As time progresses, sustainability in design will continue to be a pressing issue. Sustainability means more than just using building and design materials that are made to last. Certain standards must be followed to ensure we complete projects in a manner that is environmentally friendly, such as the Timber Trails residence. To make that possible, we follow the LEED certification standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third party-verified, voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. For a home to be considered LEED-certified it must be registered with the USGBC.

Registered projects are measured for overall performance in eight different categories, which include Innovation & Design Process, Location & Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environment Quality, and Awareness & Education. Homes are rated on a minimum level of performance and are rewarded for improved performance in the categories listed above. Homes accrue points and achieve one of four LEED for Homes Certification Levels based on the amount of points earned (we’ll look at the points system in greater detail later on).

Here at Trilogy Partners, we strive to build homes that are as environmentally friendly as possible. LEED for Homes is just one of the tools we use to aid us in that process. We’ll explore more factors of the LEED certification process in the near future, so be sure to check back with us often!

Image courtesy of The Daily Green

The attendees of the International Code Council’s (ICC) final action hearings held in Charlotte, North Carolina last month unanimously approved a package of revisions to the commercial section of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).  The changes states that “new and renovated buildings constructed in jurisdictions that follow the 2012 IECC will use 30 percent less energy than those built to current standards.”

The proposal was submitted jointly by New Building Institute (NBI), The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is largely based on NBI’s Core Performance protocol.

To learn more about the changes please visit Energycodes.gov.

Building homes that use sustainable building techniques has become sort of our mantra. We often use reclaimed materials like a timber bridge from Utah, recycled ski lift cables or carpeting.  We love being able to outfit new construction with a bit of the past, especially something that is indigenous to the region we are building in.

We also strive to make every home energy-efficient by using high-efficiency boiler systems, energy-efficient insulation and in-floor radiant heating. According to David Arkin, “In order for a building to be sustainable, it must be loved; it must touch the soul.”  We feel that every building that we have built has done just that!

The May 2010 issue of Architectural Digest features an article about a Trilogy Home designed and built for South Park Creator Trey Parker in Steamboat. This amazing home sits on a hilltop adjacent to the Steamboat Ski Area. The design is a unique fusion of western American and Japan to include a Japanese Tea House and gardens. After this project we moved on to Hawaii to rebuild Trey’s residence on Kauai.

The article features interviews with Trey and Michael Rath. Make sure to get your May copy of AD available at newsstands at the time of this posting.

We worked with Joe Sundquist of Sundquist Design Group in Conifer to reduce the need for additional energy in the Breckenridge’s first custom Net Zero home.

“To address the owners and builder’s desire to make this building energy efficient, we wanted to minimize unnecessary framing, while allow for increased insulation wherever possible,” Sundquist says.

We used manufactured lumber products purchased through the Breckenridge Building Center.

• Heavy timer members create the structural framing system.

• Exposed wood beams function as structural support elements.

• Boise Cascade engineered wood products typically uses only half of the wood fiber compared to ordinary lumber. The increased stud spacing and greater insulation coverage, which allowed the home to have about 30 percent more insulation.

Next week we’ll be focusing on the insulation and other areas of the home.

The journey of building Breckenridge’s First Net Zero home by design-build firm Trilogy Partners didn’t ignore details from the inside and outside. The design needed to fit the upscale look of the homeowners in the Timber Trail neighborhood.

One of the first challenges was how to work with a beautiful and intricate architecture and meet the goal of a zero energy home.

One of our partners on the project was Andy Walker and Renee Azerbegi of Denver’s Ambient Energy, which provided an analysis of how much energy is needed to power the home’s lighting, heating, cooling and other daily living needs.

“Our greatest challenge was making a significantly-sized home energy efficient and renewably powered,” Renee says.

They determined how to reduce the life cycle energy use of the home and save more than $58,000 in energy costs over the life of the home.

They calculated how to provide 100 percent of the house’s energy use fro on-site renewable energy systems, with a combination of a large solar electric PV array and a geo exchange system for space heating.

Check back later this week for details about how the framing made the home as energy efficient as possible.