At every turn in their house, the homeowners wanted unique finishes and features to catch your eye. Every room has its own sense of scale and proportion with a material palette that accentuates it and at the same time allows it to blend with the rest as one composition. This can be seen in the 25’ tall living room with its Coronado stone clad fireplace, in the round dining room with its domed painted ceiling that looks onto the feature oak tree, and in the kitchen/keeping room with its blend of art stone walls, natural wood stained cabinets and beams. To top it off, is a man cave with a unique bar area and an illuminating countertop of “Caesarstone Concetto Brown Agate” back-lit with LED lighting. From an energy savings standpoint, LED lighting is used throughout, and a solar panel system is installed on much of the south facing roof that supplements the home’s energy consumption. All in all this home exceeds the owners’ desires and expectations for their dream home.

Are you ready for a home that lives, works, and lasts better? Our Zero Energy Ready Homes are so energy efficient a renewable energy system can offset all or most of their annual energy consumption. We have designed these homes for you with our top-selling qualities of a custom home and more. Join us on our mission to make energy-efficient, safe, healthy, and sustainable, homes available to everyone. Builder: Younger Homes Architect: Danze and Davis Architects Designs: Rachel Farrington Photography: Cate Black Photo

Architect: Elizabeth Herrmann Photos: Susan Teare This 1100 sf 3-bedroom cottage in the Mad River valley was designed by architect Elizabeth Herrmann for a family of four who dreamed of downsizing and reducing energy consumption. Sited on an east-facing slope with view over the Mad River, the little black house features a standing seam roof, triple-glazed windows from Alpen, and a high-performing insulation package. A small Morso woodstove provides heat in the winter. A single Mitsubishi heat pump provides cooling in the summer and backup heat in the winter. Water is heat by an electric heat pump water heater.

This unique project was for a very large front yard. The homeowner wanted a pond and stream that her kids and dogs could interact with as well as bring the large lawn to life. They were also very concerned with water consumption, as her front yard was entirely lawn before. We assured her that ponds use 50% less water than lawns and traditional landscaping. The home owners couldn't be happier with our work and even allow us to show off their garden in our yearly Pond Tour!

An unassuming decor piece, the Tower Tabletop Ethanol Fireplace uses its simplicity and clean lines to make its impact. Offered in your choice of stainless steel or steel powder-coated in lipstick red, stark white or black, this portable firepit is a beautiful accent in any space, anywhere - indoors and outdoors. Rectangular in shape, Tower uses two panes of tempered glass on the long sides for protection and to conserve fuel consumption as a wind breaker.

Introducing "LA Biomoph," a groundbreaking and eco-sustainable architectural vision that reimagines the luxury homes of Los Angeles. Meticulously crafted to align with the region's climate, LA Biomoph embraces nature-inspired solutions, delivering a harmonious living experience while addressing environmental challenges. At the core of LA Biomoph is a profound dedication to energy efficiency. Smartly utilizing natural elements, the architecture optimizes energy consumption with advanced insulation, reflective roofing, and passive cooling strategies like cross-ventilation and natural shading. Renewable energy integration is key, utilizing solar coatings on cladding and glazing to harness the abundant Californian sunshine and significantly reduce the development's carbon footprint. Water conservation takes center stage with rainwater harvesting systems and low-flow fixtures, responsibly managing the region's scarce water resources. LA Biomoph's impact extends beyond the buildings themselves, as native and drought-resistant plantings support local ecosystems and reduce water demand for landscaping. With a focus on sustainable construction practices, the use of recycled and locally sourced materials minimizes environmental impact. Committed to sustainability, LA Biomoph emphasizes waste reduction and recycling during construction. Natural ventilation through operable windows complements the design, providing fresh air and mild weather cooling, thereby reducing the need for artificial cooling. With cool roofing materials that reflect sunlight, LA Biomoph ensures indoor comfort while mitigating the urban heat island effect. The architecture maximizes natural daylight, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing reliance on artificial lighting. LA Biomoph's adaptive design ensures longevity, accommodating evolving needs and future sustainable technologies.

REE-FULL-PIN-BAM - Reed - Ash Pendant - Full - Hoop Pine Reed was inspired by the simplicity found within nature and from observations David made of how bunches of corn and rushes are gathered with strings around the middle. The design remains unchanged from when it was first made by David .

KIN-1000-NAT-NAT - Kina - Bamboo Pendant - 40 - Natural Kina references the inner shell of the local salt water sea-urchin called kina in Maori. David saw a kina shell in Antarctica – an exquisite jewel sunk in a tiny hollow in the sea ice. The shell had absorbed enough warmth from the sun to melt the ice around it.

Our brief was to completely update and refresh the overall quality of the home, significantly reduce energy and water consumption, while retaining the resort-like original concept and layout.

The client's helped guiding the layout design, which I later complemented by curating colors and materials to create a harmonious and functional space in the waterfront kitchen renovation. By reusing these essential elements, we aimed to minimize resource consumption and reduce the environmental impact. This eco-conscious approach not only respects the client's budget but also aligns with a commitment to sustainability

Energy consumption in the open floor plan house was important to control so 2x6 exterior walls were used with a combination of pellet stove, fireplace and forded hot air with central air conditioning. Large southern windows at a designed slope allow winter sun to penetrate deep into the living area while high summer heat are primary blocked by the 2' overhangs on the roofing structure. Everything from the location of the stairway to large centrally located ceiling fans help circulate airflow throughout the home at an even and efficient rate. Photography by Design Imaging Studios

While being the new kid on the block, this home was designed to be a good neighbor to it's older surroundings. Progressive in materiality, fenestration and detailing but sympathetic in scale and form. It provides the homeowners privacy from the street but is very open to the backyard and the southern sun exposure afforded there. While the home is not certified, it subscribes to many Passive House principles which means it provides a very comfortable environment with good indoor air quality as well as reducing energy consumption. To further tread lightly on the planet, the home is all electric thereby directly excluding the use of fossil fuels. Alternative energy is provided by geothermal and solar photovoltaic systems. The homeowners are also big proponents of local bike culture and have prioritized bike use with an attached bike garage that also serves as a space for training and repairs, and a small bike trail looping the urban property.

McKeesport Downtown Housing, formerly a YMCA, is an 84-unit SRO for people at risk of homelessness. The old brick and terracotta building was important historically for McKeesport. The decision to design the project to Passive House criteria actually went a long way to making the pro-forma work. This project was the first large scale retrofit to be designed to meet Passive House Standards in the US. Another major concern of the project team was to maintain the historic charm of the building. Space was at a premium and a reorganization of space allowed for making larger resident rooms. Through a community process with various stakeholders, amenities were identified and added to the project, including a community room, a bike storage area, exterior smoking balconies, single-user rest rooms, a bed bug room for non-toxic treatment of bed bugs, and communal kitchens to provide healthy options for food. The renovation includes new additional lighting, air-conditioning, make-up air and ventilation systems, an elevator, and cooking facilities. A cold-weather shelter, 60-day emergency housing, bridge housing, and section 8 apartment rentals make up the housing programs within the shelter. Thoughtful Balance designed the interiors, and selected the furniture for durability and resistance to bed bugs. The project team worked closely with Zola Windows to specify a unique uPVC window that not only offers passive house performance levels at an affordable cost, but also harmonizes with the building’s historic aesthetic. Zola’s American Heritage SDH (simulated double hung) from the popular, budget-friendly Thermo uPVC line was specified for the project. The windows implemented in this project feature a lower tilt & turn window and a fixed upper for maximum airtightness and thermal performance. The implementation of these windows helped the project team achieve a very significant energy consumption reduction of at least 75%. Photographer: Alexander Denmarsh

This project designed by Giuseppe Abbrancati and built by the Gappsi Group professionals. Starting with the removal of the existing and old oval swimming pool, it was built originally too high in one of the backyard corners and surrounded by overgrown landscape. The pool area was neither attractive or practical. The new pool and patio design process took a few months before the customer was completely happy and convinced that the old pool had to go. Once that was finalized, a total transformation of the backyard layout and landscape took place. Due to the grade changes, the pool had to be lowered and a Nicolock Mini Colonial wall was built to retain the flowerbed soil. New rectangular concrete walls and a liner swimming pool was built along one side of the property, which allowed the grass area to be extended towards the pool. The swimming pool is equipped with many options including a safety auto cover that can be opened in one minute and also works as a solar cover. The auto cover also allows the customers to use the pool much longer during the year, starting from April 15 to October 15. This also saves in heating costs by preventing most of the heat evaporating in colder nights, and also in chemical consumption, maintenance of the water, and cleaning of the pool. A gas heater was also installed, along with a salt chlorine generator, LED lights, a fiberglass spa built next to the pool with a spillover, 2 sheer descent water features installed on the opposite to the spa, and an automation system that allows the homeowner to totally control pool, spa, lights, and heater from his or her smart phone. The swimming pool is 3 to 6 feet deep and it has full steps across the shallow area. The swimming pool coping, patio, and backyard sliding door steps were all built using Fiorito travertine pavers selected from the Gappsi showroom. if in need of a Pool And Patio Contractor contact Gappsi at 631-543-1177

This innovative and sleekly designed LED wall sconce provides the perfect solution for your lighting needs. By adjusting the directional panels, you can create the most original effect in your setting. 7W, 3000°K, 2x300 Lumens Over 50,000 hours of service life Warm white light output Up and down lighting Easily adjustable lighting angle from 0° to 92° Low power consumption 120V AC direct connection Excellent color rendering Superior color consistency Directional lighting KEY FEATURES Directional panels to control uplight and downlight Installation on standard 4” junction box Completely screwless design

As the younger generation gradually became the main group of social consumption. Modern style furniture is getting more and more like people. In recent years, we have received a lot of custom home furniture orders from Europe, America and Southeast Asia. Whether it is apartments, villas or their own houses, modern style furniture orders account for the majority, and they all tend to customize full house furniture.It can ensure that both the custom cabinet and the loose furniture can maintain the same style. Let us now take a look at one of our custom-built fullhouse residential furniture project in Spain.

Architecture + Construction + Interiors + Landscaping by: CO-LAB Photography: Cesar Bejar Tucked into a lush landscape of Areca Palms, Casa Areca was carefully positioned on a narrow lot to preserve existing trees and palms. Designed as a vacation home, Casa Areca, features 4 en-suite bedrooms on the 1st floor - allowing for an open ground floor plan. The kitchen, dining and living room are spatially integrated and open to the exterior through retractable and or pivoting floor to ceiling glass doors. A wrap-around deck frames the pool and private gardens. A stone wall built from the stone that was excavated to build the pool and cisterns provides a backdrop to the pool gardens. Built from CMU blocks and reinforced concrete the walls of the house are finished with white polished cement techniques. Light grey polished cement floors complement the walls to create a soft color pallet to better contrast the bespoke furnishings designed by CO-LAB and built with Yucatan artisans. The wood for the project was locally harvested from a tree farm and treated to match the soft color pallet carried throughout the house - providing warmth and tranquility. The electrical consumption of the house is offset by a solar panel system to reduce carbon emissions. An abundance of windows carefully oriented to capture prevailing breezes, keep the house cool and fresh throughout the year, creating a peaceful atmosphere optimal for unwinding after a beach day. The front façade which faces east was cast in place against a formwork of local wooden sticks - resulting in a palimpsest wall – displaying the journey of the sun and shadows each morning

Architecture + Construction + Interiors + Landscaping by: CO-LAB Photography: Cesar Bejar Tucked into a lush landscape of Areca Palms, Casa Areca was carefully positioned on a narrow lot to preserve existing trees and palms. Designed as a vacation home, Casa Areca, features 4 en-suite bedrooms on the 1st floor - allowing for an open ground floor plan. The kitchen, dining and living room are spatially integrated and open to the exterior through retractable and or pivoting floor to ceiling glass doors. A wrap-around deck frames the pool and private gardens. A stone wall built from the stone that was excavated to build the pool and cisterns provides a backdrop to the pool gardens. Built from CMU blocks and reinforced concrete the walls of the house are finished with white polished cement techniques. Light grey polished cement floors complement the walls to create a soft color pallet to better contrast the bespoke furnishings designed by CO-LAB and built with Yucatan artisans. The wood for the project was locally harvested from a tree farm and treated to match the soft color pallet carried throughout the house - providing warmth and tranquility. The electrical consumption of the house is offset by a solar panel system to reduce carbon emissions. An abundance of windows carefully oriented to capture prevailing breezes, keep the house cool and fresh throughout the year, creating a peaceful atmosphere optimal for unwinding after a beach day. The front façade which faces east was cast in place against a formwork of local wooden sticks - resulting in a palimpsest wall – displaying the journey of the sun and shadows each morning

Named after a local crustacean, the Periwinkle Project design by Beaumont Concepts promotes harmony with the natural coastal surrounds and addresses sustainability from construction to consumption of resources over the life cycle of the home. The compact, cost effective home is successful in responding to constraints of the site. The home sits comfortably within the site and actively benefits from it with passive solar principals and energy efficiency and environmentally conscious provision of thermal mass.