Services: - New Building
- Remodel
- Restoration/Preservation
Residential Building Type: - Single-family home
- Multi-family residential
- ADU
Project size: - 2000 sq ft or Less
- 2001 sq ft to 5000 sq ft
- 5001 sq ft or More
Sustainability Expertise & Credentials
Sustainability Expertise: Yes
Sustainability Expertise & Credentials: Sustainability is embedded in NCA Studio’s design approach—from early planning through construction. We create high-performing, resource-efficient spaces that balance environmental responsibility with long-term value.
Our work prioritizes passive design strategies, high-performance envelopes, and durable materials to reduce energy use and improve comfort. We emphasize thoughtful material selection, including low-emitting and responsibly sourced products, along with water-conscious design tailored to California’s climate.
We bring extensive experience in adaptive reuse, tenant improvements, and renovations—extending the life of existing buildings while minimizing waste. Projects can also be aligned with LEED or similar performance-based frameworks where appropriate.
NCA Studio maintains a formal Sustainability Action Plan, available on our website, guiding both our practice and project work. Founder and Principal Nicole Cannon, former co-chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment, brings a longstanding commitment to sustainable design and leadership within the profession.
Fire Resiliency Experience: Yes
Fire Resiliency Experience Details: NCA Studio brings a proactive, design-driven approach to fire resiliency, grounded in our experience working throughout Southern California’s fire-prone regions. We integrate resilient strategies from the earliest stages of planning through construction, helping clients rebuild or improve properties with long-term safety and performance in mind.
Our team is experienced in delivering projects using noncombustible and ignition-resistant materials, including stucco, fiber cement, metal, and masonry, as well as Class A-rated roof assemblies and ember-resistant detailing. These strategies are critical to reducing ignition risk, particularly from wind-driven embers—the leading cause of structure loss in wildfires.
We approach each project with a site-specific lens, addressing building placement, defensible space, and coordination with landscape and access requirements to support fire response and minimize fuel exposure.
In addition to our design expertise, Founder and Principal Nicole Cannon is certified through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Safety Assessment Program (SAP), allowing her to assess structures in post-disaster conditions. This training informs our approach to rebuilding—balancing urgency, safety, and thoughtful design.
At NCA Studio, fire resiliency is not an add-on—it is an integrated part of how we design, helping clients create durable, well-considered environments that are better prepared for the our modern world.
Service Distance: 50 miles
