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Mela Breen

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Mela Breen, LEED AP, is the co-founder and lead designer at Atmosphere Design Build, a small northern California firm focused on handcrafted, high performance buildings.

  • A Modern California Home Wrapped in Rockwool Insulation for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance

    The designer and builder of the 2018 Fine Homebuilding House detail why they chose mineral-wool batts and high-density boards for all of their insulation needs.

  • Wide-Plank Flooring

    Floors that will record the story of our house.

  • Arts and Crafts Meets Modernism

    This high-performance house embraces local materials, modern lines, and the craftsman’s hand.

  • An Outdoor Fireplace Makes a Four-Season Porch

    Indoor fireplaces don't work well in superinsulated houses, so these California homeowners decided to meet their nostalgic need for a wood burner by putting it on the covered patio.

  • Choosing Standing-Seam Metal for the Roof and Walls

    Bridger Steel panels offer the flexibility, style, and durability we wanted for our project.

  • Why Do Most Passive House Projects Use European Windows?

    Finding high-performance windows that look good, work well, and fit the budget can be a challenge

  • On the Way to Net Zero

    Renewables are part of the strategy, but conservation comes first

  • Start With a Steel Deck

    Atop the foundation of steel and concrete is a metal pan deck supporting a 4-in. poured-concrete slab.

  • Footings Are Dug

    The big excavator has done its job.

  • Moving Bedrock: The Egg Drop

    If we can't dig it out, we've got to break it up somehow.

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

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