Member highlight: Mahoney Architects & Interiors

Durable, sustainable, beautiful. Built to last, energy efficient, eco-friendly. Mahoney Architects & Interiors collaborated with clients Frank and Monika Levinson who wanted their Tiburon 50’s home fully remodeled. The remodel was planned to take advantage of their one of-a-kind spectacular bay views, to modernize the home with a classic but contemporary look, and to be totally green with all material choices. From time to time our architecture and interiors firm is fortunate enough to work with clients who inspire us – clients with projects that tap into our creativity and challenge us to stretch. This is the story of such a client, design team and project. Read more.

The site has world-class views stretching from the San Rafael/Richmond Bridge to Angel Island, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. It could easily have been a tear down. It could have been a new home and any other homeowner would probably have made that choice. But with the Levinson’s sincere interest in being very green – the decision was made to keep the original home – and to remodel. We kept the footprint, kept the entry foyer, kept the majority of the structure (with seismic upgrades), kept the rooflines, kept the rooms in the same places. But the mid-century home received a whole home facelift as well as a complete energy efficient upgrade.

The old painted grey T1-11 siding was weathered, beyond its useful life. The siding dated the 50’s home and did not give it a contemporary look the owners were looking for. The majority of the exterior doors in the home were single glazed aluminum sliders. The expansive eaves were great for energy efficiency but horrible in appearance – enclosed with warping plywood. The decks were coated with a worn elastomeric membrane. The lighting and window coverings were inadequate and dated. The bathroom countertops were laminate and all fixtures old. The main kitchen and adjoining breakfast room as well as the lower floor guest kitchen were small, dark and cut off from the main ceremonial rooms of the home. The rooms did not take advantage of the views and they were not inviting for guests to enjoy.

This entire home remodel is a fine example of true teamwork. Every trade took great care in their work and truly wanted to create world-class craftsmanship orchestrated by talented General Contractor Don Larwood. Our clients Frank and Monika Levinson led the team with their enthusiasm for doing all work well, their dedication to energy efficiency and the use of eco-friendly products.

Warm earth tones were used in our choice of colors and materials throughout the home. Soft grey greens reflect the color of the Bay beyond and warm golden tones and taupe were selected against the backdrop of the native dry summer grasses. All wood products are FSC certified from the exterior cedar siding to the maple flooring, cabinetry and interior doors. No VOC paints are used throughout with a few highlighted walls using an earthen interior wall finish. New spectacular Fleetwood sliding doors have a special coastal finish for durability, high UV and low E glazing and come with all stainless steel hardware. The roof and exterior walls are insulated with a soy based foam and the interior walls are insulated with recycled denim insulation. Decks are now finished with stone on a pedestal system over a durable roof and all flashings and gutters are copper to maximize durability in a marine environment. The gutters are sized up to handle the flow of additional water, which is to be harvested in large 12,000 gallon storage cisterns to collect rainwater for landscape irrigation. New high efficiency furnaces were tested by a home performance inspector to ensure that the ductwork is tight and no heat is lost through leakage.

The home is state of the art with a home resource monitoring system. The only report a typical homeowner receives about how much electricity and gas is being consumed is their PG&E. The system installed in the Levinson’s home includes feedback to study how lifestyle habits affect the household carbon footprint – measured in real time.

This unique Tiburon home showcases renewable energy generation, energy conservation materials, energy conservation systems, home resource monitoring and an eco-conscious lifestyle. Frank and Monika Levinson make daily conscious decisions to make their home and Earth sustainable.

Every aspect of this remodel is eco-friendly, energy efficient and now – world class!

Frank and Monika Levinson so inspired their architect Colleen Mahoney that she started a new company Green By Design in Mill Valley.

For more information contact Mahoney Architects & Interiors.