Inside and out, this is a complete “green” house. Designed using Passive House methodology with energy consultant CTI, the house achieves 70% better energy performance than a new built-to-code house, while stylishly fitting the block. Walls and roofs were constructed from 12” Structural Insulated Panels, and triple-glazed Loewen windows completed the high-performance thermal package. Materials and fixtures were selected for efficiency, recycled content, local production, non-toxicity, and durability. Landscape design uses native plantings, a water garden, and permeable paving. As an all-electric house, it uses heat pumps for space conditioning and water heating, and features a pellet stove for supplemental space heating.

Inside and out, this is a complete “green” house. Designed using Passive House methodology with energy consultant CTI, the house achieves 70% better energy performance than a new built-to-code house, while stylishly fitting the block. Walls and roofs were constructed from 12” Structural Insulated Panels, and triple-glazed Loewen windows completed the high-performance thermal package. Materials and fixtures were selected for efficiency, recycled content, local production, non-toxicity, and durability. Landscape design uses native plantings, a water garden, and permeable paving. As an all-electric house, it uses heat pumps for space conditioning and water heating, and features a pellet stove for supplemental space heating.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

Harbor Gray. Contemporary wood finishes with glaze. Beautiful multi-step has wonderful color control. Arbor Mills offers beautiful furniture finishing using technologies from all over the world designed for performance and durability. We formulate all of our colors in-house and design finish schedules in our laboratory to reproduce faithfully, historically significant and exotic special effects in any blend. Our multi-step finishes offer endless creative and dramatic finish effects, and our methodologies and proprietary techniques make any finish available to you.

Inside and out, this is a complete “green” house. Designed using Passive House methodology with energy consultant CTI, the house achieves 70% better energy performance than a new built-to-code house, while stylishly fitting the block. Walls and roofs were constructed from 12” Structural Insulated Panels, and triple-glazed Loewen windows completed the high-performance thermal package. Materials and fixtures were selected for efficiency, recycled content, local production, non-toxicity, and durability. Landscape design uses native plantings, a water garden, and permeable paving. As an all-electric house, it uses heat pumps for space conditioning and water heating, and features a pellet stove for supplemental space heating.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

The Magpies are delighted! This stunning project is nestled in the South Australian country township of Willunga, whose name is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning “The locality of green trees”. During the course of the renovations a family of 11 magpies swooped in and now call this abundantly treed property ‘Home’. The clever design frames the natural views to the north, uninhibited by the alfresco structure. Passive solar design methodology is employed by utilising optimal eaves overhang allowing warming winter sun to penetrate into the interior of the building, whilst excluding the harsh rays during summer. A blending of the old and new help to keep a sense of history whilst combining a modern, natural feel with a semi industrial working space. Bringing the outdoors in by maximising the views of the abundant vegetation and birdlife is a feature of this addition. Well known local identities, and the owners of this spectacular building, are now enjoying their lifestyle passion for preparing food and entertaining in this enlarged, purpose built space…. As are their fine feathered friends.

This is a private residence that was constructed primarily of “uncut sticks” which utilized the standard length framing members, i.e. stud wall lumber. What’s unique about this method is that they were designed and nailed into place without cutting them and were cut only to frame windows and doors. The dimensions of the framing members as found in the lumber yard determined the height, width and depth of this design. The design approach is derived from the project developer’s request to implement cost savings methodologies that would allow custom, modern architecture that competes in price with the neo-colonial builder grade homes in the surrounding suburban neighborhood. To do this, he needed to build at the same price point as the comparable builder grade homes. Another benefit to this approach saved a significant amount of time in constructing the home. By not requiring the carpenters to trim all the framing members to meet predetermined dimensions, they were able to complete their work by carrying in two arms all of the leftover lumber remaining on the house. By eliminating construction waste and reducing labor, the project was able to achieve significant savings.

Exterior view of living room and backyard
Inspiration for a large contemporary multicolored one-story metal and shingle house exterior remodel in Los Angeles with a shingle roof

I am devoted to illuminating the carbon footprint a building leaves upon the planet. Therefore, my exterior and interior designs are focused on optimizing a building’s potential to react to, rather than impose upon, the landscape and surrounding elements. Each project is an opportunity to explore new avenues of state-of-the-art interior design, building science and construction methodologies. I like to state: “DESIGN IT SMART, BUILD IT STRONG, FINISH IT RIGHT!” Smart technology is factored into my designs so that a building can intuitively sense and change with the surrounding environment. Intuitive Smart Technology allows a building to perform as a self-contained and self-sustaining structure. For my residential clients, Intuitive Smart Technology provides a seamless integration of a home’s operational systems – and security rooms and safe haven is taking a lead in homes where privacy is of the utmost importance. My designers, planners and consultants, strive to achieve every project’s goal with a new and unique approach. We specialize in every aspect of design; ranging from branding to urban planning. Sandra Costa Design Group Is a firm with partners and networks all over the world. We have a global perspective, enhancing the outcome of our design. Our international reputation for innovative design and a unique view of design gives clients a new aperture to there project. I am always interested in hearing about a new project and can be reached at 310 874 3739 to discuss yours. Sandra Costa Exterior design and furniture by Sandra Costa Real Estate Images by Angelo Costa 310 985 5509

The site is located on the Mitchell House preparatory school campus in Polokwane. The client's brief called for an early childhood development centre which would accommodate 122 learners and requested that the building be evident of it's young and playful users. Curiosity, wonder and intrigue would become defining criteria in an attempt to create a conducive learning environment for young learners to grow, a building where children would be encouraged to interact with their environment. The construction methodology of the building would remain apparent, allowing its users to analyse the assembly of components. Due to the age group of the users, the building would need to function semi-autonomously from the rest of the school, while allowing for controlled interaction and inclusivity as is the norm for Mitchell House. A linear plan which coincides with the developmental progress of the learners was identified as the appropriate building typology. The spatial constraints of the site required this plan to be moulded into the available space between the existing infrastructure, however the linear process was maintained. From the access-controlled reception and administration area one would move past the creative arts and exhibition space towards the Northern wing where the youngest learners are taught. These would share connected ablutions and storerooms between classes to enable fluid movement and assistance throughout the teaching and service spaces. The East wing of the centre would house the elder learners who would be in the process of being integrated with the fabric of the main school campus. These classrooms include storage areas, however, have separate ablution facilities. The two wings of the building surround a courtyard where play and interaction are in abundance.

The shower is beautifully designed, with contrasting tiles that create a visually appealing and striking effect.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile, gray floor and double-sink freestanding bathtub remodel in Seattle with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a bidet, gray walls, a drop-in sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a built-in vanity

The site is located on the Mitchell House preparatory school campus in Polokwane. The client's brief called for an early childhood development centre which would accommodate 122 learners and requested that the building be evident of it's young and playful users. Curiosity, wonder and intrigue would become defining criteria in an attempt to create a conducive learning environment for young learners to grow, a building where children would be encouraged to interact with their environment. The construction methodology of the building would remain apparent, allowing its users to analyse the assembly of components. Due to the age group of the users, the building would need to function semi-autonomously from the rest of the school, while allowing for controlled interaction and inclusivity as is the norm for Mitchell House. A linear plan which coincides with the developmental progress of the learners was identified as the appropriate building typology. The spatial constraints of the site required this plan to be moulded into the available space between the existing infrastructure, however the linear process was maintained. From the access-controlled reception and administration area one would move past the creative arts and exhibition space towards the Northern wing where the youngest learners are taught. These would share connected ablutions and storerooms between classes to enable fluid movement and assistance throughout the teaching and service spaces. The East wing of the centre would house the elder learners who would be in the process of being integrated with the fabric of the main school campus. These classrooms include storage areas, however, have separate ablution facilities. The two wings of the building surround a courtyard where play and interaction are in abundance.

The site is located on the Mitchell House preparatory school campus in Polokwane. The client's brief called for an early childhood development centre which would accommodate 122 learners and requested that the building be evident of it's young and playful users. Curiosity, wonder and intrigue would become defining criteria in an attempt to create a conducive learning environment for young learners to grow, a building where children would be encouraged to interact with their environment. The construction methodology of the building would remain apparent, allowing its users to analyse the assembly of components. Due to the age group of the users, the building would need to function semi-autonomously from the rest of the school, while allowing for controlled interaction and inclusivity as is the norm for Mitchell House. A linear plan which coincides with the developmental progress of the learners was identified as the appropriate building typology. The spatial constraints of the site required this plan to be moulded into the available space between the existing infrastructure, however the linear process was maintained. From the access-controlled reception and administration area one would move past the creative arts and exhibition space towards the Northern wing where the youngest learners are taught. These would share connected ablutions and storerooms between classes to enable fluid movement and assistance throughout the teaching and service spaces. The East wing of the centre would house the elder learners who would be in the process of being integrated with the fabric of the main school campus. These classrooms include storage areas, however, have separate ablution facilities. The two wings of the building surround a courtyard where play and interaction are in abundance.

The site is located on the Mitchell House preparatory school campus in Polokwane. The client's brief called for an early childhood development centre which would accommodate 122 learners and requested that the building be evident of it's young and playful users. Curiosity, wonder and intrigue would become defining criteria in an attempt to create a conducive learning environment for young learners to grow, a building where children would be encouraged to interact with their environment. The construction methodology of the building would remain apparent, allowing its users to analyse the assembly of components. Due to the age group of the users, the building would need to function semi-autonomously from the rest of the school, while allowing for controlled interaction and inclusivity as is the norm for Mitchell House. A linear plan which coincides with the developmental progress of the learners was identified as the appropriate building typology. The spatial constraints of the site required this plan to be moulded into the available space between the existing infrastructure, however the linear process was maintained. From the access-controlled reception and administration area one would move past the creative arts and exhibition space towards the Northern wing where the youngest learners are taught. These would share connected ablutions and storerooms between classes to enable fluid movement and assistance throughout the teaching and service spaces. The East wing of the centre would house the elder learners who would be in the process of being integrated with the fabric of the main school campus. These classrooms include storage areas, however, have separate ablution facilities. The two wings of the building surround a courtyard where play and interaction are in abundance.