Permanent home in this seaside, designed for young families located in established, highly original treed coastal environment. Rectilinear nature of the site and floor plans encourage natural typography simple but very efficient which combines three pavilions connected by a continuous circulation spine.

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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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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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With an enclosed full-height atrium at the heart of the three-storey building, the social life of the school revolves around this assembly space for 1,100 students. A recurrent element in several other of Foster + Partners’ academy buildings, the atrium is defined by a sense of transparency and openness – like a gallery of learning – which in this case also resonates with the museum theme. Inside the atrium there are three yellow drums raised above the floor on circular columns. These two-storey pods house the Academy’s ten science laboratories, reinforcing the importance of science teaching.

A dedicated sports and culture block contains specialist facilities for music and drama including a fully equipped theatre, a TV and sound recording studio, soundproofed practice rooms and a rehearsal space, sports hall and lecture theatre. The academy’s two light and airy covered streets extend from the atrium and are lined with 38 classrooms.

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