What does it take to build a very green infill condominium project in conservative, tourist-driven, image-conscious Santa Barbara, where detractors argue that solar panels on red-tile roofs create visual blight? “It takes explaining and patience,” says Dennis Thompson, AIA, the architect charged with shepherding a four-unit project through the seaside hamlet’s notoriously picky boards, commissions,…
This modern single-family home in Santa Monica was named one of the top 10 green projects by the American Institute of Architects. The house is two stories, 2,480 square feet, four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and earned the LEED Platinum-level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The house was created by Living…
Jason requests information from others visiting this blog: I am thinking of “greening my house” and I am looking for a contractor that specializes in this area of construction. I live in the Culver City area. Thanks. Any leads for Jason? Please post below.
Ever wonder what happened to that 1967 Ford Fairlane Grandpa used to drive? It could have been reincarnated into a new line of drainage grates made by Iron Age Grates. These iron beauties are made from melted-down engine blocks and wheel drums, and add a touch of chic architectural interest to an otherwise mundane area,…
I honestly don’t know about fake grass. In person, it looks terrific. But chewed up tires? Yuck! Here’s how Flower to the People‘s Pamela Berstler, designer of the cool little SoCal yard you see here, explains it: There are a lot of eco-pros and cons to using synthetic turf. In this particular situation, where the…
OK, so the headline above is provocative and false. My bad. But there are solar panel detractors in such tony enclaves as Santa Barbara (according to an architect I spoke with there) whose argument in front of government design boards has gone like this: 1. Solar panels on roofs are ugly. 2. If the buildings…
In an effort to clean up Southland air, some of the dirtiest air in the nation, regulators are considering proposals that would put restrictions on fireplaces, according to a June 2 article in The Times: Those proposals include a ban on wood-burning fireplaces in all new homes in Los Angeles, Orange and portions of San…
A new DIY solar hot water system has been introduced by Fafco, a Chico-based company that specializes in solar pool heaters. The new system can be installed by two homeowners in half a day, the company claims, and the whole thing weighs just 62 pounds. And it comes in a box! The system costs around…
Ever wonder about the durability of bamboo floors? The benefits of thicker insulation? The rebates available for adding solar power? The cost vs. value of new windows? Dennis Allen, a nationally recognized green builder in Santa Barbara, is on hand today and tomorrow, the 29th and 30th, to answer your online green remodeling questions. Topics…
There’s a lot to like about Trex or other composite decking materials. They don’t splinter, split, rot or need painting or staining. And they’re made from cast-off stuff like milk jugs and wood pallets. In fact, Trex claims it uses 50 percent of the grocery bags we recycle in the U.S., and that every year…