Terraced Hollywood Hills House Eliminates the Need for Air Conditioning

<a href="http://francoisperrin.com/hollywood1.htm" target="_blank">Francois Perrin</a> designed and built this terraced private residence on one of the last building lots in the Hollywood Hills. Sunken into the hill itself, the four-story home makes use of the earth for temperature moderation. The home's <a href="http://inhabitat.com/6-fascinating-underground-homes-that-go-above-and-beyond/">earth berming</a>, orientation, shading, and use of natural ventilation completely eliminates the need for air conditioning. With a strong visual connection to the outdoors, plus a sweet location underneath the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/hollywood/">Hollywood</a> sign, the home almost disappears into the landscape - a difficult feat in this neighborhood.

Designed by Francois Perrin, the <a href="http://francoisperrin.com/hollywood1.htm" target="_blank">Hollywood Hills House</a> is a four-story terraced home at the very edge of the Hollywood neighborhood that backs up to a protected area.

You may remember Perrin as the designer behind the ultra hip <a href="http://inhabitat.com/pas-skate-house-an-eco-home-where-you-can-skateboard-on-any-surface/">PAS Skate house</a>.

His latest project was completed in collaboration with Yves Lefay, Designer/Builder from Eliosolar.

The home sinks it into the steep building site to help it blend in with its environment while providing natural cooling.

The steep topography made it necessary to build up rather than out, and a foundation of bedrock gives it solid footing.

Oriented to the north and south (with the hill to the north and the west), the home enjoys views to the south of the rest of the city.

As the sun is the strongest and warmest in the afternoon, the western slope provides important shade to keep the house from overheating.

Concrete floors and walls provide thermal mass, while operable windows and doors, cross ventilation, and large overhangs work in conjunction to eliminate the need for air conditioning.

Additionally, water circulating through the metal sunscreens is naturally heated and redirected to the radiant floor system.

The building's skin opens up to the exterior and expands the interior rooms out onto the exterior decks and terraces to double the usable living space.