The completed project delivers a refreshed, highly durable exterior that respects the character of the Green Lake neighborhood while significantly improving performance, longevity, and usability. Through careful planning, quality materials, and attention to detail, Synapse transformed both the primary residence and ADU into a cohesive, modernized property designed to last. This project highlights the value of combining thoughtful design, full-envelope construction, and craft-driven execution from start to finish. Contact Synapse Construction for any of your exterior remodeling needs.

The completed project delivers a refreshed, highly durable exterior that respects the character of the Green Lake neighborhood while significantly improving performance, longevity, and usability. Through careful planning, quality materials, and attention to detail, Synapse transformed both the primary residence and ADU into a cohesive, modernized property designed to last. This project highlights the value of combining thoughtful design, full-envelope construction, and craft-driven execution from start to finish. Contact Synapse Construction for any of your exterior remodeling needs.

Small media room. Video projector with 110" projection screen, in-wall speakers, dimmable LED lighting, custom home theatre seating with theatre riser. Photo's by FYM Photography

The completed project delivers a refreshed, highly durable exterior that respects the character of the Green Lake neighborhood while significantly improving performance, longevity, and usability. Through careful planning, quality materials, and attention to detail, Synapse transformed both the primary residence and ADU into a cohesive, modernized property designed to last. This project highlights the value of combining thoughtful design, full-envelope construction, and craft-driven execution from start to finish. Contact Synapse Construction for any of your exterior remodeling needs.

“This unique historic project was a great opportunity for Zola to push the limits of high-performance window development. The project’s energy-efficiency requirements were extremely high, while at the same time it was very important to the developer that this historically significant building remain authentic and true to the aesthetic of the period. Zola spent many months going back and forth with designer and engineers on this window design, the result was quite ground breaking” says Florian Speier, Zola founder and head of product development. Photographer: Nico Arellano

Small media room. Video projector with 110" projection screen, in-wall speakers, dimmable LED lighting, custom home theatre seating with theatre riser. Photo's by FYM Photography

A newly built house project near the Qinling Mountains in Shangluo City, China. The total area of the project is about 500 square meters. The main products we provide are fixed windows and sliding doors. The villa, located in a mountainous region, has exceptionally high demands for the windproof and waterproof performance of doors and windows. We custom-made 100-series fixed windows and 90-series sliding windows for the client. The windows and doors are not just a necessary element for the construction, but also play a crucial role in enhancing its appearance and functionality. The carefully designed windows and doors, with their sleek and modern design, add a touch of elegance to the villa, reflecting the client’s taste and style. More importantly, the high-performance windows and doors we provided are specifically designed to withstand the extreme weather conditions in the mountainous region. The strong and sturdy construction of the windows ensures they can resist strong winds, while the waterproof seals prevent any moisture from seeping in, protecting the interior of the villa from the elements. Furthermore, the energy-efficient design of the windows and doors significantly reduces heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, helping to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in all seasons. This not only enhances the living experience of the occupants but also contributes to reducing energy consumption, resulting in a more environmentally friendly villa. With their adaptability to the local environment and high performance capabilities, the windows and doors of this villa project are a testament to our commitment to providing high-quality solutions that meet the unique needs of each client. The final result is a villa that not only stands out for its beauty but also for its functionality, efficiency, and sustainability.

“This unique historic project was a great opportunity for Zola to push the limits of high-performance window development. The project’s energy-efficiency requirements were extremely high, while at the same time it was very important to the developer that this historically significant building remain authentic and true to the aesthetic of the period. Zola spent many months going back and forth with designer and engineers on this window design, the result was quite ground breaking” says Florian Speier, Zola founder and head of product development. Photographer: Nico Arellano

For this siding project in South Amboy, NJ, we replaced the home's stucco and cedar shake siding with Hardie fiber cement siding. We installed a mix of planks and shakes for a gorgeous look. The Evening Blue finish paired with the white trim guarantees an elegant look that performs for the long term.

A Vermont second home renovation used for an active family who skis. Photos by Matthew Niemann Photography.
Inspiration for a contemporary light wood floor and beige floor great room remodel in Dallas with white walls

This residence located in San Francisco’s Glen Park was built in the late 60’s. At the time of purchase it had sustained severe water intrusion. BBGC performed extensive water and mold remediation to the entire house. The project also included a full seismic retrofit and installation of new electrical, plumbing, and heating systems. This newly transformed urban dwelling was featured in the AIA SF 2007 Home Tour.

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

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

Butter Lane featuring IKIGAI Charred FSC-Certified Accoya® wood exterior cladding and roof cladding

“This unique historic project was a great opportunity for Zola to push the limits of high-performance window development. The project’s energy-efficiency requirements were extremely high, while at the same time it was very important to the developer that this historically significant building remain authentic and true to the aesthetic of the period. Zola spent many months going back and forth with designer and engineers on this window design, the result was quite ground breaking” says Florian Speier, Zola founder and head of product development. Photographer: Nico Arellano

The owners of this home came to us with a plan to build a new high-performance home that physically and aesthetically fit on an infill lot in an old well-established neighborhood in Bellingham. The Craftsman exterior detailing, Scandinavian exterior color palette, and timber details help it blend into the older neighborhood. At the same time the clean modern interior allowed their artistic details and displayed artwork take center stage. We started working with the owners and the design team in the later stages of design, sharing our expertise with high-performance building strategies, custom timber details, and construction cost planning. Our team then seamlessly rolled into the construction phase of the project, working with the owners and Michelle, the interior designer until the home was complete. The owners can hardly believe the way it all came together to create a bright, comfortable, and friendly space that highlights their applied details and favorite pieces of art. Photography by Radley Muller Photography​ Design by Deborah Todd Building Design Services Interior Design by Spiral Studios​

This residential kitchen project was performed in conjunction with Legacy Custom Homes/RSD, Frank Ponterio Interiors, and NuHaus/Exclusive Woodworking. The goal of this project was to fabricate and install marble slabs in a fashion that mimicked the custom millwork in the rest of this estate home on the Northshore of Chicago. John Tithof and Jason Cranmer, along with the fabrication production team, executed this project on behalf of Tithof Tile & Marble. The client wanted the panels to appear as if carved from dimensional stone blocks rather than the classic full height stone backsplash. One of the primary focuses was keeping the client involved through the templating and layout process to ensure they knew what their project would look like before anything was cut or installed. The evolution of this process has changed in recent years. Gone are the days of blue tape and visualizing the completed job. With the recent introduction of the revolutionary Perfect Match and Slabsmith software programs we have the ability to digitally layout every slab project and create a virtual representation of the project for approval prior to cutting.

Historic, 1940's house kitchen and den renovation featuring: - two tone counter tops - glass back splash, - custom painted wood cabinetry - antique heart pine wood floors - SS appliances Project performed in 6 weeks time, on budget and desired timeline. For free estimate call or click 504-322-7050 or www.mlm-inc.com

For this roofing project, we installed a mixture of Estate Grey shingles and Slate Grey metal roofing in Churchville, PA. The maximized performance comes from the added OC Synthetic ProArmor Underlayment and OC Weatherlock ProGrade Ice and Water Leak Barrier. This home had problems with leaky shingles in the past and wanted all the protection they could get from future damage.