The Arcadia Louvered Roof enhances the beauty of any style home and provides the flexibility of having an open roof when the weather is good or a solid roof to keep the rain off your patio when the weather turns bad. Eco-friendly Construction The Arcadia system is made up of recycled aluminum making it an extremely Green product. It is also eco-friendly, helping consumers save on passive solar heating and cooling. We Think Green Arcadia is proud to continue the company's tradition with its approach to Environmental Innovation. From the choice of lightweight materials and lean production methods to the efficiency of its drive system and designs, Arcadia is committed to operating as a more sustainable business and reducing its overall environmental impact. High-quality Building Materials Each Arcadia system is a work of art, constructed with care and attention to every little detail. Our system is powered coated, extruded aluminum with stainless steel components giving us the most durable louvered roof on the market today. From our superior drive system, which is UL & CE certified, down to the stainless steel tex screws that secures the system together. Nothing but the best! Our low-maintenance components eliminate painting, staining, and waterproofing of traditional shading structures. Using powder-coated aluminum construction prevents warping, cracking, and corrosion. Photographed by: Roger Chafin

Hidden away amidst the wilderness in the outskirts of the central province of Sri Lanka, is a modern take of a lightweight timber Eco-Cottage consisting of 2 living levels. The cottage takes up a mere footprint of 500 square feet of land, and the structure is raised above ground level and held by stilts, reducing the disturbance to the fauna and flora. The entrance to the cottage is across a suspended timber bridge hanging over the ground cover. The timber planks are spaced apart to give a delicate view of the green living belt below. Even though an H-iron framework is used for the formation of the shell, it is finished with earthy toned materials such as timber flooring, timber cladded ceiling and trellis, feature rock walls and a hay-thatched roof. The bedroom and the open washroom is placed on the ground level closer to the natural ground cover filled with delicate living things to make the sleeper or the user of the space feel more in one with nature, and the use of sheer glass around the bedroom further enhances the experience of living outdoors with the luxuries of indoor living. The living and dining spaces are on the upper deck level. The steep set roof hangs over the spaces giving ample shelter underneath. The living room and dining spaces are fully open to nature with a minimal handrail to determine the usable space from the outdoors. The cottage is lit up by the use of floor lanterns made up of pale cloth, again maintaining the minimal disturbance to the surroundings.

Cristallo quartzite vanity top with mitered edge profile and integrated mitered sink. Technical specialties/characteristics : -Built on internal reinforced/waterproof structure. -Specific dimensions with absolute accuracy. -All cutting on the sink opening and miters by hand watercut for maximum accuracy and reducing of material loss in order to use the cut out for matching the flow on the two of the inner sides exactly . -Adjustment water cutting by hand absolutely necessary on side miters for perfection. -Use of appropriate glues and matching to have small tight miters everywhere.

Cork, the natural wall coverings that reduce noise transfer. Within the last few years, manufacturers have brought forth a great product for the walls of homes and businesses. Cork wall coverings. Since its introduction it has quickly become a popular option. Cork is softer and warmer than most of the other commonly used materials. This is because the structure of cork itself is made up of millions of cells that are saturated with air and provides insulation against sound vibration transfers from another room. Imagine a home office where you cannot hear your kids screaming from the living room. Cork wall coverings, check it out. https://www.icorkfloor.com/store/product-category/cork-wall-tiles/cork-wall-tiles-6mm/

Photography by Natalie Marotta This special project is an extensive renovation of Better Homes And Gardens’ “The House You Asked For” of 1953. While the California Case Study-inspired architecture was an interesting break from 1950’s boxes, its extensive single-pane glass, internal roof drains, and slab construction were leading to structural deterioration through condensation and leaks, and a massive carbon footprint. The renovation took the form of slight plan adjustments–giving the kitchen more space, combining two entry doors into one entry space, adjusting the bedroom-bathroom area–and reworking the roof. We added a raised portion to carry ducts for conditioning and ventilation, which was also an opportunity to create spatial interest and bring in light from above, and we re-sloped the roof to drain to the perimeter instead of the middle of the house. Carbon-sequestering wood fiberboard insulation was added to the walls, and the windows were replaced with triple-glazed units. With new heat pump heating, cooling, and water heating, the operational carbon footprint was reduced by 93%.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

This project involved the removal of an aging wood shower enclosure and surrounding fencing, which had begun to deteriorate and contribute to poor drainage conditions. The existing area retained moisture, creating a muddy, unstable surface that impacted both usability and long-term durability. The redesigned space introduces a fully upgraded outdoor shower system positioned discreetly behind a new white privacy enclosure. The structure was selected for its clean architectural lines, low-maintenance material, and ability to brighten and modernize the space while maintaining privacy. A primary focus of the project was drainage correction. The ground plane was regraded and rebuilt using a permeable system consisting of oversized stone slabs set within polished black river rock. This layout allows water to move efficiently through the surface while maintaining a stable, clean, and visually refined finish. The contrast between the large-format slabs and the dark stone creates a structured, intentional foundation that elevates the overall design. Planting was incorporated with both aesthetic and functional intent. Lavender was installed and trained along the enclosure to soften the structure and introduce seasonal fragrance. In addition to its visual contribution, it serves as a natural pest deterrent, helping to reduce mosquito activity and improve comfort within the space. Supporting plant material was kept minimal and scaled appropriately to maintain a clean, uncluttered environment. The result is a fully integrated outdoor feature that transforms a previously underperforming area into a functional, durable, and visually cohesive extension of the home. The space now supports consistent use while delivering a refined, spa-like experience aligned with the surrounding landscape.

The Arcadia Louvered Roof enhances the beauty of any style home and provides the flexibility of having an open roof when the weather is good or a solid roof to keep the rain off your patio when the weather turns bad. Eco-friendly Construction The Arcadia system is made up of recycled aluminum making it an extremely Green product. It is also eco-friendly, helping consumers save on passive solar heating and cooling. We Think Green Arcadia is proud to continue the company's tradition with its approach to Environmental Innovation. From the choice of lightweight materials and lean production methods to the efficiency of its drive system and designs, Arcadia is committed to operating as a more sustainable business and reducing its overall environmental impact. High-quality Building Materials Each Arcadia system is a work of art, constructed with care and attention to every little detail. Our system is powered coated, extruded aluminum with stainless steel components giving us the most durable louvered roof on the market today. From our superior drive system, which is UL & CE certified, down to the stainless steel tex screws that secures the system together. Nothing but the best! Our low-maintenance components eliminate painting, staining, and waterproofing of traditional shading structures. Using powder-coated aluminum construction prevents warping, cracking, and corrosion. Photographed by: Roger Chafin

Photography by Natalie Marotta This special project is an extensive renovation of Better Homes And Gardens’ “The House You Asked For” of 1953. While the California Case Study-inspired architecture was an interesting break from 1950’s boxes, its extensive single-pane glass, internal roof drains, and slab construction were leading to structural deterioration through condensation and leaks, and a massive carbon footprint. The renovation took the form of slight plan adjustments–giving the kitchen more space, combining two entry doors into one entry space, adjusting the bedroom-bathroom area–and reworking the roof. We added a raised portion to carry ducts for conditioning and ventilation, which was also an opportunity to create spatial interest and bring in light from above, and we re-sloped the roof to drain to the perimeter instead of the middle of the house. Carbon-sequestering wood fiberboard insulation was added to the walls, and the windows were replaced with triple-glazed units. With new heat pump heating, cooling, and water heating, the operational carbon footprint was reduced by 93%.

This 3 BR, 3 1/2 bath home allows the owners to live on one level most of the time. The Master Suite is on the main level along with the Living Room, Kitchen, Dining, pantries, Sun Room and service areas. The upper level houses two ample bedrooms while the lower level supports a rec center, media room, wine cellar, shop and full wet bar. Conceived as a Great Room house, the main level is designed as one seamless space that flows onto an ample deck overlooking the rear yard. We also incorporated a variety of green building techniques - photo-voltaic shingles on the roof of the garage to generate a portion of the home's energy, a super insulated building envelope, rain water harvesting, high performance windows and doors, a high efficiency heat pump, low flow bath & kitchen fixtures, Energy Star appliances and LED lighting - that greatly reduced this structure's carbon footprint. All of the strategies amounted to a 30% reduction in the energy consumption in this home relative to comparable structures.

www.LeichtCA.com Concrete, a very special material for people who want to reduce their living environment to essentials - both in terms of the architecture of their houses and interior design. With the new CONCRETE range, a kitchen front of true craftsmanship made of fine concrete in three blended colors, LEICHT is looking back to the classic Bauhaus tradition and thus providing this target group with new inspiration for interior design. Concrete surfaces have a characteristic expression that is always entirely unique. It is precisely these characteristics that make the timeless material so precious for the design of individual kitchens. By applying concrete to the kitchen front by hand using the putty technique you get a unique surface structure with varying light refraction. The kitchen front comes alive.

This 3 BR, 3 1/2 bath home allows the owners to live on one level most of the time. The Master Suite is on the main level along with the Living Room, Kitchen, Dining, pantries, Sun Room and service areas. The upper level houses two ample bedrooms while the lower level supports a rec center, media room, wine cellar, shop and full wet bar. Conceived as a Great Room house, the main level is designed as one seamless space that flows onto an ample deck overlooking the rear yard. We also incorporated a variety of green building techniques - photo-voltaic shingles on the roof of the garage to generate a portion of the home's energy, a super insulated building envelope, rain water harvesting, high performance windows and doors, a high efficiency heat pump, low flow bath & kitchen fixtures, Energy Star appliances and LED lighting - that greatly reduced this structure's carbon footprint. All of the strategies amounted to a 30% reduction in the energy consumption in this home relative to comparable structures.

Solid Wood Structure: To enhance stability even further, the core of our mahogany doors contain the same solid mahogany species. For our engineered banded stiles and rails, each stile features a solid mahogany edge band. The engineered stiles and rails are stronger then single, solid wood pieces, reducing the possibility of the door warping or splitting. Our durable 3-ply wood panels will not twist, warp, shrink or expand. In our finished series, the panel is completely prefinished and sealed on all six sides before being installed, and as the panels are free to float between fixed edges, there is no unfinished part of the panel that may show up with time. There are no nails that hold panels in place.

Miami has developed a contemporary vernacular of condominiums that includes brise-soleil-style balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic water views. We have taken these indigenous elements of the new Miami skyline and continue the evolution of their local architectural language. Our design “re-groves” the heart of Coconut Grove, and creates a landscape in tune with its surroundings. The two towers of the Grove at Grand Bay respond to the surroundings and to each other, to give optimum views at every level. The towers take off from the ground to capture the full breadth of panoramic views from sailboat bays and the marina to the Miami skyline. The true twisting nature of the columns posed a number of structural challenges that demanded a fresh, innovative approach. The foremost challenge was to resist torsion generated in the tower core due to the sloping column geometry. The horizontal component of the gravity load in the columns is resolved in the slabs by transferring it to the interior core shear walls, which are the only consistently vertical structural elements in the building. To minimize the total horizontal shear force transfer into the core walls, a “hat truss” was introduced at the roof. The hat truss is comprised of a series of beams cantilevered from the cores and connected to all the columns. The hat truss collects superimposed dead load and live load delivering the “suspended” loads directly to the core as a vertical load component. This alternate load path reduced torsional forces in the core by approximately 30 percent. With its optimized views, an innovative structure, and a replanted grove, the Grove at Grand Bay will be the first pair of all-residential towers to achieve LEED Gold in Miami-Dade County and serves as a new landmark for the community.

A retired couple desired a valiant master suite in their “forever home”. After living in their mid-century house for many years, they approached our design team with a concept to add a 3rd story suite with sweeping views of Puget sound. Our team stood atop the home’s rooftop with the clients admiring the view that this structural lift would create in enjoyment and value. The only concern was how they and their dear-old dog, would get from their ground floor garage entrance in the daylight basement to this new suite in the sky? Our CAPS design team specified universal design elements throughout the home, to allow the couple and their 120lb. Pit Bull Terrier to age in place. A new residential elevator added to the westside of the home. Placing the elevator shaft on the exterior of the home minimized the need for interior structural changes. A shed roof for the addition followed the slope of the site, creating tall walls on the east side of the master suite to allow ample daylight into rooms without sacrificing useable wall space in the closet or bathroom. This kept the western walls low to reduce the amount of direct sunlight from the late afternoon sun, while maximizing the view of the Puget Sound and distant Olympic mountain range. The master suite is the crowning glory of the redesigned home. The bedroom puts the bed up close to the wide picture window. While soothing violet-colored walls and a plush upholstered headboard have created a bedroom that encourages lounging, including a plush dog bed. A private balcony provides yet another excuse for never leaving the bedroom suite, and clerestory windows between the bedroom and adjacent master bathroom help flood the entire space with natural light. The master bathroom includes an easy-access shower, his-and-her vanities with motion-sensor toe kick lights, and pops of beachy blue in the tile work and on the ceiling for a spa-like feel. Some other universal design features in this master suite include wider doorways, accessible balcony, wall mounted vanities, tile and vinyl floor surfaces to reduce transition and pocket doors for easy use. A large walk-through closet links the bedroom and bathroom, with clerestory windows at the high ceilings The third floor is finished off with a vestibule area with an indoor sauna, and an adjacent entertainment deck with an outdoor kitchen & bar.

Photography by Natalie Marotta This special project is an extensive renovation of Better Homes And Gardens’ “The House You Asked For” of 1953. While the California Case Study-inspired architecture was an interesting break from 1950’s boxes, its extensive single-pane glass, internal roof drains, and slab construction were leading to structural deterioration through condensation and leaks, and a massive carbon footprint. The renovation took the form of slight plan adjustments–giving the kitchen more space, combining two entry doors into one entry space, adjusting the bedroom-bathroom area–and reworking the roof. We added a raised portion to carry ducts for conditioning and ventilation, which was also an opportunity to create spatial interest and bring in light from above, and we re-sloped the roof to drain to the perimeter instead of the middle of the house. Carbon-sequestering wood fiberboard insulation was added to the walls, and the windows were replaced with triple-glazed units. With new heat pump heating, cooling, and water heating, the operational carbon footprint was reduced by 93%.

Photography by Natalie Marotta This special project is an extensive renovation of Better Homes And Gardens’ “The House You Asked For” of 1953. While the California Case Study-inspired architecture was an interesting break from 1950’s boxes, its extensive single-pane glass, internal roof drains, and slab construction were leading to structural deterioration through condensation and leaks, and a massive carbon footprint. The renovation took the form of slight plan adjustments–giving the kitchen more space, combining two entry doors into one entry space, adjusting the bedroom-bathroom area–and reworking the roof. We added a raised portion to carry ducts for conditioning and ventilation, which was also an opportunity to create spatial interest and bring in light from above, and we re-sloped the roof to drain to the perimeter instead of the middle of the house. Carbon-sequestering wood fiberboard insulation was added to the walls, and the windows were replaced with triple-glazed units. With new heat pump heating, cooling, and water heating, the operational carbon footprint was reduced by 93%.

www.LeichtCA.com Concrete, a very special material for people who want to reduce their living environment to essentials - both in terms of the architecture of their houses and interior design. With the new CONCRETE range, a kitchen front of true craftsmanship made of fine concrete in three blended colors, LEICHT is looking back to the classic Bauhaus tradition and thus providing this target group with new inspiration for interior design. Concrete surfaces have a characteristic expression that is always entirely unique. It is precisely these characteristics that make the timeless material so precious for the design of individual kitchens. By applying concrete to the kitchen front by hand using the putty technique you get a unique surface structure with varying light refraction. The kitchen front comes alive.

This coastal, contemporary Tiny Home features a warm yet industrial style kitchen with stainless steel counters and husky tool drawers with black cabinets. the silver metal counters are complimented by grey subway tiling as a backsplash against the warmth of the locally sourced curly mango wood windowsill ledge. I mango wood windowsill also acts as a pass-through window to an outdoor bar and seating area on the deck. Entertaining guests right from the kitchen essentially makes this a wet-bar. LED track lighting adds the right amount of accent lighting and brightness to the area. The window is actually a french door that is mirrored on the opposite side of the kitchen. This kitchen has 7-foot long stainless steel counters on either end. There are stainless steel outlet covers to match the industrial look. There are stained exposed beams adding a cozy and stylish feeling to the room. To the back end of the kitchen is a frosted glass pocket door leading to the bathroom. All shelving is made of Hawaiian locally sourced curly mango wood. A stainless steel fridge matches the rest of the style and is built-in to the staircase of this tiny home. Dish drying racks are hung on the wall to conserve space and reduce clutter.