From looking on line (link below - see page 4) it appears that there is the usual requirement for non-combustible material on the wall above the range and below the hood. Countertops can be installed on both sides of the GE Monogram range, but any side wall adjoining the countertops must be at least 12" away from the range burners. I assume this is because of the intense heat that can be generated by the burners. I'm not sure exactly what you are calling a "fireplace" that you are installing this range in. Is it totally brick from floor to hood, or only from the cooktop surface up? I recommend you check with your architect, contractor, and your GE dealer (and check local codes), but my guess is that you will be fine if you plan on installing the range within a brick "fireplace"(?) that provides a suitably insulated noncombustible surface on both sides. The drawing accompanying the GE Monogram installation manual shows what appears to be a sheet-rocked wall (not brick) 12" away from the cooktop, but better safe than sorry. BTW - Re: the "fireplace" that you are installing the range within. One other thing you might want to consider is the width of the range hood above. Although we're installing a 48" GE Monogram hood above our 48" range (doing this because we got a terrific deal on the exhaust hood, and I think it will be adequate), there are many folks on the forum that recommend that your hood be at least 6 inches wider than your cooktop. Do a search on this forum and you'll find plenty of threads on the topic. You might want to figure out your hood before you lock yourself into a particular width of brick "fireplace." Here is a link that might be useful: Installation Manual for GE Mongram 36

If you have not already read them, you might find it helpful to review these threads on American Range stoves: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4413373/american-range-36inch-gas-or-miele-36inch-dual-fuel http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2343973/american-range-performer-experiences-of-recent-buyers With Miele, are you located where the company has factory service? Again, if you have not already read it, you might find this thread on Miele DF stoves helpful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2812367/new-miele-dual-fuel-gas-range-experience

Upon further consideration, I think the referenced hood is not in the same class as the range -- perhaps too much is being charged for the Bertazzoni logo engraving and not enough to meet the basic requirements of achieving hood effectiveness. A quasi pro style range should be provided a quasi pro style hood. You could consider any of several popular higher-end hood brands, and if you wanted to save a bit, use a 42-inch unit, as long as it is deep enough. I'm sure Modernaire can supply such in a capture & containment effective hood, as can Wolf and others. Wolf Design Guides often include photos of hoods on sections of wall without cabinets to show off their offerings.

We have both gas (in the range) and electric (combination steam oven) ovens. I find that for the vast majority of dishes, the fuel source doesn't matter at all. Is there a strong reason why you are focused on dual fuel? Many of the dual fuel ranges these days have trouble with the coating on oven liners failing over time, and you end up with little bits of glass in your food. That's probably the majority of bad reviews you have been reading. Gas ovens anecdotally don't seem to suffer from this issue, and neither do ovens with stainless steel oven cavities (e.g. combination steam wall ovens). The only food where fuel source does make somewhat of a difference is artisanal bread. It prefers higher moisture during the initial oven spring, and gas ovens tend to be dryer than electric ovens that don't require the same type of vent. The solution is easy, I either bake in my steam oven or I use a cast iron Dutch oven when baking in the gas range. Then I can just keep the lid on for the first half of baking. I really enjoy cooking and baking with our Bluestar RNB range; wouldn't recommend buying the Platinum if baking is important to you. Our oven is very even and predictable, as long as you preheat it properly. And that can take between 20min and 40min. If you need faster preheat times, get a small 24" wall oven. They preheat in a few minutes and honestly do fill most of the cooking needs that we have. These days, I only use the Bluestar oven for its amazing broiler or when cooking very large meals.