A home may be aesthetically appealing, but is it also efficient? Such is the question addressed by green building, a resource-efficient process applied to a structure’s cycle. Nowadays, builders are expected to create beautiful homes with minimal waste.

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Energy efficiency is the usual focus when the topic of green building comes up, but that’s only one aspect. Many other designs focus on others. Let’s take prefabrication (or prefab construction, prefab for short) as an example. In prefabrication, the foundation is built in the construction site, but the floors, walls, roof, etc. are built and assembled in a factory, to be transported to the site. On a smaller scale, this is also the idea behind the DIY furniture of IKEA.

Because they’re mass-produced in a factory, prefabs are cost-efficient, but are still high in quality. They’re also flexible because they can be used for several homes and still yield a unique look for each, depending on the architects working on the construction. Think of prefabs as Lego blocks — kids with the same set of blocks can create different designs.

We at Trilogy Builds support new ideas that improve efficiency. As our tagline aptly puts it, we design smart and build beautiful.

The use of box beam ceilings in a home is a beautiful detail often found in more traditionally styled homes, but it is also finding its way into other interior design styles. This detail can add elegance, and yet be functional when installed as a hollow version as a way to install lighting and keep wires or pipes hidden from view without tearing down the existing ceiling.

Source: Trilogy Partner’s Official Website

You will most often see box beam ceilings in kitchens and dining rooms, but this stunning feature can be added to almost any room to enhance its atmosphere. For example, in a living room, box beams can be used to frame skylights.

Depending upon your design and color scheme, there are various ways to enhance your kitchen or dining room decor with box beams. You could chose to go with natural wood, pure white, or a color that matches a trim already used within the room. Alternatively, the color of the box beams can be an interesting contrast to what already exists in that space.

For more information on using box beam ceilings, or to talk to a local professional in Breckenridge, contact us today at Trilogy Partners.

Green home design is the future. Using recycled and sustainable materials, solar panels, energy conserving products and appliances are all components of green living.

An eco-friendly home begins with its position on the lot. In Colorado, the home should sit on an east-west axis whenever possible. Large windows should face south to bring in more light while northern windows can be smaller to keep out the cold.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

Rooms should be designed to receive as much natural light as possible. A great mountain view will probably determine the room and window placement for a new home in the Rockies. Roofs can have skylights and allow for snow and water run-off that is collected and used for gray water. A roof can also be designed to support a garden with grass and shrubs for natural insulation.

Solar panels are added on the roof side that receives the most sunlight. A new green designed home can use a combination of municipal power and solar energy with the emphasis on energy independence.

Trilogy Partners is rapidly gaining a reputation in Colorado as a leading builder of sustainable, eco-friendly homes, so contact us today about your home construction dreams.

The building industry stands to learn from new green building technologies being developed by a team of Stanford University students who are working on Start.Home. This project is Stanford’s entry in this year’s Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Start.Home integrates technology that allows the home to be customized and be added on to as the needs of its residents change. The 12’x15’x10’ pre-fabricated and pre-engineered core meets the standard of net-zero energy efficiency with features such as open spaces, natural lighting, and passive ventilation. Included in this unit is a 7 kilowatt photovoltaic system that is capable of producing up to 30 kilowatt-hours daily of solar energy.

The Start.home base unit includes a kitchen, bathroom, living areas, and room for mechanical components. The primary structural system of this innovative green design consists of structural insulated panels that are pre-cut before being delivered to the job site. This allows for convenient delivery on a standard-sized truck trailer and for easy construction.

Stanford’s team is just one of 20 teams entered in the Solar Decathlon, which promotes innovation in solar technology based on ten criteria including design, market appeal, affordability, energy balance among other factors.

If you are interested in getting more information about green home design or incorporating elements of Start.Home’s design into your Colorado building project, contact the sustainable building professionals at Trilogy Partners today.

Green homes are becoming more and more popular because of the benefits brought to the homeowners. In both cost and appearance, green homes are in no sense inferior to their counterparts. In fact, green homes cost less to live in, making them the smart choice in the post-recession economy.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

Here are some sustainable design ideas for your home:

• The R-House is designed from the ground up for optimal insulation so as to reduce heating and cooling bills. It features a super-insulated exterior, matched to minimized windows and a mechanical unit that circulates air throughout the home.

• Designed based on the same principles as the R-House, the TED House uses components and materials such as cellulose, EPS insulation, R-10 windows, and an air barrier to insulate it against its surroundings. However, it also uses design tricks such as an extended space above the kitchen to improve comfort, while allowing a degree of customization for interested consumers.

• Resembling nothing so much as a commercial building in an urban landscape, Live/Work/Home is nonetheless based on longhouses. Its central space stretches from front to back, while sliding panels and solar tubes let in as much light as needed.

For more sustainable home designs, please contact us at Trilogy Partners.

Source: Trilogy Partners

One of the top trends in green home design is the concept of passive design when planning a new home build as more homeowners embrace are leaning toward zero energy homes. Instead of trying to add energy-saving features after the home is built, the process begins from the ground up, by incorporating simple features directly into the home’s architecture.

Passive design can be considered simple design as it removes the complexity surrounding the most basic features found in all buildings including windows. The placement of windows facing toward the south is extremely crucial in the design, therefore this needs to be considered during site selection. This element allows the Colorado homeowner to take advantage of the sun’s energy to help reduce heating bills during the cold winter months, and provide natural light throughout the year.

There is an increased focus on making sure that structure doesn’t allow drafts to penetrate and lessen this warming effect. This is accomplished by making the home airtight and often by utilizing landscape elements such as trees or shrubs to act as windbreaks. By incorporating several elements of passive design into your green home design, you can reduce your energy bills for years to come.

Fresh from the recent World Architecture Festival held in Singapore, is news that Turkey’s Sancaklar Mosque has been awarded the honor of the Best Religious Building for 2013. This impressive underground structure was designed by Emre Arolat Architects of Levent, Turkey.

The design of the mosque is a departure from traditional standards and has been built underground in Buyuk Cekmece, a suburb of Istanbul. The designers were able to successfully integrate the man-made materials with the elements of the natural environment by combining concrete slab and natural stone.

Beyond the walls that separate the complex from the nearby highway and neighborhood, all that can be seen above ground is the concrete canopy accessible from the upper courtyard. The remainder of the building is reached via natural stone stairs that follow the slope of the site down into the structure.

With its almost cave-like atmosphere, the slits and breaks throughout the Qiblah wall allow natural sunlight to enter the prayer hall is an excellent use of green architecture. The intent of the design is to shy away from status quo and provide a magical space unlike any other.

Watch for more news on how world architecture meets green architecture from Trilogy.

Source: Trilogy Partners

Green home design is gaining in popularity as new home owners require more energy-efficient homes made from non-toxic and sustainable materials.

The standards for green home design and construction have been set by the LEED certification program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council. The emphasis is on using renewable natural resources to build and lower energy consumption in the home.

Non-toxic materials must be used in construction to qualify as eco-friendly. This includes the use of sustainable woods, bamboo and recycled materials. The recycled elements can include wood and metals from old buildings, used brick and stone. Raw stone and tiles made from salvaged clay and recycled glass can be used for interiors.

New homes in the Colorado mountains can make use of solar energy to lower power costs. Energy Star rated appliances that use less power are incorporated into building and interior design plans.

New homes have good R-value insulation, based on the thermal resistance of the insulation or how well it holds in heat. This is important for Colorado winters.

Trilogy Partners has focused on green building in the Summit County area designing, and building homes that meet Green Building Council standards.

Source: Trilogy Partners

If you’re looking into remodeling your home, it’s a great time to assess what you can do to make your house greener.  We know going green reduces our impact on the earth, but it can also benefit you by increasing your home’s efficiency, and making it a healthier place to live. As you embark on your home remodeling project, here are a few things to take into consideration:

Begin by assessing your site. How can you utilize the property features you already possess? Use trees to your advantage to shade-cool your house, or find the optimal spot for passive solar gain. Look for building materials that are renewable or recycled, and find fixtures and appliances that are energy-efficient. Find finishes that are low- or no-VOC. Another good rule of thumb is to use higher-grade materials—the durability will prevent having to replace cheap materials that aren’t built to last.

Open floor plans help to increase cooling and heating efficiency, and require fewer materials. Lastly, look into a construction site recycling service. They can sort and dispose of construction waste in an earth-friendly way.

Implementing any of these tips will go a long way to making your home a little greener.

The increased interest in green home design is spurring a revival of modernism in the design of new homes in our area. Modernism has evolved from being viewed as boring and featureless, to being embraced for its simplicity and adaptability to being environmentally friendly.

Today’s modern homes are making more use of sustainable construction materials such as glass, concrete and steel that can provide the additional benefit of energy conservation. Instead of the overly ornate and imposing McMansions that overtook the landscape for almost two decades, today’s modern-styled home designers seek to lessen their impact on the environment.

Green home design works hand-in-hand with modern design that allows these structures to blend in with their natural surroundings with minimal stress to the environment. Some designers choose to mimic their natural surroundings in their exterior designs. The use of bold color in mid-century modern interiors allows for a playfulness that makes this style one that can be adapted to almost anyone tastes, and still providing the functionality of green design.

For the latest trends in green and modern design, contact the team at Trilogy Partners.