Gilberg-Lenz House
Architecture by Koffka/Phakos Design
When Dr. Suzanne Gilberg and Scott Lenz came to us to remodel and enlarge their 1920’ies Spanish Style home in Los Angeles’ mid-Wilshire district, they had clear objectives: They needed to add enough space to the crammed house to live comfortably with their son and daughter, but they did not want “too much house”. They wanted it to be a house that they can live in forever. And they wanted it to be as sustainable as they could afford. After a six-months design process and just over one year of construction, they feel that all they wanted has been achieved. In the process, they learned that “being green” does not have to cost more, even though sometimes it does, and they chose carefully where to spend extra money.
The house is designed to maximize natural light and ventilation, both aspects that create a pleasant, livable home, and save electricity by reducing the need for lighting and air conditioning. The larger expanses of glass though are concentrated on the north and south, where the heat-gain can be easily controlled, avoiding the east and west, where the low sun can heat up the house. Sliding doors on both sides of the open floor plan and high windows in the two-story main space create natural air-flow through cross-breezes and the stack-effect of warm air rising. An energy-star rated highly reflective metal roof above the two-story living space further prevents heat gain, while other parts of the house are shaded by photovoltaic panels that produce enough energy to “zero out”, meaning that the Lenz’s produce enough added electricity during the daytime to earn a credit with the power company, so that any electricity they use at night is free.
In order to keep the costly solar-panels to a minimum, saving energy was the mantra. Two separate air-conditioning systems cool either the first or second floor, as it is rare that the entire house requires cooling. Lighting is energy efficient with the use of LED and CFL fixtures. Ceiling fans support the natural ventilation. All appliances are Energy-Star rated. The plumbing fixtures have water-saving features, like a dual-flush mechanism for the toilets.
Natural resources where saved by deconstructing the house carefully, salvaging old cabinetry, fixtures, and building materials for donation and re-use. The donations earned the Lenz’s a tax credit to offset the extra cost. Existing structure was used where possible, even to the extent that the contractor moved the framing of an entire wall into a new position. The Lenz’s even commissioned furniture, like their dining room table, made from old framing lumber of the existing house. New materials that were brought in were from recycled or rapidly renewable sources, and free of any toxins or VOC’s- volatile organic compounds. The lower level flooring is all cork, bathrooms linoleum, and the upper level carpet from recycled plastic.
The kitchen cabinetry is made from Columbia Forrest PureBond, a sustainable finish grade plywood. Its components are from FSC certified sources, and the glue and sealers are Non-VOC. Tile backsplash is fabricated by a sustainable manufacture (Heath), and counters are locally manufactured concrete.