Kipnis Architecture + Planning

We are just finishing up our second complete new home construction project with Nate, Dan, and the Kipnis Architecture + Planning Team. It has been another very successful collaboration. This project was quite a bit more complex that the first, due to the location of the lot and the engineering it required before we could even begin construction. But the Kipnis Team has seen it all, and they have been great partners with us through this 1.5+ year process. We were initially drawn to Nate because of his nationwide reputation for incorporating the latest green building techniques, and he and his Team have definitely delivered in that regard. Our home is extremely "tight," and we will enjoy those benefits, both environmentally and economically, for the long life of the house. But we've been just as pleased with their creativity to work with us to design a truly beautiful, one-of-a-kind home. Nate and Dan are really skilled at asking great questions to elicit our wants and needs, and then incorporating that input into a workable plan. As for Customer Service, they are always availble to quickly answer the MANY questions that arise from a project of this magnitude. And finally, in addition to being highly skilled, they are genuinely good people whom we have enjoyed working with. I give them the highest possible recommendation!

We had a great experience working with Nate Kipnis and his team expanding our garage into a backyard guest house. We were looking for a sustainable architect and Nate's level of experience was unmatched. He and his team were organized, timely, and responsive to our feedback. We are so pleased with the result - a beautiful, peaceful sanctuary for family and guests. On a practical level, we are so happy with the sustainable approaches that make the home efficient, quiet, and warm in the cold Evanston winters.

As an interior designer, finding architects who are not only visionary and exceptionally talented, but who also truly prioritize my clients’ needs, tastes, and long-term goals can be challenging. Nate is a rare exception. He listens deeply, understands how to translate a client’s vision into reality, and approaches every project with equal parts creativity and collaboration. His forward-thinking approach to design and commitment to resilient, luxury homes make him an invaluable partner. Working with Nate is always a pleasure.

Having collaborated with Kipnis Architecture on several projects, we’ve seen firsthand how the care, creativity, and technical expertise of Nate and his team elevate every design. The team’s strong commitment to sustainability and resilient design results in homes that are thoughtfully conceived and beautifully executed.

Kipnis architecture redesigned our midcentury modern home's unique barrel roof to be more structurally sound and watertight after 60+ years of degradation from a poor original design. Nate did an incredible job preserving the beauty of the historic design while bringing our home to today's code and efficiency standards. And the contractors he worked with were reliable, thorough, and very talented at executing Nate's vision. Our home looks beautiful and is far better insulated and waterproof because of Nate's work.

Nate and his team at Kipnis Architecture and Design are wonderful to work with. With their leadership and support KeenWorks built one of the tightest homes in Wisconsin with a certified blower door test of 0.19 ACH, which exceeds the ACH requirements of state code and passive house. As a builder focused on energy performance and sustainability, we are eager to build the next one together.

Working with Kipnis Architecture was a great experience, we will use them again for our future projects! They guided us through everything we needed to figure out and understood what we were trying to accomplish. Nate was very attentive and followed up on everything that was discussed. It was much easier than expected on our end because of the help from Kipnis.

Anyone who tells you that you have to sacrifice beautiful design for environmentally sustainable construction, has not met Nathan Kipnis and his team at Kipnis Architecture + Planning. KAP are expert at marrying environmentally resilient sustainable construction using up-to-date materials which are healthy for the planet with wonderful, creative design and functionality. Nathan and his team do an amazing job of listening to the goals of the client and offering outstanding plans and solutions for how their clients live. I have been amazed at their exceptional teamwork and problem-solving skills. It seems that every challenge that arises during the construction of an environmentally sustainable home, is solved with creative solutions that are a win/win for the design, construction team and the client. I has been my privilege and pleasure to work with KAP on the construction of my “forever” home which will be the first certified Passive House in Evanston, IL. I highly recommend and endorse!!

Kipnis Architecture + Planning are the professionals you want designing your home if sustainability, efficiency and practical design are important. Nate Kipnis is laser focused on creating homes designed with intention and purpose using products that bring value to luxury design.

We have had the pleasure of working with Nate and his fabulous team on several projects. They are innovative and caring on the creation of their projects. They are the masters of low carbon and high design!

Nate Kipnis and team have done an excellent job on the architectural design portion of my new two car and storage room project. They are creative, thoughtful and easy to work with. I would hire them again in the future for other projects!!!

We cannot speak highly enough about Nate Kipnis and his team at Kipnis Architecture + Planning. Our project included a complete interior rehabilitation of our 1907 home in Chicago, which we taken great care to preserve and enhance. We selected Nate and team because they understand how to work with and preserve the original material while also enhancing its performance from a functionality and energy perspective. The KA+P team worked closely with us to plan how we use the space and to take our knowledge and opinion into consideration as partners in the design and construction process. After working with Debbie on Nate's team, we had sensitively fit in a new en suite bathroom onto the primary bedroom and added a laundry closet on our second floor. When Debbie was done, she had managed to align all of the mechanicals so cleverly that we literally have only three inches of unused space in the central core. They are brilliant designers, give excellent advice about energy efficiency and resiliency using PHIUS standards, yet also respected our unique needs as users. They are intuitive designers and good communicators. Let us also thank Nate and team for helping us to find a great general contractor and project manager. KA+P helped us every step of the way, ensured we stayed within budget and helped us ensure our home will endure for another 100 years in a climate-friendly way.