Sustainable Family Home

Sustainable Family Home
Rear of the home showing the Solar PV
Winner of the 2013 "All In the Family" Tahoe Quarterly Legacy Award (read article), this home is not only cozy and family oriented, but also incorporates many sustainable features.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS:
• SOLAR PV: 3.5kW photovoltaic array (20)-175 Watt panels
• SOLAR THERMAL: (3)Heliodyne Flat Plate collectors w/238 gallon, dual-stage storage tank and 200 kBTU/HR backup boiler.
• GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP: (9)-300ft deep wells with dual pumps providing both heating and cooling.
• PASSIVE SOLAR: 9% South Glazing Ratio, <3% at East & West
• Thermal Mass: Interior stonework and 1-1/2" gypcrete floors.

INDOOR AIR QUAILTY/HEALTH INTERIORS.
• Whole-house fan plus (8)-variable speed exhaust fans with occupancy sensors.
• Low VOC Cabinetry, Carpeting, and Finishes, Sealed building envelope to minimize air leakage.

RENEWABLE MATERIALS:
• Reclaimed wood siding and flooring.


read more

We are writing to recommend Kurt Reinkens of MWA, lnc. based on his outstanding work on the design and construction of our home at Lahontan.

After purchasing a lot in the spring of 2006, we retained Kurt to develop plans. Within a few months, the plans were completed, we retained a contractor, and we obtained approval from Lahontan to proceed. The process was flawless and working with Kurt and his staff was a pleasure. He helped us select an excellent contractor and he developed a set of plans that maximized our views yet still preserved our privacy. Once construction was underway, Kurt worked closely with us and with our contractor to select interior and exterior finishes. He also developed an excellent landscape plan and helped us select a landscape contractor.

Because we live in the Bay Area, a lot of our communication with Kurt was by e-mail or telephone conference. We found him to be very responsive, so that designing and building a new home “long range” wasn’t a problem. We especially appreciated the fact that hurt would typically propose a number of solutions to an issue, give us the pros and cons of each, so we felt fully informed when making decisions.

Construction was completed exactly on schedule in September 2007. We are extremely pleased with every aspect of our new home and are very grateful to Kurt for an outstanding result.


-- Steven & Dorine Kohn
Copyright © 2026 - All Rights Reserved