Exclusive Interview with Gene Myers of Thrive Home Builders (Part 2)

Denver-based Thrive Home Builders hasn’t let its commitment to energy efficiency, healthy indoor air, and more recently carbon neutrality hinder its success through some of the most challenging times in residential construction history.

The builder’s drive to build environmentally responsible homes has hit a new high point with the Panorama Idea Home in Breckenridge, Colo., a comfortable, energy efficient, and carbon-neutral retreat high in the Rocky Mountains. 

The all-electric home boasts innovations ranging from onsite power generation, air source heat pumps, and a fiberglass foundation, not to mention following the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

Pro Builder: What drives your dedication to reducing the "environmental footprint" of the homes you build, and how have buyers responded to both the messaging and the actual performance of their homes? 

Gene Myers: Our purpose at Thrive is to set a new standard for how home improves life. As such, we are dedicated not just to reducing the environmental footprint of our homes, but also to improving the quality of life of our customers.  

Here in Colorado, we see a stark intersection of the two. We are currently suffering through another summer of smoke that significantly reduces our quality of life from devastating wildfires. These are climate events. 

While treading lightly on the environment, our EPA Indoor airPLUS homes protect our customers from bad outdoor air. They have the peace of mind of knowing that they have done all they can for the people they love and for the planet.

PB: So, these three elements – local, energy efficient, healthy – helped build Thrive’s reputation?

GM: All of it is an investment in our brand. And I'll be honest with you, for the first 15 years of my career, we worked really hard for this brand. For the last 15 years, the brand has worked really hard for us. 

If you invest in creating a brand that is more than just bottom-line driven, you are building brand equity. At Thrive we set a new standard for how a home improves life. That’s something our team, contractors, and customers get excited about. We can do the right thing for our community and the planet, and in the end, it’s also the right thing for our business.

PB: Other builders might say that you're taking risks by using fairly innovative methods, systems, and products in Panorama House to achieve your performance goals for the project, especially carbon neutrality. How do you respond to that perception, and how do you protect yourself from risk?

GM: In large part, our innovations follow the recommendations of the federal performance programs we adhere to, such as Energy Star, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home and EPA Indoor airPLUS. These recommendations are developed in conjunction with outside experts and national laboratories. 

We never adopt a method, system or product that isn’t code approved and endorsed by the experts, but we are early adopters of proven methods, systems and products. We are not putting ourselves, our homes, or our customers at risk with unproven approaches.

PB: What is your advice to a builder who wants to build better, with less impact, but doesn’t know where to go after meeting his or her local code?

GM: Don’t go it alone. The federal high-performance programs offer leadership, training and marketing support for participating builders.  

We have also benefited from fellowship with builders like us in the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA). With great training resources and shared experiences with other builders on the journey to high-performance building, EEBA is a great resource to take you from where you are to where you want to go.

Keep checking in with the Panorama Idea Home to see how Thrive incorporates their style of building into this high-performance luxury retreat.

Did you miss Part 1 of this interview? Read it now.

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Resources and links:

Zero Energy Ready Home Program https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home-program

Home Builder Foundation https://hbfdenver.org/

Homeaid Colorado https://www.homeaidcolorado.org/