Architect: M3 Architecture Inc.
Interior Design: Mocoro Studio
We recently completed a development project in the Pemberton Heights area of North Vancouver. These 2 houses were built to benefit the long-term durability through the selection of efficient materials and process which will give a longer lifespan with lower maintenance and energy costs. This project was a perfect fit for us to assist in the design and execute the construction while working with some outstanding clients and consultants. A win for all of us! 
The original home was recycled hitting our target goals of 90%, leading way to a couple of stealth looking homes with performance levels right there with the best of them. Our mechanical engineer designed the mechanical systems to achieve maximum efficiency and hit our internal target goals that we have set for ourselves in accordance with our Vision here at Naikoon. These homes came in at EnerGuide score of 85% which can also be referenced in GJ with a score of 54GJ. To give you an idea of how this rating relates to an average home of this size, these 2 beauties on Mackay are about 80% more efficient. The main components in the design and equipment selection that leads to this are:
1) Space heating and Cooling
2) Water Heating
3) Lights and Appliances
4) Wall assemblies and insulation

Like all of our projects, we take pride in looking at the small details of the house. Things like, insulated water lines, domestic hot water heat recovery units, electric car plug-ins, solar power ready, extensive use of environmentally friendly materials, hot water heat pumps and stringent testing and inspection point along the way, led to a successful completion of 2 certified high-performance homes with Built Green Platinum and EnergyStar certifications. Photo credits: vopenhouse.ca

Photography by Natalie Marotta Bungalows are lovable homes, but how can they be better? Along with many of our clients, we find that older (early 20th c.) homes have a lot of character and a comfortable scale, but are leaky, damp (especially in the basement), have fair to poor air quality, and use unconscionable amounts of fossil fuels to heat. The owners of this bungalow were ready to change that, and wanted to do so with minimal upfront carbon emissions as well. The gut renovation included replacing the basement slab and providing capillary breaks and insulation continuously below grade. The brick structure was treated with a fluid-applied air and water barrier from the interior and insulated entirely with cellulose, a carbon-storing insulation. The roof used HFO-blown spray foam to provide sufficient insulation while allowing headroom for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. One great benefit of a full renovation is the possibility of reconfiguring spaces to suit the family’s lifestyle, and to make the best of indoor-outdoor connections. We opened up the main rooms on the first floor, creating a family gathering spot with a view to the back yard, and a spacious kitchen that supports the family’s commitment to cooking for healthy eating. The stair uses a north-facing skylight to bring light from above into the middle of the home, where it was previously dark. As a decarbonization retrofit, the inefficient furnace was replaced with two small ducted heat pump systems, water heating and clothes drying are powered by air-source heat pumps, and cooking uses an induction cooktop plus electric ovens. Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered fresh air continuous exhaust from the kitchen, baths, and laundry, and supplies fresh, highly filtered air to bedrooms and living spaces. The Better Bungalow now makes sense for the 21st century–it now fits the owners’ life-patterns, is super comfortable, has great air quality, and uses a fraction of the energy it did before, greatly lowering the demand on the utility grid. In the near future, when solar PV is installed, it can achieve net zero or near net zero emissions, and with battery backup, can provide great resilience in the event of power outages.

Example of a beach style bedroom design in Orange County

This dining room is conveniently located right off the kitchen, making it ideal for overflow during gatherings. It also benefits from abundant natural sunlight, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere. Additionally, the dry bar offers excellent potential for extra storage and is perfect for entertaining guests.

Kitchen - coastal l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen idea in Other with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

Beach style porch idea in Charleston

Dining room - transitional dining room idea in New York

Modern Kitchen Designed and Built with Custom Cabinetry in this new construction home in Oklahoma. While preparing to build his new ICF home on the edge of a lake, our client hired us to design and build every room inside the home, including this Modern Kitchen. Beginning with our custom frameless cabinetry with slab doors, we used a finish that provides a soft and luxurious feel in matte black and grey. Interior storage features were added to provide full function, even with tall or deep cabinets. The island was finished with the stone veneer panels in the front, with an electric trash slide out on the user side. To provide even more functionality, the Galley Ideal Workstation was placed in the island, opposite the Thermador Freedom Induction cooktop in against the wall. (If you are not familiar with the benefits Induction offers, watch our video tutorial here: Induction.) Other design elements include our custom, hand=made bronze venthood, and the painstaking placement of the multiple leg pendant lighting over the island. We created a truly functional kitchen for the modern chef!

With their children growing up, Mr & Mrs Hills in Southend-On-Sea decided it was time to give their much loved family kitchen a well deserved renovation, creating a space for all the family to use and enjoy. They wanted a kitchen that had plenty of storage and was user friendly for all the family, so commissioned Burlanes to transform their cramped and dated kitchen into a spacious and open-plan room. Walking into Burlanes Chelmsford, the couple took an instant like to our Wellsdown kitchen; our take on the classic Georgian country kitchen; built on the notions of good proportions and symmetry, combining traditional charm with all the benefits of modern living.

Welcome to a harmonious blend of form and function, where the timeless elegance of mid-century modern design meets the visionary touches of Rudolph Schindler. This ADU, meticulously crafted by Natasha Jansz Design in collaboration with architect Mark Nichols of MNichols Design, redefines compact living with style and sophistication. Key Features: Iconic Aesthetics: Embrace clean lines, natural materials, and an open, airy layout inspired by the mid-century modern ethos. Schindler's Influence: Experience innovative space utilization and indoor-outdoor fluidity, hallmarks of Rudolph Schindler’s architectural genius. Thoughtful Design: Every detail, from the bespoke cabinetry to the curated color palette, reflects Natasha Jansz’s dedication to creating beautiful, functional spaces. Architectural Expertise: Benefit from the architectural brilliance of Mark Nichols, whose expertise ensures a seamless integration of form and function. Step inside and find yourself transported to a space where past and present seamlessly converge, offering a serene retreat that celebrates both style and substance. *Photography by Amy Bartlem

This Gold-LEED home, selected for Domus Best Houses award and nominated for Frame House of the Year Award, it is called Cocoon because its round walls form a Cocoon shape towards northern and western neighbors. This rounded enclosed half of the house provides shelter and privacy. The other glass side of the house, facing south, takes in ocean breezes and open views. The cedar shingle cladding blends in with the historic neighborhood and benefits from local craft traditions. By tuning in to given site conditions, and with the help of environmental technologies such as photovoltaic panels and reflecting rainwater cistern, architectural design serves both the environment and wellbeing.

While preparing to build their new ICF home in Arcadia, our clients hired EKB to create a modern kitchen that would reflect their lifestyle desires. We call this “The Edge”. This project was all about clean lines while maintaining interest and an inviting warmth in the home. Our custom cabinetry was created with flat panel doors and drawers with laminate finishes for an easy to maintain surface with a modern, crisp edge. Quartz from Dekton – Helena, evokes the feeling of clouds as it soars above the cooktop in a gradated design that was echoed in the hidden channel pulls on the cabinetry below. The Thermador appliances included paneled refrigerator and freezer flanking the induction cooktop and custom vent hood. (If you are not familiar with the benefits Induction offers, watch our video tutorial here: Induction.) Other design elements include our low-bar seating at the island which also incorporates a Galley Workstation Sink. In the tall cabinet to the right of the ovens you will notice the open space below. This allows their robot vacuum to roam freely at the specified time while placing itself out of sight when not in use. As you tour our portfolio, you will see a wide range of styles from Rustic to Ultra Modern. EKB Home does not have one particular style that we “do”. In fact, we strive to make each project unique so that each of our homeowners has something special. This one is just that! For this project, our homeowners invited us into the process before their home was even in the framing stage, allowing us to carefully refine the kitchen and pantry layout long before the finishes were installed. Thoughtful planning during construction leads to a more functional, elevated, and beautifully finished home.

The chalet offers a large open living space, surrounded by windows arranged in a rhythm that mimics the openings in a forest. This arrangement gives the impression of being among the trees while benefiting from an air-conditioned environment. Everywhere you turn, a window opens to the outdoors, inviting nature inside and creating a feeling of total immersion.

Wide sweeping windows up to 13’ and full-lite doors were installed throughout the home preserving the unobstructed views from the home. Additionally, four 12’ wide Lift and Slide doors were installed in the living room and dining room. Increased natural light, fewer framing members, and the ability to open the door wide for indoor/outdoor living are just a few of the benefits of such large sliding doors. The rear of the home takes full advantage of the expansive marine landscape with full height windows and doors. Glo A5h and A5s Series were selected with concealed hinges. The Glo A5h, hidden sash, ensures that operational windows share the same profile thickness as fixed units. A uniform and cohesive look adds simplicity to the overall aesthetic, supporting the minimalist design. The A5s is Glo’s slimmest profile, allowing for more glass, less frame, and wider sight lines. The concealed hinge creates a clean interior look while also providing a more energy efficient air-tight window. The increased performance is also seen in the triple pane glazing used in both series. The windows and doors alike provide a larger continuous thermal break, multiple air seals, high performance spacers, low-e glass, and argon filled glazing, with U-values as low as 0.20. Energy efficiency and effortless minimalism creates a breathtaking Scandinavian-style remodel.

Example of a trendy bathroom design in Tampa

Living room - transitional living room idea in Dallas

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to match the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who cannot live tiny, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design Assistance Jimmy Thornton

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to math the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who could not live in a tiny house, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design assistance by Jimmy Thornton

Alongside a backyard gazebo California natives such as Cleveland Sage, Redbud, Foothill Penstemon, and Canyon Dudleya announce spring.
Design ideas for a mid-sized rustic drought-tolerant backyard stone landscaping in San Francisco for spring.