Harka is an architecture and interiors firm that is dedicated to low carbon design and life-styling. We do a mix of both commercial and residential projects. Our commercial work consists of retail, office, restaurants, bars, cafes, theaters, and cannabis retail and manufacturing. The residential work ranges from kitchen remodels up through new construction of multifamily. We have been doing this work for over 8 years, and started certifying houses as net zero in the past year. 

We performed a deep high-performance retrofit on a 577 square foot Art Deco building that was built in 1939, to act as our new architecture office. I am the owner, the architect and the builder for the project. Although the building’s style was somewhat unique to Portland, the building was at the point where most people would have torn it down. It had lived its life. But our company mission is to UPLIFT and we were determined to not only breathe another 80 years into the building, but make it even better than it ever was. 

So, we set out to do all we could to air seal, insulate, and upgrade the shell and interior finishes using materials that were low toxic and were low in embodied carbon. The goal was not exactly to meet net zero, but to test ideas and set an example for clients. Because of the effort we put toward the envelope and our passive operation of the structure, we have exceeded all expectations. The solar company predicted that the 8.3kW array would only offset 58% of our power. Six months in, it has supplied over 100% of our power, and we are on target to be net zero after a full year.   

We experimented with some low carbon materials that are not 100% conventional. This created some challenges with shipping as these materials are not sold in big box stores. Most subcontractors are not well versed in high performance construction. It required a lot of my time to be on site to assure the subcontractors understood the concepts and paid attention to the non-conventional details. 

Was it worth it? Definitely! I love seeing how much carbon we are offsetting when I look at the control panel: 4.5 tons in 6 months. The long-term plan is to add a degree of climate resiliency with the addition of a battery system. As storms intensify, a solar system with storage will be paramount.