Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

The Caribbean Collection has the feel of an ocean beach resort. All our furniture designs can withstand high winds, exposure to salt and inclement weather. Our brand has expanded to an international ocean reach. Every piece that we design has a path to nature, saving our tropical forests. Our patio furniture's green footprint, brings the peace of mind to our clients that they are encompassing an organic feel to their outdoor living experience. Our timber framed furniture is built to last for generations of enjoyment.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

The full size swimming pool uses a salt water filtration system instead of chlorine, which is great for people with sensitive skin. The pool's mechanical elements are easily accessible but out of the way – tucked behind the trees and boulder wall. Night lighting adds to the ambience but also helps the family navigate their way around the backyard as day turns into night. Audio speakers dot the plant beds for a surround sound experience.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

The clients chose elegant clean-lined pavers in a random pattern for the new patio areas surrounding the pool. The clients love their new patio and pondless waterfall. Not only do they find themselves outside more often enjoying nature’s sights and sounds, they have room for parties and entertaining. In fact, their perfect backyard was there all along -- it just needed a vision to bring it out. This compacting process is not done by many contractors. The idea is that using compacted soil the base will not settle, so you don’t have to wait to install a patio around a new pool. Many contractors still install concrete slabs under their patio. In our experience we find this does not work well. Settling still occurs under the slab allowing the patio to crack or settle. After the base materials were finished, we installed chestnut-hued durable pavers from Cambridge (Sahara). These particular pavers have little or no color fade and the random design pattern adds interest to the patio. The pavers’ protective coating means these clients will have a clean-lined modern look. Even after being subjected to snow plowing, de-icing salts and normal wear, they will keep their color and beautiful appearance.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

This Doylestown, PA pool has a unique Tiki Bar. In addition it has all the water features an in ground pool can have, a huge paver patio pool deck, a fire feature, and to top it all off a low voltage lighting system that really brings the party to life at night. Lets not forget the pool house, and matching paver stone driveway entrance. This outdoor living space has it all and then some. A very impressive space. The water features include a raised heated spa, a large sun-shelf, a cozy corner, a boulder waterfall, water jet streams, and colored led night lights. The fire feature includes a natural boulder fire pit which is both elemental and essential to make this space a well rounded outdoor experience. A unique feature is the Tiki bar hut which just makes such a cool element for entertaining guests during parties. Lastly, a convenient pool house makes this place stand out as an awesome pool project.

Thank you Alvin and Ginny for sharing the experience of building your swimming pool dreams
Pool - mid-sized mediterranean backyard stone and rectangular lap pool idea in San Francisco