Case Studies - Residential
Castlewood Heights Homes
Pleasanton , CA
Qualifications:
Pulte Homes
Description:
2000 "Earth Day 2000 Top Ten" National AIA/COTE
Concord Oasis Ecohousing / Straw Bale Ecohouse
Mark DeMaio, PE
944 A Oak Grove St.
Concord, CA
925.687.2560
concord@ecohousing.org
Qualifications:
Concord Oasis Ecohousing
Description:
Research-quality, straw bale construction. The two-story, 2200 sq.ft. flexible floor plan, co-housing unit, is constructed from sustainable alternative natural building materials and is heated with radiant heat. Post-and-beam framing was left exposed where possible to enhance aesthetic appeal and reduce the amount of materials. Certified sustainable redwood timber trim reduces the need for future painting and staining. Structure is preplumbed for future greywater separation - both greywater and blackwater.
Ecology House
San Rafael, CA
Qualifications:
Development Team: Owner - Ecology House, Inc., 415.456.4453 Architect - Kodama Associates. 415.296.1144
Description:
In November of 1994, residents moved in to the first apartment building in the United States constructed and maintained with materials which can be safer for persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Ecology House is an 11-unit affordable apartment development in San Rafael, California which houses persons with Environmental Illness/Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). This tiny apartment complex has attracted national media attention. Many misstatements of fact have been reported. Ecology House, Inc., the developer and owner of Ecology House, produced this report in an attempt to provide accurate information regarding building materials, costs, and results. We hope the report [at http://www.consultclarity.com/eh/evalpt1.html] will provide useful information to others building housing for persons with MCS. The report reflects input from the architect, contractor, development consultant, members of the design team, current residents, onsite property manager, as well as the Ecology House, Inc. Board of Directors. However, the information and conclusions in this report are the responsibility of Ecology House, Inc.
Emerson Street House
731 Lincoln Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.drewmaran.com/current.html
Qualifications:
EHDD Architecture/ Drew Maran Design & Construction / Office of Cheryl Barton Landscape Architecture
Description:
A demonstration house to show how green design (energy and water efficient) can work while maintaining a sense of high style. Located in a mixed use area in Palo Alto, the house consists of an open design that maximizes natural daylighting and ventilation (cooling). Other sustainable features include radiant heating, cellulose insulation, energy efficient fireplace and windows. A photovoltaic system provides electricity to the house and is also tied into the grid. Certified lumber was used for the structure.
Emeryville Resourceful Building Project
Emeryville, CA
Qualifications:
Siegel & Strain Architects / Emeryville Redevelopment Agency / Alameda County Waste Management Authority
Description:
Located on an infill lot in a neighborhood of single-family houses and small apartment buildings, this three-unit project is demonstrates green building. Resource and energy efficient measures were prioritized and implemented. The project focused on using recycled, durable, and non-toxic building materials to demonstrate creative solutions for material selection. Job site recycling showed that a significant amount of construction and demolition waste can be diverted from the landfill. Environmental life-cycle analysis was a significant part of the design process and was used to evaluate the environmental performance of several building assemblies.
Fruitvale Avenue Project
2662 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland, CA
Qualifications:
Owner/developer/general contractor: East Bay Habitat for Humanity; Architect: Gray Architecture / GHA; Site Cleanup and Development Funding: City of Oakland; Sustainable Design/Construction Technical Assistance: Alameda County Waste Management Authority
Description:
The Fruitvale Avenue Project features four single-family detached homes at the corner of Fruitvale Avenue and Davis Street in Oakland, California. The homes were sold to first-time homebuyer families with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median, and are permanently restricted. The project incorporated many sustainable elements to reduce energy consumption and waste. Like all Habitat projects, the Fruitvale project relied heavily on donated materials and volunteer time. This development incorporates a number of Green Building practices, including the use of sustainable and recycled building materials, passive and active solar energy features and recycling of 90 percent of construction waste.
Plaza del Sol
440 Valencia
San Francisco, CA
Qualifications:
Hood Miller Associates Architects
Description:
A good example of affordable housing, this infill townhouse development took significant steps to save energy and water. Passive solar design, daylighting, skylights, cross-ventilation and energy efficient equipment contribute to the overall energy savings. Water savings was achieved by utilizing low-water landscaping and on-site water retention in clustered landscape areas.
Village Homes
Davis, CA
http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid209.php
Qualifications:
Michael and Judy Corbett / Town Planners
Description:
Photovoltaics, passive heating via orientation and thermal mass, natural cooling, solar hot water systems, daylighting, organic gardens, edible landscaping, narrow streets, natural vegetated bioswales for stormwater management, high-density development, pedestrian-friendly, system of bike paths (more paths than roads), etc. Built between 1973-1981.
Westcott-Lahar Residence
Bolinas, CA
http://www.archleague.org/exhibitions/10shades/houses.html
Qualifications:
Fernau & Hartman architects: Laura Hartman, Jeffrey Day, Alexis Masnik
Description:
Low-energy, straw bale, low-embodied-energy materials, etc. "Ten Shades of Green" exhibit feature.
Wine Creek Road Home
Healdsburg, CA
Qualifications:
Rosemary Howley, Gabel Associates, LLC; Bruce King, PE; Christina Manansala, High Sun Engineering; Henry Siegel, Siegel & Strain Architects; Marjorie Smith, Siegel & Strain Architects
Description:
This modest California retreat evokes the spirit of local vernacular buildings and was designed to take maximum advantage of the site and climate to make the house comfortable while minimizing energy use and environmental impacts. A single, large room contains living, dining, and kitchen areas on the south end, and is balanced by a bedroom and bathroom on the north end. A central, open breezeway integrates the outdoors into the heart of the house. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be used in different ways as climatic conditions change over the course of the day or the year. The chief strategy for saving energy was to keep the building cool during the long, hot summers without mechanical cooling. This was accomplished by employing natural ventilation, thermal mass, and superior insulation. The thin building section, the dogtrot, and placement of windows all maximize opportunities for natural ventilation. The interior plaster walls and concrete floor provide enough thermal mass to minimize temperature swings, and integrate well with the radiant heating system. Because this mass is cooled at night (just by opening the windows), the house remains cool through the hottest part of the day. The building envelope was developed using high performance, low-tech insulation--straw bales and cellulose insulation. Roof framing at 24 inches on center allowed for additional insulation and reduced thermal bridging. Windows are wood, minimizing thermal bridging, and double-glazed with low-emissivity glazing. A highly efficient water heater provides radiant floor heating. These measures resulted in a design that keeps the building cool except during the hottest hours of the hottest days. The owners chose energy-efficient, low-water-use appliances.
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