AN APARTMENT APART

The expansion of the garage from a three- to a five-carport meant that the apartment above it grew, too, boosting the home’s conditioned footage. Fortunately, the space is packed with usable features, including an efficient kitchen and a wide-open center bookended by balconies, the rear one with a spiral stair to the garden below. The apartment also is served by its own entry to the left of the garage that leads to a private staircase, with no other connection to the main house except through the carport. That separation allows it to be a truly private space for an in-law, seasonal caretaker, or nanny.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Constant Hot Water

Rinnai’s condensing tankless water heater (model #RC98HPi), installed in the garage and fueled by natural gas, kicks in if the rooftop solar thermal collectors need a boost to deliver domestic hot water. The tankless unit heats water only when called for and is 95 percent efficient, reducing its energy consumption to about half that of a standard-efficiency electric tank heater. As a condensing unit, it also activates at a flow rate of just 0.4 gallons (versus 0.69 for non-condensing units), such as from a bath faucet, to deliver a constant supply of hot water anywhere in the house and support water conservation efforts.
www.rinnai.us.