This speculative development started with the renovation of a 1910 landmark home and the updating of its 1880’s masonry. Then there came the challenge of how to put three more homes (which now makes it high-density) on small lots, next to this older home without taking away from the delightful architecture of the original. The trick, it seems, was to put a ‘transition’ home between the old home and the two sleekly modern ones. And it works.

The home featured on the Tour is 1,565 square feet on three stories and it is amazingly different from the its neighbors! The grid-tied PV is mounted vertically on the alley side of the house, which makes sure the collectors will always have access to sunshine. Each building was designed to maximize the use of daylighting and internal natural ventilation.

• 2.0 Kilowatt vertical-mounted PV system
  
  
• Thermal Envelope / Comfort
  • Low-e windows
  • Ceiling fans
  • Zoned heating and / or cooling
    
    
• Lighting
  • Daylit
  • Natural Light in All Rooms
  • Skylights
  • CFL bulbs
    
    
• Construction
  • 2 x 6 walls
  • Recycled materials
    
    
• Appliances
  • Energy Star
  • High Efficiency Furnace
  • Economizer Cycle Function
    
    
• "Smart Home" features
  
  
• Green Features
  • Small size (the not-so-big house)
  • 6 mil vapor barrier over insulation to seal out building chemicals
  • Mitigation of construction chemicals (formaldehyde)
  • Engineered lumber floors
    
    
• Water Features
  • Low flush toilets
  • Xeriscaping / low water landscaping
  • Drip irrigation