In 2005 I began a series of design meetings with Trey Parker, the creator of the South Park Television Series, about a home he wished to build in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Trey wanted something large enough for family and friends and also a retreat for the South Park crew of writers. After walking the lot I immediately began to think Mountain Lodge, and then Trey began to mention his love of Japanese art and culture. What eventually emerged was a mountain house strongly influenced by Asian sensibility. Because Asia embraced Timber Frame construction centuries ago, we decided to do an Asian Inspired Timber Frame home. But where would could we find extraordinary aged timbers for the frame? I contacted Trestlewood, a company that specializes in large quantities of reclaimed and salvaged timbers sourced from old bridges and barns. Trestlewood informed us that they had in stock a large quantity of timbers salvaged from a railroad bridge that once spanned a portion of the Great Salt Lake. The timbers were over a hundred years old, and were completely imbued with salt. This seemed perfect. Our friends at Woodhouse Post and Beam designed the frame and milled the beams. In all honesty, I have never seen such a beautiful frame. The salty timbers were lightly oiled to reveal light shades of cherry with darker cherry veins. The frame was a big hit with local wildlife as well. During construction some of the local deer and other animals would use the timbers as a salt lick. Reclaimed siding and ancient cabin timbers were also used to complete a home that looked like it had stood on the site for half a century or longer. This house was published in the May 2010 issue of Architectural Digest. Many photos of this amazing house here.

We are very proud of the home we built for South Park co-creator, Trey Parker last year. We talked a little about this hilltop home when we mentioned the coverage it received in Architectural Digest, which was a dream come true. Heavily influenced by Japanese culture this beautiful home comes complete with a 700 square-foot teahouse guest cabin.

A bevy of new photos were recently added to our gallery page, but we wanted to share some of the photos with you below. We are going to be focusing this post on the exterior of the home, which is a unique fusion of western American and Japanese ryokan-style architecture.

Take a look at some of the photos below.

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners- Teahouse Guest Cabin

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Another great feature about the outdoor living space is the use of heated stone pavers so the outdoor spa can be used year-round, even in the cold and snowy Colorado winter.

Trey Parker told Architectural Digest that he loves bringing his friends from Los Angeles to his Steamboat Springs home. “Being able to share it with people who may have never been to Colorado before is great. I love to walk with them around the rocks and the aspens, to step outside and see a deer or a porcupine.”

To learn more about Trilogy Partners please visit us online at works.trilogybuilds.com or give us a call us at 970-453-2230.

Much has been discussed on the merits of the LEED program in the last month.  Even renowned architect Frank Gehry strongly criticized LEED certification, claiming that it was more of a political issue and not based on performance.

According to an opinion piece in the New York Times by Alec Appelbaum, “The LEED program, which awards points for incorporating eco-friendly material and practices into buildings’ design and construction, has led to a sea change in the industry, introducing environmental awareness into everything from regulatory processes to rents.

But while the standard is well-intentioned, it is also greatly misunderstood. Put simply, a building’s LEED rating is more like a snapshot taken at its opening, not a promise of performance. Unless local, state and federal agencies do their part to ensure long-term compliance with the program’s ideals, it could end up putting a shiny green stamp on a generation of unsustainable buildings.”

We’d love to hear what you think about all the negative press LEED has been receiving lately.