The owners loved their half-acre parcel of land, but not their dated ranch style house. They were undecided on whether new construction or a major remodel would yield the best end result. After visiting the site, we determined that the existing house was well-sited and in relatively good condition structurally, and that retaining the existing foundation would maximize their construction budget.
Apart from knowing that they wanted abundant windows and high ceilings where possible, our clients initially didn’t have strong feelings about what they wanted their house to look like.
After some mutual exploration of other styles both in preliminary 3d models and in Houzz images of other homes. We proposed a contemporary house influenced by the Bay Area homes of residential developer Joseph Eichler and his contemporaries in Palm Springs.
After careful consideration, the Owners gave us approval to explore this direction further. The final design features large expanses of glazing, low slung roofs, and deep eaves, sized using passive solar principles.
A stone-clad wall runs from the front porch to the rear patio, and announces the indoor-outdoor design intent as the house first comes into view.
The house features improved insulation, solar PV and hot water panels, and hydronic radiant heat throughout, including the outdoor covered rear patio. With exterior wall and roof insulation far in excess of what California’s strict energy codes required, this new home was built without air conditioning, a relative rarity in the Bay Area.
Low energy consumption, liberal use of environmentally friendly materials and finishes, and reuse of portions of the existing building make this one of the “greenest” homes we have designed.
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Credit: studios2arch
