2011 marks the 13th year Trilogy Partners has been designing and building homes. Almost as a lark we built our first home, biting off way more than we could chew, working our hearts out and then, miraculously it seemed at the time, selling it the day it was completed. Then came a second home, and more as we began building homes for clients as well as spec homes for sale.  As 2011 begins we look back to that first home. We broke ground in December. Crazy. We had much to learn about building homes. In Breckenridge, at an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, the only reasonable outdoor activity that time of year is something that involves skis. And yet,  here we were digging a hole in the frozen ground so we could place the foundation for a house. John and I stayed in good shape that winter shoveling snow for hours at a time as a home rose from a snowy meadow. Here are photos of Meadowview, which is still occupied by the original purchasers.

Meadowview by Trilogy Partners

Our own Michael Rath, founding partner of Trilogy Partners, will be serving on the Summit County Builders Association (SCBA) Board of Directors for 2011. The Summit County Builders Association is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing a bridge between our members in the building industry and the community. SCBA represents the building industry in local government and helps to influence our local legislative agenda. Through the organization we hope to promote sound environmental building practices and community planning.

For more information on the Summit County Builders Association please visit them online at Summitcountybuilders.org.

Trilogy Partners is pleased to report the completion of the first net-zero energy home in Breckenridge.

Designed and built under the direct supervision of Trilogy Partners, the home is located in the prestigious Timber Trails neighborhood where it enjoys ski in and out access to the Breckenridge ski area. The home uses advanced insulating technologies, geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, and advanced energy management systems to obtain its Zero-Net designation. In the winter months the home relies on geothermal technology for heating and draws power from the local electrical grid as needed. During the summer the home utilizes geothermal for cooling and delivers unused electricity generated by the solar panels back to the grid, effectively causing the electric meter to run “backward.” This is the first of hopefully many Breckenridge homes to utilize fully sustainable energy conservation and generation technologies.

Stay tuned as we plan more articles to cover the technologies and techniques that went into making this home not only beautiful, but an energy marvel. We’ll focus on construction technologies, geothermal, solar panels, and energy management systems.

For most homes a living room needs to be a very versatile space. It needs to serve as a place where one can kick back and relax after a long day at the office or a place where one can host a large number of people. Either way a living room should reflect your style and taste as well as be comfortable.

To get inspired Architectural Digest has featured some of Hollywood’s biggest stars’ private quarters. Take a look below.

Architectural Digest- Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher.

“I didn’t want a living room that looked off-limits,” says Moore. “I wanted rooms that were elegant but inviting—for kids, dogs, and everyone.”

Architectural Digest- Jennifer Aniston

“The making of the house was as significant to me as the living in it,” says Jennifer Aniston.

Architectural Digest- Gerard Butler

Trilogy Partner's home for Trey Parker

What do you look for in a living room?

Ornichleel "Leel" Ulysse, a Haiti earthquake survivor, learning how to ski at The Hartford Ski Spectacular. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Hartford Ski Spectacular is a week long event here in Breckenridge, from December 5^th – 12^th, that teaches 800 men, women and children with physical disabilities how to ski and snowboard. The Hartford Ski Spectacular, in its 17^th year, will be held at the Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center and Breckenridge Ski Resort.

This year 11-year old Ornichleel (“Leel”) Ulysse, a below-the-knee amputee who was injured in the January earthquake that struck her home in Haiti, is one of the many children who are learning how to ski at The Hartford Ski Spectacular. Ron Gendreau, executive vice president of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, said “We are so excited to have Leel as our special guest at The Hartford Ski Spectacular. Her strength and courage have inspired us. We hope that by learning new skills, she’ll build confidence and take key steps on the road to recovery. Leel and the other men, women and children here embody our Ability Philosophy – that success is possible when you focus on abilities, not limitations.”

To learn more about how to help young Haitian children who suffered in the January earthquake please visit The Haiti Orphan Rescue Program (HORP).

At Trilogy Partners we build energy efficient homes that use utilize a number of different products and engineering such as a hybrid heating system. Hybrid technology has been around for awhile now, but with the demand for higher efficiency they have become more popular. Like hybrid vehicles, a hybrid heating systems uses a combination of fossil fuel and electricity. The furnace is used with an electric heat pump to heat and cool your home efficiently. When the temperature drops below a certain level the furnace kicks in.

There are many benefits of installing a hybrid heating system. They have the ability to reduce one’s heating bills, reduce green house gas emissions and help preserve our natural resource.  There are also some utility rebates offered for home that use a hybrid heating system.

The exterior of South Parks’ Trey Parker home that we rebuilt in Kauai, Hawaii is just as extraordinary on the outside as it is indoors. Featuring a miniature golf course,  a tranquil lanai setting and an outdoor rock tub this home is the perfect place to sit back and relax. Takes a look at the photos below.

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

We were excited to head down to the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i for our second project with South Park’s Trey Parker last year. Kaua’i, the Garden Isle, is the oldest island in the Hawaiian chain. The setting was a lot different than the home we created for him in Steamboat. The scenery was dominated by lush gardens and the beautiful Wailua River.

Take a look at some of the interior shots of this Hawaiian home below.

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Make sure you come back later in the week to see the exterior of this remarkable home.

The American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) latest Home Design Trends survey shows that Americans are showing more concern with affordability and energy efficiency when building their homes. At Trilogy Partners we have been designing and building sustainable homes for our clients in the Rocky Mountain region for a number of years. We build homes using green building techniques and innovative technology.

The AIA Design Home Trends Survey also noticed an interest from homeowners in the area of recycled materials, energy management systems, solar applications, back-up power generators and geothermal systems for cooling and heating. Our recent Zero Net Energy home, which was the first constructed in Breckenridge, Colorado, allowed us to utilize green design techniques to build a more sustainable home for our client. As a full service design and build team we are able to build a home the way in which it was envisioned, from start to finish.

“A sustainable home not only nourishes the planet, it nourishes the soul.”– Trilogy Partners

Courtesy of American Institute of Architects

For more information on our Zero Net Energy Home visit us online at TrilogyBuilds.com or give us a call us at 970-453-2230.

Our partnership with Colorado Building Company (CBC) has been a successful relationship that has led to many award-winning homes.  Colorado Building Company is more than just a construction management company; they are experts at sustainable building technologies such as geothermal, SIP panels, solar system integration and more. Take a look at some of the projects we have designed with Colorado Building Company.

Rounds Road- Photo courtesy of Colorado Building Company

Highlands Drive- Photo courtesy of Colorado Building Company

Caleb's Journey- Photo courtesy of Colorado Building Company

Steamboat House- Photo courtesy of Colorado Building Company