April 1st 2020, Happy birthday Confluence Architecture and Sustainability.

Solar-powered inspections…

And Mark became a certified International Code Council certified Residential Energy Inspector/plans examiner and a IECC/HERS Compliance Specialist.

Confluence Architecture Principal Angela Loughry is highlighted in a recent Blog post from CORE:

Yes, She’s an Energy Warrior: https://aspencore.org/yes-shes-an-energy-warrior/

Confluence Architecture & Sustainability has been electrically net-zero for a while. Now our surplus solar electric is being used to charge our new Electric Vehicle.

A Gunmetal Grey Nissan Leaf with a level 2 charger to go with it.

Architectural site visits, construction inspections and blower door testing from Confluence will now be carbon neutral from New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Willits, Basalt to Aspen!

Confluence Architecture of Carbondale Colorado awarded Best of Houzz 2016 for customer service. The Best Of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 35 million monthly users on Houzz. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2015. A “Best Of Houzz 2016” badge will appear on winners’ profiles, as a sign of  their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

This week Confluence Architecture had a 3.24 Kw photovoltaic solar system installed on the roof to offset the electrical consumption of our firm. Our building already sports passive solar heating & a thermal solar hot water system. The addition of these twelve solar panels drops our HERS rating to a very healthy 30. We felt like the time was right to take the plunge because the cost of solar systems has been dropping and incentives are still high. The system will cost us $14,000 out of pocket, but by the time we collect the incentives and take the federal tax credit it will be more like $5,800! If electric costs were to stay at current rates- we could see this system pay for itself in savings in just 10 years. The system is slightly oversized, because our business plan calls for a plug-in electric vehicle as the next step towards carbon footprint reduction. Our inverter can take another string of panels if we find that more would be beneficial. Many thanks go out to the folks at SoL Energy for a first-rate installation job; Ken Olsen, Kelly Kirby, Mike Bouchet and Nirish Kafle.

The article called, “Sustainability integral to architecture firm’s work” can be found on the website of the Post Independent of Glenwood Springs.

What sets your business apart from the competition?

Confluence Architecture has two distinctive characteristics for an architecture firm: sustainability and size. Sustainability is integral to everything Confluence Architecture does. We believe that the confluence of beauty, usefulness, efficiency and comfort provide the best designs. Sustainability is not a separate service but part of all of our work. This integration is dependent on the skills of our two staff professionals, Mark McLain and Angela Loughry. Both are licensed architects and sustainability experts with a combined 32 years of experience. While a small staff may appear as a limitation when compared with firms that employ numerous architects and support staff, we chose this business model because personal attention makes better projects, period. With Confluence Architecture, clients get personal, focused, and integrated service.

What positive lessons did you learn during the recession?

The recession increased public awareness of energy and building maintenance costs. This awareness allowed Confluence Architecture to demonstrate the value of our sustainable architecture services. We have sought value-oriented ways to get these services to clients. For example, we obtained a grant from the Colorado Energy Office to provide low-cost continuing education classes for Realtors and architects in the region on sustainability in homes. These classes opened avenues for targeted consulting with other professionals. We also offer home and business energy audits. These are low-cost, in-depth analyses of existing buildings and provide clients with a clear understanding of their buildings and clear steps to improve building performance. These audits often lead to remodels and retrofits where we maximize outcomes with limited budgets.

What strategy do you use to hire good people?

Confluence Architecture wants to stay small and personalized. That being said, we can’t do everything. Rather than hire employees, we typically work with other talented professionals in the region on contract basis. One key relationship we have is with Rich Backe of Energy Efficient Solutions (EES). His company has the expertise to execute air-sealing and energy retrofit work that we prescribe in our energy audits.

What is your strategy for growth in the next year?

First we plan to keep getting better at what we do. Both Mark and Angela are vigorous about pursing education to keep their skills cutting edge. The sustainability world is evolving rapidly and Confluence Architecture is committed to being the up-to-date source in the region. Second, we plan to continue our value-oriented approach. If you think an architect is unnecessary or their fee is out of reach, give us a call and we will show you the value we can bring to your project.

What is the best thing about running a business here?

We are lucky to live and work here. The beauty of our natural environment and the communities that thrive here influence our practice. We are inspired to make architecture as beautiful as our surroundings and challenged to ensure that low energy and material use preserves the health of those surroundings.