Project Updates
Elizabeth DiSalvo
New house on the water in Stamford
New house on the water in Stamford

SEEDs in a Pod

Listen in while Elizabeth discusses SEED homes and sustainable houses in this new podcast from #KeepCraftAlive!

 “Of course, I want to continue building amazing, beautiful houses,” Elizabeth tells the host. “But at the same time, I want those houses to be responsible.”

In the podcast, Elizabeth shares the motivation behind her move to SEED homes to balance some of the larger, material-heavy custom houses the firm designs. She also talks about how she got into sustainable architecture, started working with open-minded contractors, and began providing more affordable net-zero options using prefab homes.

 

#KeepCraftAlive is an initiative powered by Fine Homebuilding magazine to bring awareness to the skills gap in the building industry and the rich professional opportunities that exist in the trades. The hashtag offers the opportunity for professionals to share their passion for the cause and to showcase inspirational work.  And, it celebrates those who have chosen to pursue careers in design, building, and remodeling. 

Green Homes: Fact & Fiction

We learned in our recent survey that there are still some misconceptions about green building and living in efficient and sustainable houses. Because of your interest in green architecture, I wanted to share these with you, along with our thoughts on some of those misconceptions and the general market appeal of these amazing homes.

Some of these might be surprising, so read on to see if any of them sound familiar!

Misconception: ‘Green homes look different’ Perhaps surprisingly, most of our homes look indistinguishable as Green Homes! Aesthetics are not tied to energy efficiency construction methods. We could make a classic colonial into a Passive House. And we have! (Have a look at our portfolio. Each house on our website is a true green home.)

Misconception: ‘I’ll have trouble with resale’ People love our houses so much that it’s a rare event that someone builds one and then sells it. In the last 200 houses we have designed, for example, this has only happened three times. In each case there was a bidding war and the house sold within weeks for above asking price. People are thrilled at the idea of living in a healthy environment with almost zero monthly operational and upkeep costs. What’s not to love?

Misconception: ‘I’m not sure everything will work.’ We build what we like to call the Teslas of houses. We may use the newest technologies, but all of the technologies we use have actually been in testing and use for years, if not decades. We create houses that are extremely well built, and like an electric vehicle, there is generally nothing to do to keep the house humming along. Just sit back and enjoy!

Misconception: ‘I’m afraid of the unknown.’ Even though green homes are not as common as traditionally built, the concepts are the same: Provide shelter, design for user friendliness and beauty, insulate, heat and cool. Sometimes the unknown turns out to be a truly welcome change. We start with beautiful houses that work, and consciously integrate healthy sustainable materials, extra insulation and higher efficiency heating and cooling systems to bring you a healthy, quiet, uncommonly comfortable and more long lasting product.

Misconception: ‘A ‘green’ house may end up being more expensive.’ This is a classic myth. They may cost up to 10% more to build, but- oftentimes -they cost the same or only 1% or 2% more than a traditionally built house. Yes, we spend more in windows and insulation, but we spend less in HVAC. In the end most clients find the cost difference negligible, especially given that they will spend almost nothing in operations over the life of the house.

We’d welcome the opportunity to continue this discussion -- and to share our extensive knowledge and architectural design experience with you.

We are the experts in bringing you healthy, sustainable, green homes, and we specialize in LEED, Net Zero and Passive Houses. Please read through our website to find out more!


Simply Sustainable, featured in Bedford New Canaan Magazine

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Many clients come to us having done their homework, knowing exactly what they want in their green dream house. 

That’s the case with this Pound Ridge design, featured in the March issue of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine

Creating a team -- with the client, builder and the architect all onboard together from the beginning --had everyone invested in the project quickly and working from the same page.  This ‘design-build’ approach provides collaborative dialogue, allows the builder to buy-in on the design vision, and for the client to capitalize on the builder’s and the architect’s combined expertise.              

Our recent clients in Pound Ridge came to us with clear requirements and ideas for their new home.  New retirees relocating from the south, they were avid gardeners, enthusiastic cooks and ballroom dancers… and their plans for the house reflected that!  Of equal importance to them was that they wanted to ensure that the resulting house was super energy efficient.

We delivered.  The final design incorporates an open floor plan with room for dancing, shifting volumes and diverse spaces to satisfy the client’s artistic eye, large floor-to-ceiling windows to offer a constant experience of the extensive outdoor gardens while moving through the rooms of the house, specifically designed work rooms for hobbies, and an immaculately detailed his and hers spa bathroom.   

We also helped achieve their desire for a truly efficient home.   Construction involved unique building envelope construction techniques, maximizing their energy efficiency and reducing the house’s carbon footprint including: smart double wall framing, a slab-less slab foundation, continuous roof insulation and triple pane European windows.  All of these techniques result in a house that is far more insulated than code requires and thus drastically reduces the amount of energy used and mechanicals needed to heat and cool the house. A fresh air system ensures healthy indoor air quality. A large array of photovoltaic panels hidden on their flat roof powers the home and charges their Tesla, producing more energy than they use.

As expected, the team approach between the clients, the architect and the builder created a home that expresses and facilitates their passions and their pursuits. 

Find more resources on how to 'go green' using our resources here :
https://www.trilliumarchitects.com/client-resources   

Guilford House Featured in the March issue of CTC&G

We often hear from prospective clients that they want a home that's environmentally-conscious, but don't know how to achieve it. The process can seem daunting and rumor has it that it also cost a lot more money to build a super green home.

Those are the concerns we were approached with by our clients in Guilford, CT. They wanted a house that was not only beautiful, but also environmentally sensitive. They had found a perfect piece of property overlooking Long Island Sound, hired us and we got to work.

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The final result is the house Passive Progressive*, On the Sound published in this month's CTC&G.

*The house is not Passive House-certified, but it is built towards those standards. The house is Net Zero Ready and will be Net Zero after the final PV Solar panels are installed later this spring.

But, is it challenging to build one of these houses?
Here are the key points that we tell our new clients:

We specialize in building Passive House, Net Zero and LEED Homes. If you work in our specific industry it is easy to achieve this level of house. We do it all of the time. Yes, it is hard to find people who can design and build these houses. You need to have the right team.

When you live in a house like this, you can expect:

  • Extremely low energy bills.

  • Healthy fresh air and clean green living

  • A quiet, comfortable indoor environment

  • Peace of mind that you are helping the environment.

Costs? They are not a lot more than building any other new house in our region. We spend more money in insulation and framing but less in HVAC. The end result may be a 5% to 10% upcharge, but another client might spend more than that on a countertop from Italy. So, it comes down to priorities.

And the Guilford house on the Sound?    
Not only did we achieve the environmentally friendly, energy efficiency goals, we also made the beautiful, designer home that they wanted.  Just take a look!  It’s featured in this month’s Connecticut Cottages & Gardens magazine.     

  • Wood, stone and glass combine to create strikingly modern yet warm exterior and interior spaces.

  • A wall of triple pane windows faces the water and captures the view and the southern sun.

  • A solar panel trellis shades the interior during hot summer days.

  • A central volume clad in wood features the staircase and hides house mechanicals, while long sleek hallways clearly distinguish living spaces.

Now that they can call it home, how did the clients react?
"It's wonderful to be in a space that we love."
And find more resources on how to 'go green' yourself using our resources here :
https://www.trilliumarchitects.com/client-resources

VIDEO: New gable roof transforms attic into green, functional living space

Watch how the design/build team takes a chopped up old attic and transforms it into a spacious entertainment room.

See the team completely reframe the home’s roof with scissor trusses to open up the space and make room for a thick layer of cellulose insulation. Get a peek at details for a continuous air barrier and the future 3rd-floor balcony.

Having trouble viewing video? Please click here

Trilllium Architects Pound Ridge Net Zero Home Wins AIA of CT Sustainability Award of Merit

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We are super excited to announce that Trillium Architect’s Pound Ridge Net Zero Home has won AIA of Connecticut’s Sustainable Architecture Award of Merit  This is the first year that AIA of CT has offered this award category in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and we are thrilled to be among the chosen.   Thank you to BPC Green Builders and the home owners Philip and Ronnie for a great sustainable collaboration!   

The award recognizes design projects that reduce emissions, energy use, and water use while still remaining a comfortable and healthy environment. It recognizes architects who are creating durable, comfortable, and healthy environments within the built industry that show reduction in Green House Gas emissions, energy use, or water use.

Working with a (green) architect

Working with a (green) architect

If you are very concerned with having a healthy home or a very energy-efficient renovation, you need to look for architects who specialize in that. I equate it with going to a holistic doctor. Green architects tend to bring a more holistic approach to the entire process. They will know all about the most cutting-edge technologies and products to optimize health and energy efficiency...

Greening the MLS

Greening the MLS

What doesn’t the MLS tell you? It doesn’t tell you the annual heating and cooling bills, or the average electric and water usage. It does not tell you the life expectancy of the paint job or the R value of the insulation. It doesn’t let you know how prone the roof is to ice dams, or if there tend to be a lot of critter infestations...