Sustainable Green Home Tour 2009

by Tali Hardonag Architect

Adding a Family room and a place where the homeowner could lay out
her quilting was top of the wish list. But creating an environmentally
conscious home from a 1940's tract house was the main goal.
The design kept many of the existing walls but upgraded windows ,
insulation and wiring; the existing kitchen cabinets stored during construction and reused in a new layout. Beams salvaged from an old barn were used at the porch and fireplace .
A loft was added with high windows for natural ventilation. Insulation in
walls and rafters wrapped pipes and ducts for energy efficiency. Durable
materials were selected for finishes inside and out. The driveway was laid
with permeable pavers and native plants selected for the garden.
The result is a testament to the home owners commitment to
sustainable, resource conserving and energy efficient building.

Green features:
Stack effect cooling and ventilation
Metal ‘cool’ roof
Cement board siding
6” walls with insulation burying plumbing and ducting
Dual flush toilets
Tankless on-demand Water Heater
Energy star appliances
Reclaimed wood in beams, post and mantel
Bamboo and cork flooring
Low VOC paints
Native plants
Permeable pavers in driveway


Year Built: 2009
Construction: RJ Smith Construction, Palo Alto CA