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Principals
Michael N. Trolle
Project management
Mike brings 15 years of experience in residential construction
and development to the table. He is passionate about building
the best homes that traditional craftsmanship integrated with
advanced building science and green building strategies can
produce. Since 1998, Mike has studied with leaders in the field
of residential building science and green building in order
to stay at the cutting edge in the field.
In 2000, Mike built the first American Lung Association Health
House in the state of Connecticut. In 2004, he built the HOBI*
award-winning home for the “Best Energy Efficient and Healthy
Home” in Connecticut. More recently, he managed the gut
rehab of two antique homes along with the construction of two
new homes on a small site in downtown Ridgefield for a local
developer, all four achieving high scores on the HERS home rating
scale.
Mike is the volunteer coordinator for the USGBC’s LEED
for Homes program in Connecticut. He served for ten years on
the Affordable Housing Committee in Ridgefield where he helped
to change zoning regulations to permit accessory apartments,
to build a home for developmentally impaired adults, and to build
twenty new units of affordable housing, slated for occupancy
in late 2007.
Mike’s background includes twelve years at CB Richard Ellis,
a commercial real estate company, where he was 1st Vice President.
During this time, he brokered transactions worth over $300,000,000
and was twice a member of the company’s elite Colbert Coldwell
Circle. Previously he taught secondary english for four years.
Mike has earned a BA in geography, an MA in American literature,
and an ABC (advanced business) certificate from the UCONN MBA
program.
Christopher T. Trolle, PE
Project management and consulting
Chris is a licensed professional engineer (PE) in Connecticut
and New York with over 20 years experience in construction management;
project estimating; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems design; and energy-use assessments and audits.
As a result of this work, Chris has developed a keen grasp of
advanced building science principles that allows him to resolve
unusual problems and to educate others on the building and how
its many systems interrelate.
In recent times, Chris has managed the construction of several
noteworthy green homes, including the first home in Connecticut
to receive certification under the LEED for Homes pilot program.
Another new home he completed was awarded the 2006 HOBI* award
for the “Best Energy Efficient and Healthy Home” in
Connecticut.
In addition to residential project management, Chris has assisted
builders and homeowners in his capacity as both a licensed engineer
and a certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater, providing
ENERGY STAR® ratings for new homes in New York and Connecticut.
He also provides expert witness testimony related to building
science and mechanical issues. This diagnostic and evaluation
work has provided Chris with a unique perspective on the problems
and opportunities associated with both new and existing homes
in the region.
Chris is an ASHRAE member (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration,
and Air Conditioning Engineers); NSPE member (National Society
of Professional Engineers); and a member of Building Performance
Contractors Association of New York.
Andrew (Andy) Engel
Consulting
Andy Engel has worked in residential building
since 1979, starting as a carpenter and eventually becoming
a general contractor.
In 1996, Andy hired on with Fine Homebuilding magazine as an
assistant editor, leaving there in 2004 when he was its executive
editor. His chief editorial interests at the magazine were
home energy and trim carpentry. Because Fine Homebuilding afforded
him the chance to work with the country’s leading experts
in both fields, he compares his time there to a graduate level
course in building.
Since 2004, Andy has combined his passions to work as a freelance
writer, home energy consultant, and occasionally as a carpenter.
* sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Connecticut
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