Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in San Francisco

Example of a huge 1950s open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room design in Los Angeles with white walls

A sense of swimming amongst the pines from the pool. Photography by Brian Bailey.
Example of a minimalist pool design in New York

In collaboration with architect Gustavo Penengo of PRDG Architecture & Design, Better Builders brought this bold contemporary vision to life. Built using modular construction on a steep lot once considered “unbuildable,” the home required a highly engineered foundation with H-piles driven 40 feet into the hillside. The offsite-built sections allowed for precision assembly and made possible dramatic cantilevers, expansive views of the Sound, and an energy-efficient design. The finished home showcases modern architecture at its finest—creative, sustainable, and perfectly suited to its unique site.

Altius Architecture
Trendy eat-in kitchen photo in Toronto with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets and an island

Paul Grdina Photography
Inspiration for a large contemporary built-in desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in Vancouver with gray walls

In collaboration with architect Gustavo Penengo of PRDG Architecture & Design, Better Builders brought this bold contemporary vision to life. Built using modular construction on a steep lot once considered “unbuildable,” the home required a highly engineered foundation with H-piles driven 40 feet into the hillside. The offsite-built sections allowed for precision assembly and made possible dramatic cantilevers, expansive views of the Sound, and an energy-efficient design. The finished home showcases modern architecture at its finest—creative, sustainable, and perfectly suited to its unique site.

In collaboration with architect Gustavo Penengo of PRDG Architecture & Design, Better Builders brought this bold contemporary vision to life. Built using modular construction on a steep lot once considered “unbuildable,” the home required a highly engineered foundation with H-piles driven 40 feet into the hillside. The offsite-built sections allowed for precision assembly and made possible dramatic cantilevers, expansive views of the Sound, and an energy-efficient design. The finished home showcases modern architecture at its finest—creative, sustainable, and perfectly suited to its unique site.

Rustic wood exterior home idea in Portland Maine with a shed roof and a metal roof

Inspiration for a contemporary dining room remodel in Sydney

Allard van der Hoek
Example of a large trendy loft-style concrete floor and gray floor living room design in Amsterdam with beige walls, a wood stove and no tv

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the building was erected on a shallow commercial lot between two 120 year old masonry buildings and a new residential rental building. 330 Grand Street is a mix of 725 SF 1BRs and 1050 SF 2BR apartments. It also contains a 1100 SF two story duplex as well as private and public rooftop space, large private balconies for most units and two large private terraces for the ground floor units. 330 Grand Street was originally designed and approved at the NYC DOB as a prefabricated modular building. During the pandemic, as shipping costs skyrocketed putting the project at risk, we suggested redesigning the building as a reinforced cast-in-place concrete structure. Concrete was readily available and prices had not been affected by the demand increase that many other materials suffered in the pandemic. We took this opportunity to raise floor to ceiling heights, enlarge high performance windows and redistribute the buildings MEPFS and Structural Systems to create very open floor plans. The challenge was to create a luxurious sensorial living experience with very limited means. In a city with very high construction costs, low cost residential buildings in the area are usually devoid of good quality, design and character. Our approach was to aim high for the end user, prioritizing natural light, open space with long visual perspectives, high ceilings and as always, rejecting the use of predefined building templates. Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the small spaces feel as clean cut, large and bright as possible. Several unique design decisions were made to ensure low cost and high quality; Floor plans were laid out so that spaces were wide open and free of clutter from mechanical or structural interruptions. Therefore all infrastructure was placed in lateral demising walls, which in turn act as the unit’s storage and kitchen. The apartments feel wide open, are super quiet and have more storage space than any other comparable apartment in the city. To solve the problem of the site’s shallow commercial lot which is typically prone to dark interior spaces we focused our attention on the building’s envelope. Instead of the usual small punched window openings, oversized high performance windows were designed to ensure that light penetrated as far as possible into the units. In the smaller 1BR units, the full 50’ depth of the lot is perceived by partitioning spaces with sliding pocket doors that can be retracted to allow deep visual perspectives, making the sight lines in the space feel longer, larger, more ample than normal. In addition to the full height glazing, each unit above the 2nd floor receives a 7 foot covered balcony, adding 120 to 240 sf to each apartment, something unusual in New York City buildings. The space is large enough for a full size dining table, when the weather permits being outside. We also worked hard to ensure modularity. For example, all kitchen units are all identical throughout the building. The idea of modularity and the economy of the repetitive unit is exercised to the maximum through the building. Hardware, appliances, flooring, wall coverings and material finishes are all carefully selected to feel bespoke, high quality and unique. It was important to KURV that the result of this work manifest into something that would deeply connect with the end user and sustain relationships with the consumers of this space. All images by KURV Architecture ©

Living room - transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Philadelphia with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Trendy open concept beige floor living room photo in Other with a concealed tv

Large trendy white tile marble floor, white floor and vaulted ceiling powder room photo in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, white countertops, a wall-mount toilet and an integrated sink

In collaboration with architect Gustavo Penengo of PRDG Architecture & Design, Better Builders brought this bold contemporary vision to life. Built using modular construction on a steep lot once considered “unbuildable,” the home required a highly engineered foundation with H-piles driven 40 feet into the hillside. The offsite-built sections allowed for precision assembly and made possible dramatic cantilevers, expansive views of the Sound, and an energy-efficient design. The finished home showcases modern architecture at its finest—creative, sustainable, and perfectly suited to its unique site.

Quartz Surface: 4250 Urban Mist
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Toronto with quartz countertops, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, gray backsplash and a peninsula

Living room - contemporary white floor living room idea in Other with white walls and a wall-mounted tv

In collaboration with architect Gustavo Penengo of PRDG Architecture & Design, Better Builders brought this bold contemporary vision to life. Built using modular construction on a steep lot once considered “unbuildable,” the home required a highly engineered foundation with H-piles driven 40 feet into the hillside. The offsite-built sections allowed for precision assembly and made possible dramatic cantilevers, expansive views of the Sound, and an energy-efficient design. The finished home showcases modern architecture at its finest—creative, sustainable, and perfectly suited to its unique site.