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DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

EDWARDIAN 394

An early project, we added a 3rd story to this 1922 Edwardian home, adhering to the Historic Preservation Guidelines of the US Department of the Interior, updating the foundations and using only non-toxic finishes and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified lumber.

QUEEN ANNE 173

Our first Eco project from 2008, before the US Green Building Council allowed green certification of existing remodels, this Greenpoint Certified project on a 1903 Queen Anne Cottage in the Cole Valley neighborhood of San Francisco was a mess when we purchased it.  We lifted it 20" to add a garage, updating the foundation, building out the lower level and gutting and rehabbing the interior.  We updated all of the systems, fully insulated all the walls and ceilings and installed new insulated double glazed wood windows and doors throughout.  One of the most Green homes in San Francisco at the time, we included 3+kW of photovoltaics, utilized the very first LED recessed lights ever manufactured, installed Richlite counters, used VOC free paints, and incorporated both a heat pump for heating and cooling and the very first heat pump water heater in San Francisco.

STICK VICTORIAN 1566

With LEED Certification of Existing Structures becoming possible in 2009, our 1885 Stick Victorian in the Noe Valley neighborhood achieved LEED Platinum Certification - the highest possible - when complete in 2010.  Highly innovative, this project included Photovoltaic panels, Heat pump heating, cooling and hot water, FSC lumber, all LED lighting, smart occupancy lighting controls, VOC free finishes, a fully preserved façade, and a 3rd story addition.

STICK VICTORIAN 229

This 1885 Stick Victorian was featured in numerous historic registers and thus we had to take extra care to preserve the details of its façade.  Purchased from us during construction (thus the lack of post-completion images), we managed the project to completion and coordinated with the LEED Rater to get the home its LEED Platinum Certification after its completion in 2015.

QUEEN ANNE 1436

Rebuilt concurrently with our 1885 Stick Victorian, this 1903 Queen Anne Cottage in Noe Valley also received the LEED Platinum Certification when complete in 2012.  In addition to the typical Eco details we include, this was our first project to incorporate Aquatherm Greenpipe - polypropylene plumbing that is insulating, non-corroding, non-toxic, durable, and uses a fraction of the energy to produce as copper plumbing - and is fully recyclable. 

QUEEN ANNE 3838

Our personal home, this 1905 Queen Anne Cottage in Noe Valley also received the LEED Platinum Certification when complete in 2016.  Perhaps the most aggressively updated project to date, this home is pretty much 100% electric aside from a rarely used natural gas fireplace.  With electric heating, hot water, LED lighting inside and out, an induction cooktop, electric ovens, electric deck heaters and an electric car charger in the garage, the house moves fully away from carbon energy sources and even generates its own energy via an inconspicuous 6kW solar installation on the roof. 

CONSULTING

2012-Present

While, for privacy reasons, we can't show detailed photos of client homes, we have helped numerous clients to either find historic homes to re-envision or help them evolve their existing homes.  We work with our clients to guide them through the architecture process, help them and their architects refine the designs, collaborate in specifying the home to be non-toxic, energy and water efficient, and Smart and, for those that like the aesthetic design of our projects, we also do interior architectural design specifications for flooring, trim, cabinetry, lighting and Smart Home and AV systems.  We have also managed the process from start to finish to get two of our client homes certified LEED Platinum.

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