People's Choice Award
Levitch Associates Showcased on Build It Green's 2006 Tour
By Elizabeth H. Brown and Maurice Levitch, AIA
The goal of the residential remodel featured on this month's cover was twofold: add space for a growing family while respecting the architectural details of a 1923 home, and implement sustainable/ green building practices to create an attractive, resource-efficient and healthy home.
A partial second-story addition has three new bedrooms and a bathroom. The basement, storage and workshop at the lower level are also new.
The decorative tile band in the bathroom is made of recycled glass. The counter is concrete with 25 percent fly ash and rice hulls as the primary aggregate. (Photo by Alan Geller)
To build green by conserving resources, Levitch Associates used engineered lumber and framing techniques that consume fewer natural resources. The old roof rafters became tables for the owner's family. Many finishes, such as the bamboo flooring and the glass mosaic tile in the bathroom, contain recycled and/or rapidly renewable materials. The concrete countertops in the bathroom contain a high percentage of fly ash, an industrial byproduct that would otherwise add to the waste stream.
New solar panels generate electricity, while windows, skylights and interior transoms provide natural light for reduced energy use. Concrete at the south side of the home acts as a thermal mass to reduce heating and cooling costs. Radiant heat and nontoxic insulation made from recycled denim round out the heating system of this energy-efficient home.
To meet the green remodeling goal of improving indoor air quality, finishes were chosen that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and, therefore, do not pollute the indoor air. A central vacuum system vents to the outdoors and captures more particles than a conventional vacuum for a cleaner home. Finally, a heat recovery ventilator not only ensures fresh indoor air, but it also captures heat from stale inside air to heat cooler incoming air, thus contributing to both resource efficiency and indoor air quality.
Green features in the kitchen area include a new low-E skylight and window, concrete counters with 25 percent fly ash content, concrete floor tile and an Energy Star dishwasher.
The owners purchased a 1920s home, pictured on these pages, with the idea of remodeling it to suit their more contemporary tastes, including a preference for green building. Sustainable building strategies included many finishes that are sustainably produced and/or contain recycled content, such as kitchen and bathroom tile. At the lower floor, the existing slab was replaced with a new insulated concrete slab with 25 percent fly ash content and radiant heating. Doors were reused in new locations, including using some to create a bench in the kitchen nook. Levitch also preserved the existing hardwood floors and restored many older windows. Overall, between on- and off-site recycling, 80 percent of construction waste was recycled, a marked improvement over standard building practices.
Bathroom walls are covered in recycled-content glass tile.
This home won the People's Choice Award for Alameda County homes showcased on Build It Green's 2006 tour of green homes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
A Focus on Green
The stakes have never been higher; green building is the future of designing, renovating and constructing buildings in the Bay Area, the nation and in the world. Two award-winning bay area projects, one outstanding firm focusing on green building.
August 2006 Builder Architect Edition Issue