Cover story: Sunset's Idea House is rich with energy-saving innovations Cover story: Sunset's Idea House is rich with energy-saving innovations (October 19, 2005)

Many of the ideas can work for the average homeowner

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Lifestyles Editor

"We could have made this house greener, but we also wanted to make it affordable," says Peter Whiteley, senior writer at Sunset magazine, of Sunset's latest Idea House, which opened October 7 in east Menlo Park.

Make that Idea Houses, because there is actually a side-by-side pair of homes filled with fresh ideas for living green. One of the houses is completely furnished; the other is a demonstration house with cutaway wall sections and exhibits explaining eco-friendly building materials and products.

"This house is somewhat a miracle because it was built in 63 working days," says Mr. Whiteley.

The house could be called a "miracle" in other ways. Unlike previous Idea Houses built in upscale neighborhoods, it was built in Belle Haven on a former industrial site that once housed a variety of commercial uses.

One of Sunset's most ambitious projects, the Idea House involved working with the city of Menlo Park, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, Clarum Homes of Palo Alto, EDI Architecture in San Francisco, Pamela Pennington Studios in Palo Alto, HLD Landscape Architecture in Los Gatos, and national sponsors.

The house is the first of 47 homes proposed for Hamilton Park by Clarum Homes. Twenty of the homes would be offered to Menlo Park police, firefighters, city employees and teachers at below market rates -- from $325,000 to $400,000. The remaining homes will sell in "the high 600s," according to Mr. Whiteley.

The two-story structures will be open to the public on weekends through January 22. They are called zero-energy houses since they produce as much energy as they consume. The homes have solar panels built into the roof tiles, and low-energy windows that reduce energy costs and muffle street noise.

Side-by-side in the garage are a wall-mounted tankless water heater and a whole-house vacuum.

Don't expect a home for the Jetsons, however. These houses have Craftsman-style exteriors with welcoming front porches, and are painted in warm colors.

The Idea House, with interior design by Pamela Pennington, is colorful and contemporary inside. Only 1,784 square feet, it has two stories, four bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage. And it's loaded with ideas.

The first thing you notice upon entering is the bamboo flooring, a green alternative to old-growth wood floors. It is shown in several finishes in the two houses. A small bedroom on the first floor is fitted as an office.

The downstairs bath features pale gold walls, soft blue recycled tile, a gray Zodiaq countertop made from quartz crystals, and a handsome ceramic sink. There is a spacious stand-alone shower.

You won't find a living room with a fireplace in the Idea House. In fact, there is no living room. A great room doubles as family and dining room.

A high-definition flat-screen television serves as the family room's focal point, instead of a fireplace. (Wood-burning fireplaces are a no-no.) The walls are gray-green punched up with red accents. The look is cool and contemporary.

Ms. Pennington uses kitchen cabinets made of wheatboard, without formaldehyde, in a sleek Italian design. The see-through cabinet doors are made of thatch encased in a recycled polyester resin.

The kitchen also features a brick red sink, Zodiaq countertops, and a grey-green ceramic tile backsplash accented with sparkling red glass tiles (all made of recycled materials). The energy-efficient appliances are from General Electric's Profile series.

The kitchen ceiling's can-style lights conform with the new building code that states that new construction must have 50 percent of its light from fluorescent fixtures. "They use one-fourth the energy of regular lighting and last 10 times longer," says Mr. Whiteley. They're also warm and good-looking, a far cry from the sterile fluorescent light of yesteryear.

"They (government agencies) are dragging us kicking and screaming into saving energy," says Mr. Whiteley.

All the rooms have switches that can be programmed to automatically turn off the lights when sensors show no one is in the room.

The dining area in the great room has a sliding glass door that opens onto the patio with a built-in barbecue.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, two baths and a bonus room that doubles as a laundry area and playroom. The playroom is bright with lime-green laminated wheatboard cabinets and a cobalt blue lava stone countertop.

Children's rooms are often the most toxic in the house, says Mr. Whiteley. The Idea House has eliminated many problems in the two small kids' rooms with low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, Crate & Barrel furniture made without glue, and bamboo shades. The carpeting, used in all three bedrooms and on the stairs, is made from recycled soda pop bottles.

The children's bath has pale-blue laminated cabinets with lime color walls. Recycled glass is used in tiles, sinks and drawer pulls. Jewel-tone glass tiles add sparkling accents.

The master bedroom is a quiet refuge in shades of pale gold and green. The Crate & Barrel furniture is made from bamboo with a warm honey finish. In the adjoining bath a green-tea-color tub blends with the many shades of green. The slate tile on the floor and lower walls in a "mountain mist" color is "a little more expensive than slate," according to Mr. Whiteley. The upper walls feature Quartzite tile from the Fireclay Debris series in a shade called "Fennel."

All bathrooms have dual-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads.

Outdoors, H.L.D. Landscape of Los Gatos has worked to make the most of the small lawn and garden. Drought-resistant native plants reduce water use. Interlocking concrete pavers, gravel paths and recycled glass mulches allow rainwater to drain directly into the ground rather than flow into city streets.

A small patch of artificial turf never needs watering. The Weather Trak irrigation system checks temperature and humidity and waters only when needed.

A small fountain is powered by a solar panel. Cast your shadow on it and it stops. Move away and it starts again.

Recycled rubber tires make a soft-on-the-feet mulch for the play yard. There is a composting station, even a worm bin.

While building green typically adds about 6 percent to the initial cost of a home, long-term savings in energy use, improved air quality and other benefits make it worthwhile.

Most Idea House visitors won't be building a new home, but many of the planet-friendly innovations can be applied to remodeling or do-it-yourself projects. Every item in each house is available commercially.

And there's a final green touch. Instead of becoming landfill, 90 percent of the construction debris resulting from the building projects was ground up and recycled.

Don't drive to the site

Sunset magazine officials ask that people not drive to the site of the Idea House. There is no parking and you can't gain admittance without a ticket. Instead, drive to Sunset magazine at Willow and Middlefield roads in Menlo Park and park in the parking lot at 80 Willow Road. Buy a ticket in the lot and take a shuttle from there to the Idea House site in the Belle Haven neighborhood. No tickets will be available at the house.

When: Open to public viewing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through January 22, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: General admission: $12. Senior admission: $8 (Fridays only). Children 5 and under: free. Access The Idea House is not wheelchair-accessible. Strollers, dogs and large backpacks are not allowed in the house.

Information: Call Sunset Events Hotline at (800) 786-7375 or visit sunset.com.

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