Techo-Bloc- Permea with Olympia Random Soldier Course

The Planet Clark Emerald House is the first NGBS / HI Emerald house in Clark County.This Habitat for Humanity home bring together universal accessible design, energy & water efficient, durable low maintenance, makes life better for families of all incomes. Form Studio was the project manager for this multi-organization project.

Shawn Maestretti
Transitional home design photo in Los Angeles

The Master Bedroom balcony provides second story outdoor living with tree top views, access to the grass roof and a connection to the lively local neighborhood below. To offset the higher cost of the grass roof we custom engineered and attained city approval of one of the first uses of a grass roof to meet Low Impact Development stormwater mitigation requirements on a single family residence in Los Angeles. The roof drainage now drains directly to the street, but was installed in anticipation of installation of a 2,500gal rainwater re-use cistern under the front yard for irrigation and toliet flushing further enhancing the project's water conservation design.

DeFranco Landscaping Inc. has been recognized with the Frank Leonbruno Memorial Lake Stewardship Award for 100% Native Plant Shoreline Buffers like this along the shores of Lake George. Their work has been published in the Landscape Management Magazine and Turf Magazine.

Shawn Maestretti
Inspiration for a transitional landscaping in Los Angeles.

Shawn Maestretti
Example of a transitional home design design in Los Angeles

The La Calandria residence is a custom home situated in the heart of Los Angeles with views spanning all the way to Pasadena. The 2,234 square foot home has modern aesthetics including spanning views of the skyline below and consists of 4 spacious bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Our client proposed two adjacent homes on a downslope lot which required various civil and structural engineering services. Our structural design team designed the hillside home on piles which included permanent shoring techniques that saved the client a substantial amount of money by not resorting to temporary shoring which can add time and cost to the project pipeline. The stormwater on the site was managed and directed to Low Impact Development flow-thru planters which are required in the city of Los Angeles whenever you are adding or proposing over 500 sqft of construction. The planters serve as a filter for contaminants in the stormwater and are beneficial for recharging the ground water system. Whether you are entertaining a group of friends on the roof top deck or below in the garden, the La Calandria residence is a perfect fit for those wanting the peace of a hillside home while catching any of the major freeways within minutes.

The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids for a driveable lawn. Here you can see the grids have completely reestablished into lawn. The grids keep the crown of the grass plants from getting crushed from vehicular traffic so the grass doesn't die and the site doesn't get muddy or mushy. We maintain this site with our organic based compost teas (called BeeSafe) to keep the grass healthy naturally instead of using chemical fertilizers. Bacterial-dominant lawns are much thicker and happier in our Western WA forests, and can withstand shade better as well. This photo is taken in November.

The Planet Clark Emerald House is the first NGBS / HI Emerald house in Clark County.This Habitat for Humanity home bring together universal accessible design, energy & water efficient, durable low maintenance, makes life better for families of all incomes. Form Studio was the project manager for this multi-organization project.

Shawn Maestretti
Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Los Angeles

Shawn Maestretti
Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Los Angeles

Shawn Maestretti
Photo of a transitional landscaping in Los Angeles.

The La Calandria residence is a custom home situated in the heart of Los Angeles with views spanning all the way to Pasadena. The 2,234 square foot home has modern aesthetics including spanning views of the skyline below and consists of 4 spacious bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Our client proposed two adjacent homes on a downslope lot which required various civil and structural engineering services. Our structural design team designed the hillside home on piles which included permanent shoring techniques that saved the client a substantial amount of money by not resorting to temporary shoring which can add time and cost to the project pipeline. The stormwater on the site was managed and directed to Low Impact Development flow-thru planters which are required in the city of Los Angeles whenever you are adding or proposing over 500 sqft of construction. The planters serve as a filter for contaminants in the stormwater and are beneficial for recharging the ground water system. Whether you are entertaining a group of friends on the roof top deck or below in the garden, the La Calandria residence is a perfect fit for those wanting the peace of a hillside home while catching any of the major freeways within minutes.

Shawn Maestretti
Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Los Angeles

The La Calandria residence is a custom home situated in the heart of Los Angeles with views spanning all the way to Pasadena. The 2,234 square foot home has modern aesthetics including spanning views of the skyline below and consists of 4 spacious bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Our client proposed two adjacent homes on a downslope lot which required various civil and structural engineering services. Our structural design team designed the hillside home on piles which included permanent shoring techniques that saved the client a substantial amount of money by not resorting to temporary shoring which can add time and cost to the project pipeline. The stormwater on the site was managed and directed to Low Impact Development flow-thru planters which are required in the city of Los Angeles whenever you are adding or proposing over 500 sqft of construction. The planters serve as a filter for contaminants in the stormwater and are beneficial for recharging the ground water system. Whether you are entertaining a group of friends on the roof top deck or below in the garden, the La Calandria residence is a perfect fit for those wanting the peace of a hillside home while catching any of the major freeways within minutes.

The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids to keep the driveway permeable (keep from adding additional impervious surface area to the property) and blend into the yard. This angle shows the hydroseed just starting to germinate.

The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids for a driveable lawn. Here you can see the grids have completely reestablished into lawn. The grids keep the crown of the grass plants from getting crushed from vehicular traffic so the grass doesn't die and the site doesn't get muddy or mushy. We maintain this site with our organic based compost teas (called BeeSafe) to keep the grass healthy naturally instead of using chemical fertilizers. Bacterial-dominant lawns are much thicker and happier in our Western WA forests, and can withstand shade better as well.