Ever wanted to ask a trailblazer of the past questions regarding their work? What if that trailblazer is an innovator of Frank Lloyd Wright’s caliber? Jody Brown of Houzz composes several questions that he’d like to ask the renowned architect in “A Few Things I Would Like to Ask Frank Lloyd Wright.” From questions about his clothing choices to his affinity to low ceilings, Brown questions leaves us asking “What would you ask your design hero?”.

Photo via Houzz

Read Brown’s article at Houzz.com.

A documentary on the life and work of Eero Saarinen is coming to a small screen near you, thanks in part to Michigan entrepreneur A. Alfred Taubman. Saarinen, considered one of the masters of 20th Century American architecture, is responsible for some of our most iconic structures like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK International Airport, the CBS Building (Black Rock) in Manhattan, and the Washington Dulles International Airport.

According to The Editor at Large, “The hour-long film, ‘An Architect’s Memoir: Eero Saarinen’, produced and directed by Emmy award winning Peter Rosen, will be presented by Detroit Public Television on PBS in 2014.”

“The ‘Mad Men’ style and feel of the ‘50s was Saarinen’s expression of a uniquely American ideal of the new and brash, a country about to dominate the global culture,” said director-producer Peter Rosen. “It’s exciting to be making this film now on a wave of interest in what our country was like in the innocent 1950s. This will be the backdrop for our story.”

To learn more about this project visit marketwatch.com.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced “that more than 20,000 homes across the U.S. have earned certification through the LEED for Homes program.” The LEED for Homes program “provides guidance and verification that homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants.” This is quite an accomplishment for sustainable design. According to USGBC, “since the launch of LEED for Homes in 2008, more
than 20,000 residential units have certified with nearly 79,000 additional units in the pipeline. Over half of all LEED-certified homes are in the affordable housing category.”

Nate Kredich, Vice President of Residential Market Development, USGBC says, “LEED for Homes is moving the residential market further and faster towards high-performing, healthy homes that save residents money.”

To learn more about LEED-certified homes visit usgbc.org.

Trilogy believes that “a sustainable home not only nourishes the planet, it nourishes the soul.”

If you are interested in sustainable building give Trilogy Partners a call at 970-453-2230 or visit us online at trilogybuilds.com.

The Dirt has a great interview with one of the co-founders of New York City’s High Line. Living in Colorado we are surrounding by nature’s beauty, but in a city like New York, it is a little more difficult to find some green space, especially outside of Central Park.

Photo via High Line

Robert Hammond is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Friends of the High Line, the public park that was built atop an old, abandoned rail line on the west side of Manhattan. Hammond and Joshua David’s account on transforming the rail line into an award-winning park can be read in “The High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky.” In it Hammond talks about how he used to see parts of the abandoned rail line walking around Chelsea. He recalls that he didn’t really think much of the line until news ran that is was going to demolished. In the news coverage he learned that the rail rail line ran all the way from the Meatpacking District to Hell’s Kitchen, over a mile and a half long. Might not see, far for those of us living in Colorado, but it New York City, that is prime real estate.

To read more about Robert Hammond’s and the High Lines story click here.

The New York Times is reporting that there is a new niche for designers in the interior design industry– the recently divorced man. There are basically two scenarios in most cases of divorce, the women keeps the house or both partners decide to sell the house, either way the man is left looking for a new residence.

The Times found one designer in Los Angeles who actually prefers the divorced man above all other clients. Designer Susan Manrao tells the NYT “I realized my role in this project wasn’t simply to design a space, but to help rebuild a home.”

Manrao finds a balance designing the home for the new “bachelor” and the man trying to raise his kids. One of the most common requests says Susan is the big screened television.

Photo via The New York Times

And for the divorced dad with kids, Susan tells the Times they “often want their homes done quickly, to make the transition as smooth as possible for their children, which means they are apt to agree with her design decisions.”

Photo via The New York Times

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

So Men’s Health Magazine has come up with 10 renovations that will “make you rich.” Those are their words, not ours. We must say the title caught our attention, it even made us glance at their top 10 list to see if these were viable options.

With the advice of DIY Network’s Million Dollar Contractor, Stephen Fanuka, these home improvements can help make your home the “envy of your block.”

We wanted to take you step by step through these renovations and help you determine which will get you the biggest bang for your buck. Let’s start first with Fanuka’s first five steps.

1. “Decorate Your Doors” – Fanuka recommends switching out your knobs, hinges and cabinet pulls with finished metal ones. Yes, yes, and yes. This is a very effective cosmetic change you can make to your home without dropping a lot of dough.

2. “Mold Your Environment”- The Million Dollar Contractor says that “Adding molding on doors, ceilings, walls, and windows brings a third dimension to rooms, making them look bigger and more lavish,” says Fanuka. Molding does add a certain charm to your  home, but we would recommend taking that money and buying some paint. If there is money left over, than by all means add molding.

3. “Refresh Your Tiles”- We completely  agree with Stephen. A buyer does not want to see your old, dingy grout. For less than $20 you can re-grout your tile and save yourself the embarrassment.

4. “Single Out a Wall”- Fanuka recommends painting an accent wall to make the room pop. Beware of this advice and the color you choose. It could turn into a disaster if you go for a bold color choice that offends the eyes’ of your buyers. Or if you perhaps choose the wrong wall to accent.

5. “Lighten Up”- This is one change we stand behind 100%. Lighting makes all the difference in the world. It can really transform the appearance of a room.

Stay tuned for later in the week as we explore Fanuka next 5 design changes.

Source: Men’s Health Magazine

Colorado leads the USGBC’s (United States Green Building Council) 2011 list of the top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings. The finding are based on per capita and using the 2010 U.S. Census data. The list shows that the Colorado has close to 14 million square feet of LEED-certified space, and 2.74 square feet per person.

According to the USGBC there are over 44,000 commercial projects participating in the LEED program.

“Looking past the bricks and mortar, people are at the heart of what buildings are all about,” said Rick Fedrizzi, the president, CEO, and founding chair of the USGBC, in a press release. “Examining the per capita value of LEED square footage in these states allows us to focus on what matters most—the human elements of green buildings.”

Photo via USGBC

To see the entire list or to learn more about LEED visit www.usgbc.org.

Trilogy Partners. First-ever Net-Zero Energy Home in Breckenridge, Colorado

Although the notion of an energy efficient or even solar home is not a new concept, there are many modern solutions to the age old problem of staying warm and comfortable within one’s house. Although mountain homes are located in particularly strenuous environments, they do offer many unique approaches to both luxurious comfort and energy efficiency.

The first approach is from the planning and construction. It is best to embed as much of the house as possible within the earth. Primarily it is the exposure to the cold mountainous air and high wind currents which compromises the ambient temperature of the home.

From there it is best to angle the home to maximize solar exposure and minimize exposure to the other elements. Window placement allows to both warm the house and feed the plants which will flourish in the direct sunlight, and the plants in turn stabilize the ambient temperature and humidity.

Water for the plants can be captured from rainfall and snow melt, and further more this same water base can be warmed with rooftop solar water heaters. This captured water can be used throughout the house with little or no filtration necessary depending on the use.

If you are planning on building an energy efficient and sustainable home please give Trilogy Partners a call at 970-453-2230.

We wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays from Breckenridge, Colorado. We are so fortunate to live and work in such a beautiful setting like Breckenridge, where it is always a winter wonderland. For those of you in parts of the country who won’t be having a White Christmas we wanted to share some of our favorite “snow” top moments from Colorado.

We hope you enjoy…

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

It’s not surprising that today marks the first day of winter. It is after all a cold, snowy day here in Breckenridge, Colorado with a low tonight of -6 degrees. In honor of the first day of winter, we complied a list of ways to help you stay warm this winter season. From radiant flooring to ventless fires, see how you can beat that winter chill!

We love Planika’s remote-controlled, smoke-free, eco-friendly, ventless fires. Since there is no need for any kind of ventilation, this “fireplace” can be installed anywhere. In an existing hearth or even in the middle of your coffee table.

Photo via Planika

Photo via Planika

Radiant floors will help keep your toes nice and toasty this time of year. It can even be used with hardwood floors, but be careful of which type you choose, it could possibly expand from the heat.

Photo via Elle Decor

Tired of stepping out of a hot shower and wrapping yourself in a cold towel. Towel warmers in the bathroom will help solve this problem.

Photo via Trendir

How do you stay warm during the winter months?