If you needed proof that green can also be beautiful, look no further than this custom-designed home in Sonoma that ticks all the boxes for energy conservation and planet-saving features, all while blending seamlessly into the landscape.
The home is one of six featured on Saturday’s virtual Modern Home Tour presented by the Modern Architecture + Design Society.
The home, set into an east-facing hillside overlooking Sonoma, was awarded 180 points in the Green Point Certified House program, thanks to its focus on ventilation, controlled solar access, structural insulated panels, insulated concrete forms and other passive and active strategies that mean residents need to air conditioning just eight days of the year.
More than half its energy is supplied by solar through aspects like the folded metal roof which maximizes south facing surfaces for solar collectors — and rainwater harvesting. Four 5,000-gallon tanks collect rainwater from the roofline. And the home’s shallow depth maximizes views and lets ocean air cross-ventilate and cool the home.
Polished concrete floors provide an easy maintenance finish and their thermal mass helps moderate temperature swings.
The single-level house was designed for aging in place, a popular concept these days, with future considerations planned for: two 5-foot-square stacking closets are prepped for a future elevator, for example, and an attached dwelling unit can be converted into an in-law or caregiver’s apartment.
Find details on how to join the virtual Modern Home Tour here. Check out the other homes on the tour, too:
Mocabee house and studio barn, Sonoma
Prairie style house, Los Altos
Small house, big design, Oakland
Details
- DNM Architecture Inc.
- Contractor/Builder: Deveau Construction
- Number of bedrooms:4
- Number of bathrooms:3
- Approximate square footage:3,600
- Year built: 2013
