the project.  The Design Builder is the bottom line when it comes to cost or labor or timeline. The Design Builder helps the home owner establish a responsible budget amount, and then governs the process so that the owner reaches budgetary goals. And architectural goals. And goals that include time frame and completion dates. A good Design Builder even advises the client with issues concerning project impact and sustainability. The Design Builder is the owner’s partner in the design and construction of the home. The Design builder supplies all the manpower, materials, and know how needed to build the home. Design Build not only offers the client a degree of integration, fiduciary responsibility, and efficiency that is atypical of the conventional “design then engineer then build” construction process. But Design build offers the homeowner client an unmatched level of security, commitment and accountability as well.

Trilogy Partner’s Design and Build approach results in successful projects. Its strong and enduring client relationships proves the worth of Design Build as a management process. Visit the Project Gallery to see examples of Trilogy Design Build projects.

Here’s a question for you: what’s the most important element of a successful homebuilding project? Is it the lot? Architect? Builder, materials? Contractors?  Nope, none of these things are the MOST important element of the project. If you’re about to hire a builder or architect, ask them this question and then hope for this answer: Nothing is more important than a good budget. A good budget is the roadmap to success… a bad budget a sure course to failure.  A budget is more important to the project than the skill of the architect or builder, or the beauty of the design, or the building site. Let me say that again. Nothing is more important to the successful outcome of a project than a properly prepared, accurate budget.

The Good Budget

What is a home building budget? It’s the A to Z dollar amount of everything, and I mean every thing, that will go into the production of the home. It starts with Architecture and Design.  The final line item might be the cost of the construction clean. Or, depending on the project, it may also include stereo equipment for the media room, or the costs of furnishing the house. But the budget always considers the costs of design and construction.

Budgeting the costs of the home MUST begin during the design process. Unfortunately, because it is not their job nor their experience to build homes, the project architect is not a reliable source of costs and should not prepare the construction budget. It takes years of experience dealing with project costs and conditions to have the background necessary to prepare a project budget. So if not the architect, who should begin the budget during the design phase? One of the biggest mistakes home owners make is to wait to hire a builder until after the home is designed. Why? Because a builder should be aboard during the design phase so as to advise the architect and the client as to the projected costs of the project.  One advantage of the Design and Build approach to project management is that because the Design Builder hires all members of the design and build team, including the architect, the Design Builder is intimate with all costs.  At Trilogy Partners we operate as a Design and Build constructor. On every project we supervise every line item in every project budget. After having done this for more than a decade, we are better qualified than most to assemble and monitor a project budget. In fact, one of the most heard compliments from our clients is how accurate and detailed our budgets are. Before contracting, we furnish sample budgets to every potential client so they know just how serious we are about project numbers.

Bad Budget, Bad!

So, what are the consequences of a bad budget. Well, cost overruns will very likely strain the relationship between Owner, Architect and Builder. But worse still, cost overruns could financially imperil the owner, and thus the project.  Can you imagine thinking it would cost X to build your house, only to find out as the project went along that it was going to cost X plus 50%? It happens more frequently than the industry would like to admit. The biggest complaint heard in the construction industry doesn’t concern construction quality but rather, poor cost estimating and financial management. So let me ask again, “What’s the most important element of a successful project?” It’s the budget. And a good budget is the best friend, the closest buddy, you will have on any project. So make sure that who ever you hire to supervise your project prepares a project friendly budget. Or else.

Boiler Room with Geothermal Heat Exchange System

From earlier writings we described the environmental commitment of Breckenridge homeowner Kyle M. to build an 8,000 sq. ft. luxury zero energy home. We continue today with the inside story of this net zero home. This writing focuses on the renewable energy systems chosen including solar electric and geo-exchange, along with an integrated lighting and electronics program that dually functions as an energy management system. Once Ambient Energy produced the energy modeling for the 8,000 sq. ft. home, the engineering and building team went to work to choose materials that would conserve as much energy as possible. Step one: Design and build a tight well-insulated energy-efficient home. Step two: Incorporate renewable energy and smart-home control systems geared to energy conservation.

The environmental heating and cooling solutions for the Breckenridge Timber Trail home demonstrate a high degree of integration among experienced professionals not unlike the workings of a well trained sports team. This team’s goal: design and install an efficient geo exchange heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system to provide 100 percent of the home’s space heating needs with a natural gas boiler backing up system. First up to bat was Barry Engleman of George T. Sanders Companyof Silverthorne. George T. Sanders did the heat calculations for the home to determine how much radiant floor tubing was needed to keep the house warming properly even down to 20 degrees below zero. Engleman designed the layout and Tekmar control systems that control the radiant floor hydronic system. Next to bat was Eric Atcheson of E.W.A. Mechanical Inc. based in Silverthorne. E.W.A worked closely with Engleman, and was responsible for the home’s plumbing, heating, and automated Tekmar control systems. Following Engleman’s layout and his own expertise, Atcheson installed the plumbing system for domestic hot water production, radiant floor heat tubes to supply heating for the home, and the optional snowmelt system for the driveway. The house received two high efficiency boilers that integrate with the ground source heat pumps and ensure the home’s comfort on the coldest of Breckenridge nights. Our third and fourth batters were Jim Dexter from Summit Professionals of Silverthorne and Bob Major of Major Heating and Cooling in Wheat Ridge. The two companies managed the installation and integration of the ground source geo exchange heating and cooling system, heat pumps, air handling and humidification. Summit Professionals designed systems and duct work to provide a fresh supply of air to the home and comfortable environment. Dexter installed an integrated air handling, humidification and Energy Recovery Ventilator which gives the homeowner complete control over the indoor environment. The Breckenridge home receives 100 percent of its space heating and summer cooling from a geothermal heat pump system. Geo exchange uses the constant 50 to 55 degree temperature of the earth to warm the home when it is cold outside and to cool the home on hot days. Before excavation of the home, the geo exchange wells were drilled. Major Heating and Geothermal in conjunction with Can-America Drilling Inc., installs a closed loop system consisting of 19 boreholes, each 300 ft deep, around the foundation and under the driveway.

Solar PV System

Photovoltaic Panels

SolSource, Inc., a solar engineering and installation firm based in Denver, was engaged to design and install the solar photovoltaic system, through their partnership with Breckenridge-based Colorado Building Company.

The Making of Breckenridge’s First Custom Net Zero Home

Dave Lyskawa, Sol-Source VP of Residential Sales, met the homeowner’s goal of designing a solar electric system that provides 100 percent of the home’s electrical needs. For phase one, SolSource installed a 9.89 kW solar PV array. The solar energy installation consists of 43 SolarWorld 230-watt panels with black frames. SolarWorld modules are 100 percent manufactured in the U.S. The solar panels are connected to Enphase micro inverters and an Enphase energy management unit which provides 24/7 system monitoring. Enphase increased the energy production of the solar array by maximizing the energy generated by each individual solar panel. SolSource also selected Enphase to allow for system expandability and is pre-wiring the home for an additional 7 kW system in phase two. The energy produced by the 9.89 kW array prevents an estimated 29,907 pounds of C02 from entering the atmosphere every year.

Lighting and Energy Management Systems

A final component to creating Breckenridge’s first custom net zero home was integrated lighting, energy management, and whole house automation system. Players were Chad Ballard of Paradigm Systems, Inc. based in Denver using the Vantage Control system and Daniel Stern with Electronics by Design in Broomfield. All lighting fixtures installed were evaluated for functionality and energy efficiency. “We focus on correct color, intensity, dimming and usage of the lights required in a luxury residence, while ensuring that the house is performing at the minimum energy consumption,” said Ballard. The Vantage system was chosen for its ability to provide automated and remote control of the home’s lights, HVAC, shades, fans, audio/ video and home theater distribution systems, security through sensors, timers, keypads and energy consumption meters. Lights in high use rooms were programmed with occupancy sensors that turn on when some one enters the room at a set intensity and turn off when motion is no longer detected after a set time interval. This simple house-wide lighting/motion sensor system enables the homeowner to masterfully manage the home’s electricity usage and significantly conserve energy. This Breckenridge residence is likely the “smartest home” in town. If homeowner Kyle wants to, he can press a button on his cell phone as he is driving up to his mountain chateau and engage a “Welcome” mode. With one button the lights turn on, the blinds go up, the garage door opens, and music begins to play.