Perched in the Oakland Hills on a double-sized 13,000 sq. ft. multi-layer lot overlooking San Francisco Bay, the award-winning Margarido House exemplifies outstanding, sustainable design. Over 4,600 sq. ft. on two levels, the new five-bedroom, five-bath masterpiece features designer finishes throughout, and an open floor plan that takes full advantage of the breathtaking views.
The Margarido House is 55 percent more energy efficient than California’s Title 24 energy standards. The home features extensive green building components such as eco-friendly Western Red Cedar siding, a planted green roof garden and deck, on-site rain and ground water reclamation, in-floor hydronic heating, and solar electric and solar thermal (hot water) systems.
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Posted by on March 10th, 2010
Casa G is a vacation house in the countryside of Iceland designed by Gudmundur Jonsson’s architect. The concept of Casa G is based on reading and feedback to the landscape it exists on. The characteristic landscape situation and view differences distinctively in each direction. Towards south the view to the sea and islands, towards north the characteristic triangular mountain, towards east the glacier and towards west the river and canyon.
Those elements are the creator of the project, the transitions between the landscape views giving the entrance from the north and the curved plan giving a vitalized focus towards the seaside in south. When turning back the north view towards the mountain is as well enhanced with the widening view due to the fan-shape of the tilting wooden wall, being a mediator between the northern and southern landscape characteristic. The tilting is an answer and an interpretation of the glacier towards east, they are communicating and the only and huge window in that wall is creating “a painting” of the glacier experienced from the interior. The guest-wing of the building stretches to the canyon and the river towards west. Thus the building concept is a composition and dialogue of views and experiences of the various nature at site.
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Posted by on March 2nd, 2010
Carol’s most recent design is a collaboration with her mechanical engineer husband, Fred Berg. Their residence, known as the Ross Street House, was recognized as Wisconsin’s first LEED for Homes Platinum rated residence in July 2009. The home has captured the attention of green enthusiasts throughout the country for far exceeding the requirements to achieve the highest LEED rating of Platinum.
Carol Richard, founding partner of the Atlanta-based architecture firm Richard Wittschiebe Hand, returned home to Madison, Wisconsin last summer to build her house. “When I was a young architect,” says Carol, “I designed and built a house for myself in Atlanta and I’ve always wanted to build again and take advantage of the things I’ve learned over my career.”
Diagrams, drawings, photographs, detailed design information and energy use analysis can be found on the website: www.rossstreethouse.com.
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Posted by on February 26th, 2010
This house Designed by Berkley-based McGlashan Architecture is located on a beautiful hillside in Marin Country, near San Francisco. Its form and color are inspired by the hillside landscape. It has three levels and three generations of an extended family live there.
Roofs of all three levels are planted with drought resistant and native gardens. Besides that it is super insulated and designed for passive solar conditioning. With the solar panel array, it is also designed for a net-zero energy footprint. Thanks to generous decks, window walls, and big openings the house is very wheel connected to the outdoors.
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Posted by on February 25th, 2010
The La Finca 4 House in Somosaguas design by A-cero of this 1.200 m2 compact single-family house is guided by two main concepts: a great functionality in the distribution of the interior spaces and their openness to the exterior to make the most of the views. Both ideas are also present in the interior design and in the selection of the construction materials.
The house is located on a 3.500 m2 plot presenting a light slope that is used by the access ramp to the garage. The floor plan has the form of a greek cross, and is delimited by the access pathway and the other properties on both of its sides.
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Posted by on February 24th, 2010
