Gorgeous LEED-H Tiburon House is a Custom-Built Energy Efficient Masterpiece

With dreams of owning a brand new eco-love nest in San Francisco, a pair of green-enthusiasts enlisted the help of architects <a href="http://butlerarmsden.com/" target="_blank">Butler Armsden</a> to build them a high-performing,<a href="http://inhabitat.com/cook-foxs-flexible-live-work-home-achieves-leed-platinum/" target="_blank"> LEED platinum home</a>. Called the Tiburon House, the design came from the clients' steadfast goal of creating the most energy efficient, sustainable home, meshed with a modern and beautiful design. The resulting home is both breathtaking and one of the first <a href="http://inhabitat.com/leed-platinum-shoebox-house-achieves-style-and-sustainability-on-a-budget/" target="_blank">custom homes to ever obtain LEED-H Platinum certification</a>.

The beautiful cliff-side site, located on the Tiburon Peninsula, was originally home to a dilapidated structure. The team deconstructed the old home piece by piece, and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/beautiful-green-roofed-brazilian-home-is-made-from-recycled-bricks/" target="_blank">95% of the materials were either reused in the new construction or recycled</a> --  including 10 tons of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sustainable-wood-church-built-with-traditional-mennonite-principles-in-the-netherlands/" target="_blank">building lumber</a>!

The retaining walls were also reclaimed from the salvaged foundation of the original house, and other recycled and sustainable materials were employed throughout the construction.

The plan of the home is centered around a staircase, which unites each floor while also <a href="http://inhabitat.com/ricahrd-meiers-shenzhen-clubhouse-is-a-naturally-lit-island-oasis/" target="_blank">maximizing both air circulation and natural light</a>. The rooms <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/horizon-medias-new-office-encourages-coworking-with-sun-drenched-open-work-areas/" target="_blank">encircle the staircase</a>, providing all the spaces with gorgeous views of the garden and the nearby waterfront. To enter the home, Butler Armsden constructed a bridge from the garden to the living room, for easy access on the hill.

The home is powered by a series of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-spacious-prefab-winghouse-unfolds-from-a-shipping-container/" target="_blank">solar panels on the roof</a>, which also heat the hot water for the residents. A state-of-the-art water reclamation system exceeds local building codes, and salvages rain and ground water.

Each room has glass sliding doors which open up to the surrounding views and let in fresh air.

The idyllic home raises the bar for custom home building, showing the world that <a href="http://inhabitat.com/loom-artist-studio-is-a-tiny-pink-house-boasting-big-eco-strategies-in-aspen/" target="_blank">LEED caliber energy efficient homes</a> can also be luxurious places to live.