casa for Køb i Piamonte, California

2010 recipient for the Best Sustainable Design in Piedmont - the house was remodeled following green standards. This eco-conscious home combines passive architectural features to maximize natural light in the living spaces. The radiant heated floor and PV solar panels provide year-round comfort with very low PG&E bills (total for 2010 = $300). In addition, the 3,500-gallon rain catchment cistern is used to water the garden all summer long. You will be welcomed by the warm and inviting wall colors all with low VOC paints. The cottage feel from curbside opens up to a larger home with great flow for indoor/outdoor entertaining. The view from the upstairs deck will remind you of summers in Provence! In the back of the spacious garden, the 440 square foot insulated and wired garage is perfect for a home office, artist studio, or game room. The design of the garage roof will allow for additional solar panels to charge your electric car. This traditional-style house offers many modern ecological features and will go into the future using little natural resources. This is a sustainable home at its best! Updated On: January, 11 2022 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1. The new foundation and floor slabs concrete was mixed with fly ash - fly ash is a coal-fueled electric power plant byproduct that improves the concrete performance, making it stronger, more durable, and more resistant to chemical attack. Using fly ash reduces the need for cement production - a major energy user and source of "greenhouse gas" emission, and also conserves landfill space. 2. A rain catchments cistern was created next to the house foundation, hidden under the deck. The 3,500 gallons concrete/fly ash cistern, half buried in the ground incorporates overflow and re-circulating systems, to supply pristine water year round to the back yard garden. 3. Both decks and outdoor stairs have been built with Trex, a low maintenance, durable composite decking material made out of recycled plastic and reclaimed wood fibers. All the structural decking joists are protected with a waterproof tape. 4. The concrete floor inside the house includes a hydronic radiant heat system powered by the on-demand water heater of the house. This very efficient system provides comfortable heat throughout 3 independent zones. 5. All the new siding of the house and the garage is in cement fiber boards, a low maintenance material that matches the existing painted redwood siding of the street facade. 6. All the new windows are double-pane, low-e glass in clad wooden frames for a superior thermal and acoustic insulation and little exterior maintenance. 7. All new exterior walls of the house and the garage are insulated with cotton batting a thick and dense post industrial recycled natural product (denim from the jeans industry). This provides the same R-rating ratio than fiber glass products with a better sound proofing. 8. All interior walls and moldings use low or no VOC paints. All custom cabinetry in bamboo is finished with a hand rubbed natural oil. The indoor air quality is healthier without off-gassing of caustic volatile chemicals. The hardwood floors are, also, in bamboo. 9. All the appliances are Energy Star rated and are among the lowest in water consumption available on the market in 2008. Dual flush toilets and low consumption shower heads have also been installed. 10. The house includes passive architectural design features like the extended roof, precise location of the windows, sun tubes and skylights to maximize natural light inside. 11. There is a 3kW solar PV panel system on the southwestern slope of the house roof - this, supplies over 100% of the needs of the house in electricity. The roof of the garage is asymmetrical in design for the southern slope to fit extra future PV panels to charge electric cars.