Company News

We are excited to welcome a new member to our BrightBuilt Home team of designers and high-performance fanatics. Meet Alex Kieda, who joins us as our new Architectural Designer, bringing along his extensive experience in sustainable single-family homes and even some know-how in pre-fabricated builds! Originally from Massachusetts, Alex’s journey took him through UMass Amherst and Southern Connecticut before finding his way to Portland in search of new opportunities and a vibrant community.

Principal Parlin Meyer has been part of the BrightBuilt squad since back when the origin story was still being written. She initially landed at BrightBuilt Home thanks to a combination of timing and unique experiences, and there have been some notable milestones since it all began. Let’s dive into her story and discover more about her path, favorite moments, and passions outside of work.

We are excited to welcome a new member to our BrightBuilt Home team of designers and high-performance fanatics. Meet Michael, who joins us in the Construction Liaison role, bringing along his mastery in the building construction industry, a flair for crafting exquisite custom furniture, and a keen eye for photography! As a way to get to know her better, and to introduce him to our BrightBuilt family, we thought we’d ask Michael some of our signature pointed questions.

Together with our sister company, Kaplan Thompson Architects, we are proud to announce that the 2024 Jury of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Principal Jesse Thompson, FAIA, LEED AP, CPHC to its prestigious College of Fellows!

The world of architectural design is exciting, rewarding, and filled with creative people adept at finding solutions. So when we were approached by the team behind HGTV’s Celebrity IOU, we had a feeling that although we had no idea what to expect, we would be up for the challenge!

We are delighted to welcome Alex to the BrightBuilt Home team, where he will be bringing his expertise in client communications and account management to the Project Pilot role. As a way to get to know him better, and to introduce him to our BrightBuilt family, we thought we'd ask Alex some of our signature pointed questions.

...Just kidding. Her name is Parlin Meyer, and she's been part of the BrightBuilt squad since back when the origin story was still being written. Our office-everything-extraordinaire, Rachel, took a few minutes to sit down with Parlin for a fun and informal Q&A.

For the past three years, we’ve taken a day out of our regular work schedule to show up at the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland build site in Scarborough, where eight of thirteen homes are part of the Habitat program. These homes are designated for people who have a need for safe, affordable housing and have applied to be a Habitat homeowner. Once approved, Habitat homeowners partner with the organization throughout the process by helping with the building process and enrolling in home ownership classes. For most people, it isn’t only about having a stable and secure structure to protect them, but also represents a step toward building generational wealth.

Every year, we mark our calendars for a few key events that we make the most of with our in-house creative genius(es). This year, Adrienne (always up to something) and Ben (our new volunteer-in-chief) led the charge to pull together the annual Halloween ridiculousness. Everyone of course was willing to oblige.

The cooler temperatures have arrived, so it seemed like the perfect time to have an entire house go up in a day. The photos above show a custom BrightBuilt Home that was just set this week in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

In 2005, Keith Collins, a visionary entrepreneur (that's him on the left, below) hired Kaplan Thompson Architects (and that's Phil Kaplan there on the right, below) to help assemble a team to design and build him a revolutionary, forward-thinking moonshot of a project disguised as a barn, on his property in Rockport, Maine. It was to have ambitious goals of environmental responsibility, adaptability over time, replicability, attainability, and education potential inside what had to be a beautiful, liveable, timeless structure that looked like it had always been there.

Have you been watching the latest developments on accessory dwelling units? You might be interested in an exciting new offering that we’re rolling out here at BrightBuilt Home. We are officially announcing our new In-Law Flat and Guesthouse, as a featured addition to our current zero energy homes portfolio. With this home, we aim to meet new demands for accessory housing, and help current homeowners expand their options for housing family members, creating rental income, and creating opportunities for aging in place.

If you've been wishing for some added living space, we're cooking up the perfect solution for you!