Green and gorgeous Green and gorgeous (October 07, 2005)

Sunset offers an 'idea house' with eco-friendly options

by Carol Blitzer

When Sunset opens its Green-Built Idea House today in East Menlo Park, visitors will have two viewing options: a fully furnished home decorated with eco-friendly materials and a demonstration house next door that offers samples of materials as well as some exposed walls, floors and ceilings.

Clarum Homes, which is constructing 45 more houses in Belle Haven by the end of 2006, has partnered with various state agencies (including the Sustainable Building Task Force, California Energy Commission, Integrated Waste Management Board, Department of Health Services), San Mateo County and Sunset to offer the zero-energy Idea House(s) through Jan. 22.

Groundbreaking for the other 45 homes in the development is set for mid-November, with completion expected by the end of 2006. Twenty of the homes are to be offered to Menlo Park police, firefighters and teachers at below market rate, between $331,000 and $375,000, Sean Misskelley, Clarum Homes project manager, said, adding that prices for the rest have not been set yet.

The first home, with interior design by Pamela Pennington, uses green-building materials throughout, from its bamboo floors to its Fireclay debris series ceramic tiles, made from recycled materials. Windows are low-E (emission), insulation is high-R (resistance to heat flow) -- and solar panels are built into the roof tiles. A tankless water heater delivers hot water almost instantly, and motion sensors in the bathrooms automatically turn off the lights. Lighting is fitted out for the newly required fluorescents in the kitchen and bathroom.

The kitchen pops with rich color, with teal ceramic tiles (recycled, of course) and red glass tiles from Tree Frog Design, coordinating with the sage Zodiaq countertop and brick-colored sinks. The cabinets are made of wheatboard, without formaldehyde, and are fronted with reed-embedded resin called Thatch.

Upstairs in the boy's bedroom, colorful bamboo shades offer privacy and light control. Carpeting by Mohawk is made from recycled soda pop bottles.

"One of the most toxic rooms in a house is the kid's room," noted Shannon Thompson, Sunset's home programs manager. The idea house offers examples of brightly colored, well-designed areas that use low-odor, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, as well as new furniture that uses no glues that off-gas toxic chemicals.

The kids' playroom doubles as a laundry area, with front-loading washer and dryer and a long, deep counter of royal blue lava stone stretching across the appliances -- offering both plenty of storage and easy access to the bedrooms for putting clothes away.

Bamboo furniture from Crate and Barrel highlights the master bedroom. Cabinets in the master bathroom feature formaldehyde-free wheatboard, with a laminate resembling bird's eye maple, set off by glass pulls. Sea-foam and sage green are seen in the slate floor, and ceramic and glass tiles around the bathtub and shower.

All of the bathrooms feature dual-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and motion-detector switches.

The landscaping, too, is eco-friendly, with a Weather Trak system that checks temperature and humidity, then tells the drip irrigation system when to water plants. The satellite-based ET (evapo-transpiration) system costs about $48 per year, according to landscape architect Stephanie Morris of HLD Group, Los Gatos, who designed the outdoor areas.

A low wall in front of the house was constructed from mortar-less concrete blocks, requiring no rebar. The lawn is synthetic turf, made of recycled plastic. Plantings are all California natives, designed to attract habitat, such as butterflies and hummingbirds, Morris said.

Even the mulch is recycled: In some places it's recycled wood or glass; in others it's recycled rubber ("grubble"), all dyed with non-toxic coloring agents. A low planter is made of concrete stained with ferrous sulphate.

Trex stepping "pods" -- large circles -- are made from recycled plastic bags and wood fiber, which is often replacing conventional decking, Morris added. In the back, she chose "no-mow" sod, offering a meadow-like look to the lawn area.

Along the side of the house are redwood lawn chairs, re-used from old wine vats. And, of course, a composter and worm bin.

Next door in the demonstration house, one can see samples of countertop materials, including Vulcanite (volcanic lava tiles) from Fireclay, Zodiaq (mainly natural quartz), Eco-Terr (made of recycled granite, marble, river rock and glass chips) and PaperStone, made from 50 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The cutaways reveal the use of engineered wood in floor joists and sheathing. Insulation samples are made of cotton. Flooring choices include samples of Marmoleum, cork, and wood and synthetic carpeting.

The house itself uses zero-net energy solar radiant barrier roof sheeting, on-demand hot water, sheet foam that enhances the insulation rating, recycled decking and building materials made from engineered wood products, Misskelley said.

"We estimate that incorporating all these green features adds about 6 percent to the cost of building," he added.

What: Sunset Green-Built Idea House
When: Fridays through Sundays, Oct. 7, 2005 through Jan. 22, 2006; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Mondays through Thursdays)
Where: Park at Sunset Magazine parking lot, 80 Willow Road, Menlo Park; shuttle will take you to homes in Belle Haven neighborhood.
Admission: General admission $12; senior admission $8 (on Fridays only); free for children 5 and under
Access: The idea house is not wheelchair accesible. Strollers, dogs and large backpacks are not allowed in the house.
Info: Call Sunset Events Hotline at (800) 786-7375 or visit www.sunset.com.

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