Green Building Award, San Mateo County, CA, 2010
In designing this home for a family of four, we strived to be as environmentally sensitive as possible while creating an space conducive to indoor-outdoor living. The result is a comprehensive array of environmentally friendly systems, materials, and finishes for the home--from the fly ash content in the concrete mix of the home’s foundation to the 10.8-kW photovoltaic system on the roof. A geothermal heat-pump system snakes a ground loop beneath the property, taking advantage of the earth’s constant temperatures to assist the heating and cooling needs of the home. Solar thermal technology heats the swimming pool; a graywater system takes water from washing machines and showers and filters it for use in irrigation; and recycled denim provides insulation. The generous and strategic use of daylighting in the home renders artificial lighting virtually unnecessary during daylight hours. Meanwhile, the narrow massing of the structure provides excellent cross ventilation. To accommodate the needs of a child in a wheelchair, the home was designed on one level, with ADA-compliant thresholds, extra-wide hallways, and accessible bathrooms.