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Welcome to
Carmel Building & Design

We design and build energy-efficient homes using sustainable practices including Passive House and electrification in the Monterey Bay area.

DISCOVER OUR ENERGY EFFICIENT DESIGN/BUILD STRATEGIES
beuatiful living room - home builders carmel ca

Passive House design and build specialists serving the Monterey Bay area since 2000

We’re all about lowering the carbon footprint of the built environment through sustainable building practices like Passive House. Explore how sustainably designed and constructed homes significantly increase energy efficiency, durability, quiet and comfort, yield healthy indoor air quality and have a higher resale value. And we think it’s simply the right thing to do.

DISCOVER CARMEL BUILDING & DESIGN
beuatiful living room - home builders carmel ca

Progressive building practices like Passive House: Not just a way to build. We believe it’s the way to build.

Carmel Building & Design employs Passive House design and building principles to achieve measurable levels of energy efficiency and comfort. Passive House focuses on five key strategies that reduce the energy demand for heating and cooling—a large portion of a home’s energy usage—by 75 to 90 percent.

This advanced sustainable building approach delivers a variety of benefits, while allowing expression in any architectural style, at little or no added cost.

Featured Design/Build Projects

Our goal for every home we design, build or remodel is to make it a true reflection of the homeowners’ vision. We employ green building practices in all of our projects to improve energy efficiency and lower the home’s carbon footprint. Examples of our work demonstrate our driving philosophy to achieve a project and an experience that is personal, responsible and exceptional for each client.

View OUR DESIGN/BUILD Projects
Carmel Building & Design exceeded our expectations. The competence and integrity of the process and team were obvious. We ended the project feeling as though we had made new friends.
Roger P., Quail Meadows
When a project involved sub-contractors, we could count on Rob to select tradespeople who produced quality work.
Larry B., Carmel Valley
My husband is knowledgeable about construction so he and Rob were able to communicate easily. I appreciated that Rob took time to explain things in a way that I could understand. He made it comfortable for me to participate in the process.
Sharon B., Carmel Valley
Rob’s team of carpenters was great and very friendly, and he held subcontractors to a very high standard.
Niels and Jan R., Carmel
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Recent Blog Posts

August 14, 2023 Blog

Building a Passive House vs Conventional Home | Energy Efficient Homes

August 14, 2023 Blog

Building a Passive House vs Conventional Home | Energy Efficient Homes

When it comes to building a new home, there are many factors to consider.

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August 8, 2023 Blog

Passive House, Green Building and Energy-Efficient Design Principles

August 8, 2023 Blog

Passive House, Green Building and Energy-Efficient Design Principles

With today’s rise in environmental awareness, terms like “Passive House”, “Green...

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July 31, 2023 Blog

How Passive House Design Contributes to Sustainable Living

July 31, 2023 Blog

How Passive House Design Contributes to Sustainable Living

The demand for sustainable, energy-efficient homes is on the rise, and a notable trend that has emerged in this...

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Rob Nicely

President & Partner

Rob studied art at the University of California, Davis and has been in the construction industry since 1980. His rare combination of technical expertise and artistic sensibility enables him to provide a unique and exceptional experience for clients. As president, Rob leads by example. He is dedicated to the highest standards of quality and customer service, and to using the latest techniques and technologies to create environmentally mindful homes.
Rob is a Certified Green Building Professional (Build It Green) and Certified Passive House Consultant (Passive House Institute). He has served on the Passive House California board of directors since January 2018. Over the years Rob has garnered several accreditations. He participates in a variety of advocacy efforts, all focused on improving the quality of homes that Carmel Building & Design produces and increasing the ecological sustainability of the building industry in general. In his leisure time, Rob enjoys sculpting and painting.