Harka Low-Carbon Architecture & Life

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Harka Low-Carbon Architecture & Life

Innovative design that inspires a better world and informs a more thoughtful way of living.

06/02/2026

Continuing our Sabin ADU project tour, a main focus was planning for aging in place. The space was designed with the future in mind, featuring a barrier-free front door, a bathroom large enough for a wheelchair and even blocking in the walls to accommodate future grab bars.

The First floor provides all the basics of small living, but with big light to make it feel larger. These spaces feel big even though they fit into a small footprint.

The Second floor currently functions as a live-work space with a bedroom, art studio, and half bath. This is designed to act as a potential caregiver apartment if one is ever needed.

Accessible First Floor layout: If someone with mobility issues lived here, the first floor could transform into an accessible studio with no stairs between the bathroom and kitchen, so our client can continue to live here as her needs change.

We also focused on maximizing storage, providing custom built-ins.

05/28/2026

For our next project tour, our Sabin ADU, we brought a family closer through inter-generational living. This 2 story 800-square-foot, high-efficiency one-bedroom unit has enough space to comfortably live and work. We designed the building envelope with a level of resiliency that will keep our client and the building in good shape for decades. With that in mind, the main floor is designed to convert into a fully ADA-compliant studio apartment when the stairs become too challenging.

The main house kitchen and the ADU kitchen are connected by a shared patio. The small bump outs break down the scale so it feels less imposing while adding to the square footage on the second level.

In this energy-efficient build, we designed a heeled truss to add extra insulation in the attic. Advanced framing reduced the lumber used (saving money and material) and provided more room for insulation. We also included air sealing details to help control indoor air quality and improve energy performance. These details provide a comfortable home that lasts and costs less to heat and cool.

04/29/2026

Popped in to check on the progress and finalize some details for this awesome project currently in construction. Tile is looking fab and can’t wait for this custom backsplash by to be installed ☀️

04/22/2026

Before and After Alert! The existing living room in this project was dark and undersized. The fireplace felt cramped in the corner of the room. The original kitchen layout lacked counter space and was ergonomically awkward due to the adjacent hallway.

Removing walls opened up the living space, allowing light to fill the house and improving views. The difference is significant. Now the family can gather around the fireplace. Keeping an eye on the little ones is made easier with more views from the kitchen. The whole floor now feels lighter, more welcoming, and is made healthier with smart material choices.

Removing the hallway between the stairwell and the kitchen allowed us to expand the kitchen. This made room for a large island which transformed the kitchen into a functional family gathering space. The new cabinetry and uplifted kitchen layout added a ton of storage, functionality, and much improved ergonomics. It now feels like the true heart of the home.

Swipe for the Before!

04/13/2026

Photoshoot Day Teaser for this stunner 😎

03/31/2026

For our next project tour, we’ll show you how this remodel expanded and updated the home our clients’ grandfather built to support future generations.

How do you update and expand a home that is packed with so much sentimentality? This single story home was built by the owner’s grandfather in 1929, and will be the childhood home of at least 3 generations of their children. We worked closely to preserve and respect the history of the home, while uplifting it to work for generations to come. We added 1075sf second level while not overpowering the scale of the home from the street. The thoughtful addition saved the client money, and reduced the carbon footprint of the project.

The view from the curb has changed dramatically while maintaining the original charm and scale. The experience of entering the home has been elevated with bright new siding, and a new cover created by the kids’ bathroom above. This new design provides a comfortable place to sit and reconnect with the neighborhood.

Swipe for the Before.

03/18/2026

We are excited to share this Sammamish, WA project, which kicks off construction this Spring. The existing home was very small, but sat on a prime location on Pine Lake. The owners wanted to build their dream home which included a double height living space, lofted office, lower level ADU and a wonderful view of the water. We teamed up with Bright Sky Design to complete the Interior Design for this project. Stay tuned as we share the progress.

03/05/2026

Have you been wondering about the impact of AI on Oregon’s Electrical Grid? We certainly have!

Oregon is attracting new data centers through property tax exemptions. Who is going to pay for the grid upgrades they require??!!

Oregon’s electrical grid and utility costs have been relatively stable since 1988 when our energy use transitioned from fuel oil and wood to natural gas and electricity. Over the past 8 years, that stability has shifted as the state experiences a dramatic increase in electricity demand. Many people have associated these increases with more households and cars transitioning to electric. We decided to take a look at this and found that there is a much bigger elephant in the room.

About 8 years ago Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google started bringing large data centers online across Oregon and Washington. These new centers are putting massive amounts of pressure on our aging infrastructure, and are requiring a lot more energy and transmission lines than we currently have. Historically, utility companies have passed these costs on to all the rate payers. Meaning, residential rate payers will be paying the bulk of the upgrades that these large data centers require.
In 2012, PGE started tracking energy use by the class of customer, i.e. residential, commercial, and industrial. The graph shows that residential energy use has not changed since 2012, while industrial energy is increasing at an unprecedented pace.

The Oregon Legislature has recognized the problem and gathered its own bit of data to help tell the story. While PGE and Pacific Power have added over 24k residential customers to the system, the Data Center growth has been equivalent to almost 7 times that in the past 5 years.

Read more about this and how you can take action in our recent Slog post on our website, also linked in bio.

02/20/2026

From design concept through construction, Harka is there every step of the way. We advocate for our clients and serve as resources for the contractors. We work as a team to ensure our high performance details are implemented per our plans. Site visits allow us to support the construction team and trouble shoot any issues that may arise during construction. Our mission is to Uplift, whether that is your design vision or our individual relationships along the way. Our goal is to make the process enjoyable, inspiring and collaborative.

Got a project in mind? We’d love to help!

02/10/2026

For our Concordia Middle Housing project, our clients lived in a 1929 home and owned the empty 5,000sf lot to their south. They wanted to bring their parents and extended family closer to them while maintaining private space, for everyone’s comfort and safety. Being close just makes more sense, and thoughtful design makes it possible.

We carefully added a new primary unit with an attached ADU on the second floor, and a second ADU over a new garage. The goal was to increase the livable space while providing ample outdoor space for gathering and gardening.

This site now has room for four family units of various sizes, ages, and positions in life. This allows the family members to move between units as their lives change. Larger units for families, accessible units for elderly, and smaller units for folks just starting out. The shared exterior has been active and appreciated, which is a testament to our design principle of balancing private spaces with the more public shared spaces.

Swipe for the Before!

Address

7631 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR
97213

Telephone

+15039759471

Website

http://harkahq.com/

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