> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Green houses go mainstream - URL: https://www.smdp.com/green-houses-go-mainstream/ - Published: 2006-11-01T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:57:25.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Environment, Ocean Park, #archive-import OCEAN PARK — With its crisp clean lines, cedar siding and ultramodern architecture, the newest addition to this neighborhood is a clear departure from the traditional craftsman and cottage style homes that line its streets. The differences between this 2,500-square foot home and the typical breezy beach houses scattered GREEN HOUSE, from page 1 around Ocean Park goes foundation deep. Much like Legos, some assembly was required. The two-story house on the 2900 block of Highland Avenue was delivered in pieces from a factory in Santa Fe Springs in April. Within eight hours, the house designed by renowned architect Ray Kappe came together, from 11 separate modules, potentially breaking a home construction record for Santa Monica. “It’s quicker, cheaper and (produces) less waste,” said Steve Glenn, owner of LivingHomes, a developer of “green,” yet stylish prefabricated homes. Glenn currently lives in the prefab residence. Incorporating environmentally friendly elements, like radiant heating, the prefab estate is the first single family home in Santa Monica to receive the official thumbs up from the U.S. Green Building Council. It was not only the first home to receive the LEED for Homes green certification, it achieved the highest rating — platinum. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a nationally accepted benchmark to building environmentally friendly homes. The house is loaded with “green” qualities. It is made from more than 70 percent double-paned Fleetwood and Polygal poly-carbonate glass, which has three times more heating insulation capabilities than regular glass, has its own water management system that will collect rainwater and recycle shower and sink water to maintain the landscape, and uses photovoltaic cells on a roof to convert sun power into its own energy. The four different Kappe-designed homes range in price from $350,000 to $650,000, not including foundation, transportation or installation of materials. The homes vary in size from two to four bedrooms, with two to three bathrooms. A house can be delivered within six months after building permits are issued. FROM PREFAB TO JUST FAB However, the prefab homes are not the only ones painting the town green. Currently, three other Santa Monica homes — a condominium and two custom-built houses — are participating in the pilot phase of the LEED for Homes program, a process by which environmentally friendly homes can receive “green” certification. It’s a sign that city homeowners could soon transition to green living, something that experts say is not only friendly to the environment, but healthier for the body. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s when (green houses will increase),” said John Lee, managing partner of Lee Capital Builders in Santa Monica. The company is currently developing a home north of Montana Avenue that it hopes will receive a LEED certification. The popularity of sustainable living has grown for several reasons, mainly sparked from the energy crisis in California, said Greg Reitz, city of Santa Monica’s green building advisor. Recent certification for green businesses and other buildings has expanded interest in the topic. Lee believes the popularity also has something to do with the increasing availability of resources to build green over the past four years. The 4,000 square foot home that Lee is building could receive the silver LEED rating and would include a furnace that is 33 percent more efficient than its counterpart, efficient plumbing fixtures and recycled concrete. Lee Capital Builders is also planning to build a 2,800-square feet green home in the Pacific Palisades. “Our goal is to make these things a little more mainstream,” Lee said. The list of benefits of having a green home appears endless, including raising home values, reducing the impact on the environment, cutting utility bills and reducing the impact on health — a factor that many homeowners tend to overlook, said Reitz. The city also offers the perk of giving priority to issuing building permits for builders applying for LEED certification. The growing group of interested homeowners and developers who need guidance on how to achieve that healthy environmental setting have sought advice from the Green Building Resource Center, a partnership of the city of Santa Monica and Global Green USA, whose headquarters are in the city. Opened in 2004 on Main Street, Global Green USA’s Green Building Resource Center offers free expert consultation on an array of different methods on sustainable living and building, providing samples, magazines and a directory of local companies that either sell green products or provide related construction service. “We put in all the product because we think they’re green, not because someone paid us to,” said Ted Bardacke, senior program associate at Global Green USA. Along one wall of the Green Building Resource Center, which is open during limited hours Wednesday through Friday and Sunday, are samples of different types of sustainable materials, like non-toxic adhesives, natural wall covering, non flushing urinals and roofing made from recycled tires. Clients come from all across West Los Angeles, but close to 50 percent live in Santa Monica. “This is a city that’s always been concerned about the environment,” Bardacke said.“We’re blessed with a wonderful natural environment to begin with.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 1, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)