Eco Factor: Creating a green home while maintaining its classic traditional feel.
Richard Byrd is pretty famous for giving buildings and constructions a green makeover. But this eco home that Byrd renovated even has the “Maestro of Alter Eco” in a bit of a dizzy swirl. This classic Spanish-style home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles needed a new green makeover, so Richard Byrd gave it more than just a simple new green touch by changing the house into a green hub. The lighting has been switched to CFL, solar trees have been installed to provide power and the kitchen has been designed to cut out on 90% of conventional energy consumption.
The new green home used recycled material for the overhaul, and the bathroom tiles and carpets made from post-consumer waste speak volumes in that regard. The purpose of the home has been to show how one can go green without shouting out green in the design. It tells us that it need not be the futuristic look that always needs to be attained when designing green.
The Dark Side:
A budget of $3.5 million is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it might be all too little in L.A. While the energy conserving options are great, Richard seems to have backed down a little on stuff like LED lights and water management just to retain the old and classic “Spanish home” look.
Via: Treehugger
