Mela Breen

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 Roof and Wall Cladding
Standing-seam metal panels offer flexibility, style, and durability for the siding and roof of a new house.
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 to make a house energy-efficient, 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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Mela Breen

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