It’s the goal that Judith Fisher Freed, a rock ‘n’ roll archivist, had in mind when she approached Core Development Group — a home design and development company — a few years ago to head up the residential project for the long-time Santa Monica resident who lives just around the corner from her future home.
“We’re taking an old traditional home [style], but injecting it with a sense of environmental responsibility,” Core’s President Josh Borris said.
While the house will not be certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is the top designation for green buildings, it incorporates a number of sustainable features, including solar panel powering, low-VOC paint, energy-efficient appliances and reclaimed materials from the home it replaced.
The lot was previously occupied by a one-story house that was constructed in 1938 and was less than half the size of its successor. The home was torn down bit by bit last year and pieces of it — the door, roof, windows, bricks, hardwood floor and plumbing fixtures — were saved and have either been donated to other projects or reused in the new house.
“Everything that could be salvaged was,” Borris said.
Other features include a tankless “on-demand” water heater that will eliminate the waste of energy used to constantly warm water, and dual-paned glass windows.
Freed is no newcomer to sustainable practices, having recycled for decades and carries a special grocery bag she purchased from Harrods long before stores began distributing cloth bags.
“I have four children and the oldest is 27 and they have never seen me take a (paper or plastic) bag from the supermarket,”Freed said.
Borris believes that as more people begin upgrading their conventional homes to be sustainable, they will begin considering a design that is more modest and in tune with the character of the neighborhood.
Construction for such a home typically costs 20-25 percent more than its non-eco friendly counterpart but is about 80 percent more efficient. While green homes can cost more up front, homeowners typically do earn back their investment through energy savings accrued from efficient products and the solar panels, Borris said.
“In the long run it will pay for itself,” he said.
While modest in design, its features are far from it. The house includes five bedrooms — including one guest in the basement — 6.5 bathrooms, a pantry, butler’s preparation room, several fireplaces and an elevator. All of the doors are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair if necessary.
When Freed talks about sustainability, she’s also talking about aging.
“We get old and we have to move,” Freed said.
The house has so far grabbed the attention of its neighbors, many of whom were unaware that it includes green elements. Some neighbors have expressed reservations about the size of the house, which went from 2,400 to 5,800 square feet. “I had no idea,” Brooke Graves, whose fiancé lives across the street, said about the green features. “Who in the world would know?”
Suzanne Richards, who has lived on the block for more than three decades, said the home was quite attractive.
“I think it’ll be an asset to our street,” she said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 28, 2008. Read the original PDF.