Trilogy Partners is always busy continuing to learn more about new developments in green home design. Our continued efforts benefit our customers with new ideas that can be incorporated into the energy saving design of their new home.

Recent lessons we have learned lessons from the three finalists of the From the Ground Up green home competition in Syracuse. These affordable green homes have taught us much about incorporating some exciting features that will drastically increase energy efficiency from the ground up during the building process.

By adhering to principles of Passive House as the From the Ground Up finalists did, we realize the importance of incorporating passive energy savings elements. These features include south facing windows and increased air tightness through higher R-values in insulation and framing design. Being these features were subjected to the harsh winters in Syracuse, this makes them extremely suited for green house design in our Colorado Mountain area.

There are always more lessons to learn when it comes to saving energy through design and Trilogy will continue to study the latest innovations for the benefit of their clients.

image via Flickr

Solar panels are an alternative energy system that reduces your energy costs and actually increases the value of your home. In fact, buyers will “pay a premium” to own a solar-paneled home.

No longer considered “ugly,” solar panels can now be attractively incorporated into your green home design. Another option for larger roofs are solar shingles that look like traditional shingles.

Trilogy Partners combine sustainability and visual ambiance in Colorado solar power installations. Internationally, six home designs have been recognized for incorporating eco-friendly solar panels into attractive and striking home design:

1. Activehouse, Austria and Denmark – Solar panels actually generate more energy than the families need.
2. Malibu 5 Modern Beach House – Roof solar panels and hot water collectors are invisible in this home built from recycled materials.
3. Enertia Home, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC – Solid-wood walls are energy efficient and the roof solar provide electricity.
4. Cornell University Solar Decathlon Home – Solar power is the only energy source for this 800 sq.ft. home.
5. SunPower – Westport, CT – A 5kw solar system using 225-watt solar panels works well on smaller roofs.
6. SRS Energy Palm Springs, CA – Solar roofing tiles blend into the home’s tiled roof.

Is your home a good candidate for solar panels?

We are always searching for unique ways to incorporate green design into our homes, and using reclaimed scaffolding wood for the home’s structure or in its interior design scheme is one way to accomplish this.

Image: Inhabit.com

An excellent example of a home that benefited from the use of reclaimed wood is ‘Casa Box‘, which is a spectacular modern renovation of a caretaker’s home located on a Brazilian island. From the coastline, the home is essentially a concrete cube, but its contemporary design utilizes reclaimed wood from the original structure for the doors, windows, and stairway. Architect Alan Chu of Silveira e Cristiano Arns Kato Architectos designed the home with the intention of using the recycled leftover wood from the original structure to create contrast and layers of depth to the unique and simple structure. The use of the recycled wood adds tremendous character to this already stunning home, reminding it of where it once came from.

To learn more about ways that Trilogy Partners has incorporated repurposed materials into our projects, please be sure to view our sustainable design portfolio.

As concern over rising energy costs and environmental destruction rises, homeowners are looking for ways to go green while enjoying cutting edge design and attractive architecture. We put a heavy emphasis on sustainable design at Trilogy, and we will be excited to explore some of these upcoming green building trends with our Colorado customers in 2013.

photo via flickr.com

Solar Panels

Design experts at Inhabitat believe that demand for home solar panel systems will only grow during 2013. Manufacturers are finding new ways to make them attractive and easy to blend in with the exterior of a home.

Healthy Building Materials

With many paints and building materials releasing dangerous volatile organic compounds, designers and manufacturers alike will continue to expand their offerings of healthy alternatives that are free from these emissions.

Storm Resistance

Massive natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy have highlighted the importance of building structures that can withstand flooding and high winds. Many homeowners are expected to look for durable, storm-proof architecture during 2013.

Pre-Industrial Inspiration

Finally, designers can expect to see a surge in demand for pre-industrial features like root cellars and kitchen gardens. Even the sleekest modern homes can be complemented by a few of these useful additions.

Most young kids have a hard time understanding the importance of being energy efficient. Yes, we teach them to put their containers in the recycle bin instead of the trash can, but turning off the lights is a harder message to convey. For some reason when it comes to reducing the consumption of electricity in the homes, kids are missing the mark.

Designer Danny Taylor hopes to help conserve energy in the home with his “Dimmer Switch.”  According to Taylor, “This simple ‘dimmer switch’ humanises an ordinarily ubiquitous object to help the child form a relationship which they will want to participate with and affect. The act of turning the light on creates a ‘sad’ face, and turning it off contrastingly makes the character ‘happy’.”

So next time your kids leave the room without turning out the lights, tell them to turn the frown upside down.

How do you teach your kids about the importance of sustainability?

Photos via Danny Taylor.

The importance of energy modeling in zero net energy home design cannot be overstated. Energy modeling is an early design phase analysis used to determine the projected energy needs of the structure to be designed.

Michael Rath, a Breckenridge, Colorado zero net energy home builder and managing partner at Trilogy Partners, says, “One of the most important aspects of creating the ZNE structure is energy modeling. This takes place early in the design phase. It’s important to estimate accurately the energy requirements of the finished structure. An energy census is completed and sophisticated computer modeling is employed. Once the energy needs of the structure are estimated, systems can then be employed to provide enough energy to the structure so that it consumes no more than it produces and can indeed be called a ZNE building.”

Energy modeling analysis utilizes a proposed building program to define and quantify the energy demand, and to establish design criteria that are technically feasible and economically realistic. It takes into account all of the environmental data, and physical and programmatic information about the proposed net zero energy building.

Trilogy Partners was the first to build a zero net energy home in Breckenridge, Colorado in 2010. Contact us for information on building a home in the Breckenridge, Colorado area that emphasizes sustainability and zero net energy by visiting the Trilogy Partners website or calling 970-453-2230. Trilogy Partners of Breckenridge, CO “Design smart. Build beautiful.”

We are one step closer to commercial space travel as the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space’s main hangar and visitor’s experience center finished construction in Spaceport America, New Mexico. On hand for the celebration was the mastermind behind Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson, New Mexico’s Governor Susana Martinez, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and 800 guests, including 150 international Virgin Galactic customers who have already reserved their spot in the first space flights. The highlight of the dedication was the flight of WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo, two spacecrafts in the Virgin Galactic fleet.

Courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Courtesy of Virgin Galactic

“Today is another history-making day for Virgin Galactic,” said Sir Richard Branson. “We are here with a group of incredible people who are helping us lead the way in creating one of the most important new industrial sectors of the 21st century. We’ve never wavered in our commitment to the monumental task of pioneering safe, affordable and clean access to space, or to demonstrate that we mean business at each step along the way.”

The Sir Norman Foster designed building meets LEED Gold standards.The British-based Foster + Partners firm used local materials and installed geothermal heating and cooling systems. To read more about their sustainable design visit inhabitat.com.

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.

Congratulations to our client and dear friend, Trey Parker, on his triumphant Broadway debut as writer, director, and producer of Broadway’s newest musical hit, The Book Of Mormon. Recently nominated for 14 Tony Awards, more than any play this season, Parker joined with long time South Park co-creator Matt Stone and Avenue Q writer Robert Lopez to tell the story of two Morman missionaries who are assigned to spread the Mormon gospel in Uganda. Book of Mormon tickets have become almost impossible to come by as the public can’t seem to get enough of the guys behind the irreverent South Park Cartoon Series. We’re proud to have worked with Trey to co-create and build two of his favorite places on earth, one in Steamboat Springs (and featured in Architectural Digest), and the other on Kauai. We always knew that South Park was just the tip of the iceberg, because not only is Trey an incredible writer and satirist, he’s also a brilliant designer with a truly classic and timeless sense of taste. We look forward to joining forces with Trey again soon.