Useful information to help you on your path to designing and building a new green home.

We want you to be comfortable with and prepared for every step of the process of designing and building your new home. That's why we've put together these detailed articles about the what, how, and why of everything we do as architects.

We are the experts in bringing you healthy, organic, sustainable, green homes! We specialize in LEED, Net Zero, and Passive House. We tailor all we do toward these goals and will help you do the same.

Green Homes Explained

At Trillium we have years of experience as well as knowledge of resourses, suppliers, and builders that are necessary to get your project built in a quality, efficient, and environmentally friendly way.

Project Energy Efficiency Case Studies

Browse the energy efficiency case studies of some of our best homes.

Working with an Architect

Learn about the 3 phases of a project we as architects can help you with: 1) Design, 2) Construction Documents (AKA plans or blueprints), and 3) Construction Administration

Architectural Fees

Get a detailed explanation of the fees our firm charges for designing, estimating, and overseeing a construction project.

Estimating Construction Costs

Learn about the 3 options we offer for estimating the cost of building or remodeling a home to help you match your project to your budget.

Why Percentage Fees?

See how percentage-based architect fees relate to the overall cost of a new home or remodeling project.

The Mystery of Architect Fees

In these two articles, architect Bob Borson offers an easy-to-follow and very honest approach to explaining the options architects have for calculating the fees they charge to clients.

Considering Your Overall Budget

How much will it cost? Can you afford to do what you want to do? We are your partners in these concerns, and we'll make them an integral part of the design process.

Our Home-Design Philosophy

We are here to help you create the peaceful, light filled, clean and healthy house that will serve as home base for your organic lifestyle.

Green Home Design and Building Websites

Research the latest construction details, techniques, and materials used to create smart, energy-efficient, healthy, comfortable, sustainable houses.

Communication: The Key to a Good Project

We feel strongly about openly sharing information and solving problems as a team so that we can work together toward the common goals of a great house and a job well done.

The Good Job Site

Read about an example of how having the right team with the right attitude can make the process of building a home a whole lot more pleasant and rewarding.

What is a Net Zero building?

As the golden rule of achieving Net Zero, measures that will help reduce energy demand to ensure buildings are highly energy efficient are always prioritized. How the energy is supplied to meet the remaining demand varies. For example, if 100% of energy demand is met by on-site renewable energy, it can be called a net zero energy building. However, this may not be possible in all building types and locations. Net Zero buildings adopt the whole life carbon approach that addresses emissions from operational energy use in buildings, and the embodied carbon which comes from the building materials and construction or renovation processes. It requires innovative design approaches focused on optimizing performance, and collaboration across the entire project team. By reducing reliance on fossil fuels, buildings achieving these high performance classifications, with energy and carbon budgets verified based on actual consumption data, are therefore Advancing Net Zero. source: https://worldgbc.org
What is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world's most widely used green building rating system. LEED certification provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer environmental, social and governance benefits. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organizations and individuals paving the way for market transformation. LEED v5 is the newest version of LEED. It marks a transformative milestone in the built environment’s alignment with a low-carbon future and addresses critical imperatives such as equity, health, ecosystems and resilience source: https://www.usgbc.org/leed
What is a Deep Energy Retrofit (DER)?

A Deep Energy Retrofit (abbreviated as DER) is an energy conservation project in an existing building that leads to an overall improvement in building performance. Deep energy retrofits renovate buildings to reduce site energy use by at least 40%. Though often more expensive up front, deep energy retrofits deliver substantially greater value than quick-fix solutions. A deep energy retrofit is a whole-building analysis and construction process that achieves much larger energy savings than conventional energy retrofits. Deep energy retrofits can be applied to both residential and non-residential ("commercial") buildings. A deep energy retrofit typically results in energy savings of 30 percent or more, perhaps spread over several years, and may significantly improve the building value. source: gsa.gov
What is a Zero Energy Ready Home?

If you would like many of the benefits of a zero energy home without the initial cost of solar collectors, consider a zero energy ready home. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines a zero energy ready home as “a high performance home which is so energy efficient, that a renewable energy system can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption.” These homes are designed and built to the same high energy efficiency standards as zero energy homes. Thus, ‘zero energy ready’ is an effective way to purchase or build an ultra-efficient home that has a simple path to becoming a net zero home. Zero energy homes are better protected and more durable than the average home. In fact, zero energy homes are superior to most high-end homes. They feature thicker more air-tight walls, fresh filtered air, and advanced window technologies, to name a few. source: energy.gov
What is a Passive House (PHIUS)?

Passive building is a set of design principles for attaining a rigorous level of energy efficiency while also creating comfortable indoor living spaces. These principles can be applied to all buildings, including single-family homes, multifamily apartment buildings, schools, skyscrapers and more. Principles of Passive Building: Using continuous insulation throughout the building envelope to minimize or eliminate thermal bridging Building a well-detailed and extremely airtight building envelope, preventing infiltration of outside air and loss of conditioned air while increasing envelope durability and longevity Employs high-performance windows (double or triple-paned) and doors - solar gain is managed to exploit the sun's energy for heating purposes in the heating season and to minimize overheating during the cooling season Using some form of balanced heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation to significantly enhance indoor air quality Minimizing the space conditioning system because of lower space conditioning loads source: https://www.phius.org
What is the Living Building Challenge (LBC)?

The Living Building Challenge is a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification program defining today’s most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment. It addresses all buildings at all scales and is an inclusive tool for transformative design. Whether the project is a single building, a renovation, an infrastructure project, or a park, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for designing, constructing, and improving the symbiotic relationships between people and all aspects of the built and natural environments. What does good look like? Living Buildings are: Regenerative buildings that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community. Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site. Create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them. Regardless of the size or location of the project, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for design, construction, and the symbiotic relationship between people, our community, and nature. The Challenge aims to transform how we think about every single act of design and construction into an opportunity to positively impact the greater community of life and the cultural fabric of our human communities. The program has always been a bit of a Trojan horse—a philosophical worldview cloaked within the frame of a certification program. The Challenge is successful because it satisfies our left-brain craving for order and thresholds and our right-brain intuition that the focus needs to be on our relationship with and understanding of the whole of life. source:https://living-future.org/lbc/basics/
What is a 'Pretty Good House'?

Pretty Good House (PGH) is a building standard that’s completely voluntary and has no set requirements. The idea is to use good design and proven building science to reach a practical level of performance in a durable, lovable, net zero energy-ready structure. The PGH was conceived in 2011 at a building science discussion group hosted by Performance Building Supply in Portland, Maine. Dan Kolbert, a builder in Portland and moderator of the discussion group, had grown frustrated with other performance-rating programs for being too restrictive, too resource-intensive, and too hard to convince clients to invest in. Pretty Good House provides a framework and guidelines to focus on the core issues that should be front and center when designing and building a high quality home or renovation. source: prettygoodhouse.org, finehomebuilding.com