All-Electric Cutting Edge - Page 2

Shifting away from gas was just a part of this home's transition into the future. Blaine also designed a 550-square-foot junior ADU, which serves as a guest suite today, with radiant heat added from the same system.

To provide air conditioning and additional heating to the home, a Unico HVAC system was mounted on the roof using low-profile ducting, with a heat pump added. The ducting was then covered in foam, and an air-handling unit was installed in the garage.

"One really interesting energy component," Blaine points out, "is the energy recovery ventilator, which adds fresh air from outside into the Unico air-handling unit. It's almost like having fresh air all the time with all the windows closed, a big savings with energy consumption."

There were lots of challenges—the timeframe, the rains, and working with all of the automation—during this project, which was managed by Keycon Construction & Design.

"They're the best in the business, and would figure out solutions that would help us," the homeowner pointed out about Keycon. "I'm not sure there's another contractor who could have executed this project quite as well," added Blaine. "They made every detail work."

"We're a big team, and for us finding a way to execute an idea is a welcome challenge," says Tiffany Truong, Keycon COO. "It's also helpful to have a decisive client who knows what they want. To see them now using the space and enjoying it makes our work rewarding."

When asked about the cost of such a project, the homeowner's reply was "extensive and expensive, totally," adding that they also expanded the bathrooms, and converted part of their 2-1/2-car garage into a craft studio."

"In the end, there's a big-project team that makes these designs come to life," says Blaine. "I'm happy to see it all built, and to see how happy the clients are with it."