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We were happy to host two New Canaan High School interns for a few weeks this summer. Dave Reilly, one of our architects is shown here teaching model making to Matthew Angilletta and Daniel Yoo. Matthew is off to Northeastern in the fall, while Daniel will be attending West Point. Both plan on majoring in engineering. We wish them the best of luck!

Our clients wanted a beautiful home that was not only energy efficient, but also used materials that have the least impact on the environment. We all decided as a team to stick to the most stringent standards available. They also realized a home has a much bigger impact on your health than many realize, so they wanted to ensure that the new home would have no chemicals or off-gassing. The result is a house that achieves LEED Platinum and  Passive House certifications, as well as qualifies as Net Zero. The Bottom line: its healthy, great for the environment and costs about $18 in total utility bills per month. The greatest advantage for our clients, however, is peace of mind. The clients know every single material that went into building their home, sensors remind them how clean their air quality is, and they can monitor and control the energy use of all of their appliances and devices. The estimated cost of building this way is between 2-5% greater than traditional building, which generally results in an ROI of under 5 years.   The biggest questions people ask about the houses we design : ‘Isn’t it too expensive to build green?’, ‘Is it really worth it?’ and ‘Isn’t making your home energy efficient really hard to do?’ Building this way is not hard but it does take thoughtful design, good planning and an experienced team. It isn’t too expensive and it is definitely worth it. Houses built to Passive House Standards use approximately 90% less energy to heat and cool. For the lifetime of the house. Imagine spending about $220 per year to heat, cool and fully electrify your house and EVs for the next 30 years!

This episode of the BS* + Beer Show features Elizabeth DiSalvo, principal of Trillium Architects ; energy consultant Kai Fast of Kaplan Thompson Architects ; and Steve DeMetrick, owner of DeMetrick Housewrights talking about the ways in which a building’s size and shape affect performance, cost, and aesthetics. As part of the Pretty Good House series , the discussion includes examples of right-sized houses with emphasis on the rectangular form’s benefits, which include better WuFi modeling results. The group covers the challenge of heat gain, the value of deep overhangs, passive solar vs. Passive House performance, the tendency for HVAC mechanicals to be used as a be-all solution, the unmet demand for smaller homes, marrying simplicity of design to ease of constructability, and much more. Enjoy the show!

Some people may think a green or sustainable home is much more expensive than a traditional home. It's not. The minimal increase in cost is more than covered by the savings you’ll experience in running your home.

In this video Elizabeth DiSalvo, founder of Trillium Architects, talks about the costs and fees involved in building a new home, renovation, or addition.

Elizabeth explains other costs and fees associated with building a new home, renovation, or addition.

Sometimes renovating an existing space can pose more of a challenge than starting from scratch. In our latest video, we walk you through a kitchen renovation that took the room from dim and cramped to cozy and comfortable.   Our first challenge was to open up the space. Trillium began with raising the ceiling to let in more light and create a feeling of spaciousness and freedom. Then the overall layout was revamped to open up even more space, including a “hidden” coffee bar and pantry which can be concealed and revealed on demand. Of course, the devil is in the details. Trillium delivered high quality throughout, including Porcelanosa cabinets from Spain, XTONE counters and HAWA hardware. The Miele appliances and custom millwork added an elegant finishing touch. Have a project of your own?  Let Trillium Architects apply their skills and talents, and you’ll never go wrong.

Join us for a house tour of one of our most interesting projects. The homeowners had very specific details in mind when they shared their vision for this home: a modern “treehouse” in the woods with a water feature, curved curtain walls, an indoor lap pool and, of course, they desired it be passive/net-zero.  Elizabeth DiSalvo, Trillium’s founder, along with the project manager and contractor for the construction will walk you around the work site of this interesting home and explain the care and intricacy which goes into the construction of a green eco-friendly home.

This is why we do what we do.

This week Trillium Architects celebrated its 20th Earth Day. Each of those years, our goal has been to cherish and nurture our planet. We believe a home should be a natural extension of the earth itself — enhancing its beauty, preserving its resources and sustaining its wonderment. When we began 20 years ago, there were hardly any firms in the Northeast focused on building sustainable housing. We stood our ground (literally), learning more each and every year, designing homes that fulfilled our clients’ visions while honoring the earth. We are proud to be an advocate for Planet Earth, shepherding clients through the process of designing and building a NetZero, LEED or Passive Home. When it comes to sustainable homes, we’re all in.

Trillium Architects is All In.   In these chaotic and unpredictable times, in the face of cancelled commitments and loosened regulations, Trillium is committed to not just upholding our mission but to doubling down.   Now more than ever we're dedicated to our mandate to create Better Buildings for People and Planet.   For 20 years we have designed nothing but healthy, energy efficient, and earth- friendly buildings. We are extremely well practiced in the art of bringing Net Zero, Passive House, LEED and all ‘shades of green’ projects to fruition, on time and on budget.   Now more than ever we are committed to this vital work. Let’s work together to continue our shared mission to mitigate climate change. Please call on Trillium to help you reach your sustainability goals.   Happy Earth Day!