This project for Homes for People, a local developer of low income housing, was rewarding in that we were able to incorporate the existing dwelling into the project, rather than tear it down and start with all new materials and most likely a design not in keeping with the neighborhood. The existing home was integrated into the design.

The existing home was very run down and uninhabitable. Over the years several layers had been added to the rear of the home turning it into a warren of rooms. With the ungraceful additions striped away the inerrant beauty and potential of the existing Victorian home shown through.

Economically it was a toss up whether to keep the existing building or start from scratch. Because in the area and on both sides of the street lived other homes similar in style, working with the existing building allowed us to preserve the fabric of the neighborhood. This would have been impossible had we raised the structure and started from scratch.

One of the more unusual features of the project is the large out door decks for the upper two units. I was able to create a much larger open area by creating access to the upper units between two of the garages and using the tops of the garages as the zoning code mandated open space. Instead of a minimal code defined 60sf, each unit had 200sf of private outdoor open space.

Garden Shed Santa Barbara

New Residence - Santa Barbara 

Environmental & Ecological Design in Santa Barbara
Sustainable Architecture
Permaculture design principles
Living systems design
Regenerative design
Simplicity, beauty and balance
Whole systems
Natural patterns
Local materials
Passive solar energy
Energy efficient
Micro-climate
Conservation
Natural building materials
Recycled building materials
Resource efficient building materials
Renewable resource building materials
Non-toxic materials & processes
Earthworks & swales for water management
Keyline design (Key Line design)
Water conservation
Rain water harvesting
Grey water systems design