The second of our LEED for Home projects was completed for the same developer as the first pilot project and its design was also based on our successful pilot project and like the first project is has recieved a silver level certification.

This moderately sized family home mixes traditional Spanish and contemporary design. Contemporary elements such as a rain screen wall system, a canted wall, and a cantilevered bed alcove are used in conjunction with elements of an existing 1935 Spanish style home. The major remodel and addition to a small Santa Monica house has received a Platinum LEED for home rating. The elements that provided character to this small flat roofed Spanish style house have been retained and new more modern elements have been added. The, typical for a traditional Spanish home, bullnose detailing has been recreated with a subtly modern twist at the window sills. The flush wall base, which existed pre-remodel has been updated with a simple reveal. The hard trowel exterior plaster has been reapplied with improved waterproofing and the color of new rain screen wall mirrors the clay roof tiles. The home has been given a new life and, rather than forgetting history, the new and the old elements create a layered whole.

This project was selected to be in the pilot program of the LEED Home program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). We are proud to be one of the few firms selected to be part of the pilot testing for the expansion of the rating systems into residential projects. The 4,500 sq. ft. residence balances the space and comfort levels that are required of a high-end speculative project with the efficiencies and environmental considerations that are required by the LEED rating. Green considerations include the site selection, water efficiency, indoor air quality, materials and resources, energy usage, and provisions for the home owner’s education. The home is traditional and grand and satisfies the space and feature requirements that are expected for a home within its market sector. The project illustrates that across tastes and market sectors there are educated decisions that we all should be making.

The project consists of three new single family homes which are currently in design in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. All three homes fit within the confines of a typical, for Los Angeles, single family residential lot (50’x150’). Each home uses one third the amount of land of a typical single family home, yet not by sacrificing features or private outdoor space. The homes are part of the “LEED for home” program and are currently targeting a platinum rating. Some of the green features that are being considered are structural insulated panels (SIPs), solar voltaic panels, efficient heating and hot water systems, rain screen exteriors, and the use of recycled and renewable materials. The modern detailing and loft-like spaces will appeal to urbanites who dream of single family home ownership and as such the project will constitute a new envisioning of the Los Angeles/American dream.