Mitsubishi wall hung split ductless wall hung unit
Example of a mid-sized transitional open concept living room design in New York

Programmable Thermostat for under tile heat.
Inspiration for a timeless home design remodel in DC Metro

We gave our customer a spa-inspired master-bath update with the amenities to match. The space features a frameless glass shower, beautiful glass wall tiles with a stone-glass accent, glass corner shelves and a large niche. The large field tiles that make up the flooring in the rest of this spacious bathroom were installed over a heated floor system for maximum comfort and luxury. A large jetted tub, customized vanity storage, and granite counters complete the space.

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Photo by Alen Lin
Dining room - modern dining room idea in Los Angeles

Photo Credit: Andrew Beasley
Living room - contemporary living room idea in London

Tuscan stone patio photo in Orange County with a gazebo

A rustic modern patio blends natural stone pavers, warm wood accents, and seamless mountain views, crafting an inviting and sustainable outdoor living space in this organic mountain home.

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

G Family Construction
Example of a cottage galley concrete floor and gray floor open concept kitchen design in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets and an island

Inspiration for a coastal living room remodel in San Francisco

Large southwest wooden floating open and glass railing staircase photo in Phoenix

Cottage home design photo in Portland

Ground up net-zero energy home featuring an 11kW solar array and mechanized windows. The building envelope was constructed using insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panels, resulting in an airtight structure ideal for maximizing thermal efficiency. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed to refresh the airtight, indoor environment. The home also employs an air source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water, which is distributed via an in-floor hydronic radiant heat system.

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.

Ground up net-zero energy home featuring an 11kW solar array and mechanized windows. The building envelope was constructed using insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panels, resulting in an airtight structure ideal for maximizing thermal efficiency. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed to refresh the airtight, indoor environment. The home also employs an air source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water, which is distributed via an in-floor hydronic radiant heat system.

The qv36a gas fireplace offers control and performance with the ability to comfortably heat multiple rooms throughout the home. Optional Heat Zone kits allow the efficient heat from the qv36a to be moved to other rooms, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. The safety pilot system and sealed combustion design of the qv36a improve efficiency and produce reliable heat on demand. Customize the qv36a with a stunning array of durable fronts in a variety of finishes providing the perfect accent to any room.

The Montebello DLXCD Direct-Vent Fireplace offers the versatility and performance necessary to make it a stunning centerpiece for any home. With a sleek contemporary burner and multiple colors of glass media available, the Montebello DLXCD can complement any style. The focal point of the Montebello DLXCD is its exceptionally tall, dancing flame seen through an expansive ceramic-glass opening for unmatched clarity and radiance. A vast array of glass media colors gives further ability to customize the look to add warmth and ambiance and value to your home. Aesthetics Smooth-faced design features ceramic glass for optimum heat transfer. Powerful burner system produces tall, dancing flames. Clean-face design provides a seamless, built-in look. Tall opening provides an exceptional view of the fire and interior panels. Contemporary glossy black porcelain panels amplify the look of the flame. Alternate glass media colors gives further ability to customize the look. Comfort Clean-face design features ceramic glass for optimum heat transfer and safety. Adjustable flame height gives you full control of heat output. Intermittent pilot ignition includes battery backup to provide continued operation in the event of a power outage. Ease of Operation Full-function remote offers an array of controls, including modulating flame height. Gas controls are conveniently located to the side of the fireplace opening for easy installation and operation. Design Versatility Contemporary design includes your choice of glass media options to suit your taste and complement any home decor. Decorative free standing screen kits available. This fireplace meets all 2015 ANSI barrier requirements.