June 1 2023

Who they are: A line of designs by Kaplan Thompson Architects in collaboration with Keiser Homes—high-performance homes that reach a demographic who might not otherwise have access to net-zero-level performance in a new house.

Kelly Dawson, April 1, 2025

Featured in Dwell's "Budget Breakdown" series, a $1.1M BrightBuilt Home prefab in St. George, Maine helped a client start fresh. The Little Diamond model provided the cozy, energy-efficient hideaway she envisioned.

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Parlin Meyer, April 1, 2025

BrightBuilt Home serves as a case study in "How energy modeling can set you up for success," demonstrating how advanced software and building science create high-performance homes. This Building Science: 101 article, authored by BrightBuilt Home Managing Principal, Parlin Meyer showcases how energy modeling guides design choices to optimize aesthetics, performance, and cost.

Parlin Meyer, October 1, 2024

BrightBuilt Home's kitchens demonstrate the evolution toward healthier appliances by using induction cooktops and energy-efficient appliances that improve air quality while reducing energy consumption.

Parlin Meyer, April 1, 2024

BrightBuilt Home exemplifies sensible swaps for high-performance through building science principles that create energy-smart and stylish homes, such as incorporating practical approaches to air sealing, insulation, and energy efficiency.

Kelly Dawson, January 1, 2024

Solar arrays and superior insulation enable net-zero living in cold climates through these innovative prefab residences. Born from the acclaimed BrightBuilt Barn, BrightBuilt Home now offers 20 different models designed to disrupt residential construction with climate-responsible, high-performance homes.

June Donenfled, October 1, 2025

High-performance prefab small homes showcase how ADUs meet Maine's growing need for sustainable housing. Four BrightBuilt Home designs—Torrey, Highland, Sterling and Jordan—demonstrate net-zero performance with double-stud walls, cellulose insulation, and energy systems that produce as much as they consume.

Parlin Meyer, October 1, 2023

Simple structural design unlocks the potential of sustainable living through BrightBuilt Home's approach to minimizing environmental impact. Custom designs demonstrate how keeping structures simple reduces air leakage, conserves materials, and optimizes surface-area-to-volume ratios for maximum energy efficiency.

Parlin Meyer, October 1, 2023

High-performance homes require careful consideration when adding fireplaces due to tightly sealed building envelopes. BrightBuilt Home demonstrates how electric stoves combine ambience, efficiency, and safety while offering sustainable alternatives to traditional fireplaces without compromising air quality.

Sarah Stebbins, October 1, 2023

Sustainable, stylish homes showcase Maine's move toward tighter, cleaner, self-sustaining houses. One couple chose a semi-custom approach, expanding BrightBuilt Home's farmhouse-esque Cushing model with 11-inch-thick cellulose-insulated walls, triple-glazed windows, and net-zero capability while saving thousands in design fees.

Parlin Meyer, October 1, 2023

Simple structural design unlocks the potential of sustainable living through BrightBuilt Home's approach to minimizing environmental impact. Custom designs demonstrate how keeping structures simple reduces air leakage, conserves materials, and optimizes surface-area-to-volume ratios for maximum energy efficiency.

Ian Lenahan, May 1, 2023

Glenn Close teams up with HGTV's Property Brothers to surprise her friend Robin with a backyard makeover in Eliot, Maine. The Scott brothers partnered with Portland's BrightBuilt Home to build a nearly 500-square-foot Sterling model ADU that was delivered by crane as part of the Celebrity IOU episode.

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Katherine Guadet, April 1 2023

A couple transformed BrightBuilt Home's Sidekick model into a high-performance modular retreat in East Boothbay. Working with architectural designer Jessica Benner, they customized the 850-square-foot design with a shed roof and clerestory windows. They also placed the building in such a way that it integrated seamlessly with the nature around it, creating a zero-energy home that fit right in to the local landscape.

Parlin Meyer, April 1, 2023

Understanding building science concepts ensures deck and porch safety and durability for extending living space outdoors. BrightBuilt Home designs demonstrate proper waterproofing, structural connections, and material selection that withstand Maine's harsh conditions while maximizing the use of three-season outdoor spaces.

Katrina Lane, July 15, 2020

The BrightBuilt Barn, designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and built by USA-based Bensonwood, is demonstrating what the next generation of sustainable building practices could look like. The net-zero building is designed with future adaptations in mind, allowing the building to change over time, adapting to both use and the environment.

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Camille LeFevre, April 13, 2020

They started researching comfortable, energy-efficient homes and found BrightBuilt Home in Portland, Maine. Kaplan Thompson Architects launched the modular-home company in 2013. They created it "to address a growing desire in the marketplace for high-performance homes," says Parlin Meyer, director, and a Certified Passive House Consultant.

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Lucy Wang, November 11, 2019

From the use of structural insulated panels to achieving net-zero energy capability, these New England firms are paving the way for energy-efficient prefab construction.‍

Jesse Ellison, May 2, 2019

Cappelletti and Mottram are among a number of local pros putting their efforts into eco-conscious subdivisions, a trend that has taken off in California, where all new homes must be net-zero by 2020. Freeport’s Kelsey Brook encompasses 15 homes, including a few net-zero, modular ones by Portland’s BrightBuilt Home, that are required to meet one of several green-building standards.‍

Parlin Meyer, April 1, 2024

BrightBuilt Home exemplifies sensible swaps for high-performance through building science principles that create energy-smart and stylish homes, such as incorporating practical approaches to air sealing, insulation, and energy efficiency.

Erica L. Bartlett. December 17, 2018

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, or ADUs, are coming back into fashion, and that’s a good thing for Maine. If you’re not familiar with the term, you might know them as in-law apartments, granny flats, carriage houses, basement or garage apartments. But the names don’t tell the story behind ADUs or all the benefits they offer.