San Francisco-based firm Malcolm Davis Architecture has managed to combine the cool vibe of Cali design with the energy-saving principles of sustainable living. Their latest design is a modern ranch home that was built using reclaimed materials and boasts several active and passive strategies that reduce the home’s environmental impact.
According to the architects, the design for the beautiful home was inspired by Northern California’s stunning landscape. From the beginning, the team worked to establish an eco-friendly approach when it came to protecting the home’s natural vegetation. As one of the first steps, the team worked in collaboration with Ground Studio Landscape Architecture to ensure that the existing redwood and oak trees found on site would be protected during the construction process. Additionally, the landscape architects added an olive grove just steps away from the home.
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The home’s construction itself also followed a sustainable outline that included repurposed materials and passive elements. Instead of demolishing the existing home that was on site to make way for the new design, for example, the team carefully dismantled the building materials to be re-used in the new design. As such, the new home was built using salvaged lumber and several other repurposed building materials such as brick and glass.
A green walkway leads up to the one-story ranch, which is flanked on both sides by massive walls of sliding glass doors. On one side, the doors lead into a charming interior courtyard, while on the other side, the doors lead out to the heart of the home — an outdoor patio with a swimming pool.
Throughout the interior spaces, the home boasts a stunningly modern, but casual design that focuses on letting the homeowners enjoy a casual, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The combination of bright white walls, large swaths of glass, exposed concrete (used on the flooring and walls) and wooden accents gives the home a bright, healthy atmosphere.
Concealed within the home’s stunning design are several sustainable elements. The home uses several passive concepts to reduce artificial energy use, such as orientating the home to make the most out of southern sun exposure. Additionally, the extended flat roof with overhangs shields the interior living space from the strong summer sun. The operable glass doors and ultra-large windows provide optimal cross ventilation for natural cooling throughout the home.
In addition to its passive elements, the home uses several active elements as well. For example, the home was installed with a solar array to produce clean energy, and solar thermal panels heat the home’s water supply and pool water. The home also has an integral greywater harvesting system that reroutes rainwater to be used to flush toilets and irrigate the landscaping.
Photography by Bruce Damonte Photography
Via v2com
