The Pasadena Eco House Project is for sale. This has been in planning for 24 months and has full approval to start building now.  The project includes: lot, plans and permits.

This home, designed to be the first Platinum LEED Certified home in Pasadena, offers many energy saving advantages. It ‘s construction utilizes insulated concrete panels that are far superior to standard wood construction. It is resistant to natural hazards such as earthquake, fire and wind. All systems and materials planned for the home are state-of -the -art and environmentally friendly. Solar panels keep you off the grid. Ductless heating and air-conditioning is efficient. Floor to ceiling Anderson windows offer beautiful views. Attention to detail has been key to making this an exquisite home in style as well as function. This is your opportunity to own a home that is destine to become a Pasadena architectural landmark.

The address is 1614 Pleasant Way, Pasadena, CA 91105. The lot is listed in the MLS #22122779. If you have ever thought about building a custom green home in a wonderful neighborhood … This is your chance to be GREEN before next spring.

To obtain LEED Certification, certain requirements must be met on items carted away from the property, thus reducing any negative environmental impact. In simpler words, “keep things out of the landfill”.

River Rock, A Hot Commodity

The versatility of river rock cannot be overemphasized. Although it is not common anymore, it used to be the basis for building a house. In this instance the rock was used as a decorative retaining wall.
River rock foundations can still be found throughout the area on some of the older character homes. These days, one of its primary utilities is found in landscape design.

The local homeowners were eager to remove the rock and use it in their own projects. The rock, which was removed from the lot is now being used as a dry stream bed, which will also encompass a bridge in the design adding a unique and well remembered feature on an adjacent property. A terraced rock wall will also be constructed on another property. Lastly, one other homeowner took an entire bin of the stones to use in general landscaping projects and outlining the flower beds around the house.

Removal of Debris

Some of the other items removed included pavers, and cinder or concrete blocks. Most of these items were hauled away for recycling.
The company, Looney Bins has a documentation process that certifies the compliance with the LEED program. According to the company’s website, they are able to recycle approximately 90% of concrete, asphalt, rocks and dirt.

Next Steps

The lot was surveyed and the boundaries were marked this week. The actual construction should begin soon with the first step being to grade the lot in accordance with the slope and drainage requirements. It will be interesting to see how the parcel begins to take its shape. We will be providing future updates on the progress of the Eco House along with information on the unique new building processes and energy saving components of the home.

The event was held on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm and was introduced by Deena Willis, an associate broker with Assist 2 Sell in Pasadena and who is about to complete her Eco Broker certification. Deena spoke about working with the owners of the Eco House and the home search process they went through before deciding to build their ideal dream home.

A Historic Event

Only time will tell if the Eco House will take its place alongside Pasadena’s historic past of craftsman, bungalows and Spanish style architecture. The significance of the home obtaining the Platinum LEED Certification is bound to be a model for future construction as we attempt to move away from wood framing to more environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.

Providing the backdrop to the speakers was a wall of SCIP (structural concrete insulated panels) which will be the cornerstone of the Eco House. These panels are shipped prefabricated to the site and can be constructed with less skilled labor, therefore allowing the building costs to remain competitive.

Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard addresses the crowd gathered at the groundbreaking of the Pasadena Eco House

In attendance L-R, Teresa Lamb, Sarkis Nazerian-City of Pasadena, Annie Reynaud-General Contractor-Global Panel Slutions, Robert Michelson-Designer, Studio RMA, Bill Bogaard-Pasadena Mayor, Janice Kopanski & James Copelan- owners, Deena Willis-up2daterealestate.com and Adam Carter

The City of Pasadena and its green initiative will be on display as the ground breaking follows the Greentech 2008 technologies conference.

“If you had the ability to look into the future and visualize the positive changes in residential home construction, this is what you would see”, said Deena Willis, a Pasadena real estate broker and event coordinator for the ground breaking. “This is truly an amazing project”. Unlike traditional construction methods that utilize 2 x 4 wood studs for the framing structure, the Eco House will instead use foam panels made of recycled materials and welded mesh and then covered with a concrete skin for added strength, fire resistance and increased insulation.

Generally the building of a new home goes unnoticed and doesn’t warrant the media attention the Pasadena Eco House has received. The Eco House like many new homes will incorporate today’s desired amenities, but it will also be rich in design, form and function. Considering the rising cost of energy and the desire to maintain sustainable materials and products in the manufacturing process, this project represents a revolutionary new concept in the adaptation of future housing. The design takes full advantage of the lifestyle we enjoy here in California and there could be no better place to call home than Pasadena!

For a media package or more information, please email Deena Willis. She can also be reached at 626-432-4625.

The Pasadena Eco House has so many innovative new features and construction methods. The only thing noticeably absent is “traditional”. Many other industries are beginning to break the “traditional” cycle and search for new procedures and technologies which are more efficient and sustainable while being cost effective. However the housing industry has been slow to adapt.

Destined to become a catalyst for change, the Pasadena Eco House will surely alter the manner in which residential real estate is constructed.

The Housing Dilemma

Many people who move to California are surprised to find that their housing dollar buys less than half the house they used to own, and it also comes with a price tag of 2-3 times what they hoped to pay. It’s hard to find a house to fall in love with. It is easy to find a home that meets most of your criteria and you can call home. Most people however never consider building their own custom home. The current density in our area just seems to preclude this from consideration.

Enter the Pasadena Eco House

Our soon to be home owners looked at many different houses and configurations during their home search. Many things they liked but felt these too would need some additional customization to suit their tastes. Remodeling projects can take another 6 months to complete. They started doing research on the benefits of green building technologies on the internet. Green building just seemed to make sense. The increased efficiencies from an energy efficient design, the water saving features and the sustainable materials that would be used in the construction process.

In their home search they discovered an available lot suitable for building with excellent views to the north and the San Gabriel Mountains. This they thought would make an excellent location for a new home. They happened to find a local architect who was designing and developing other projects. They met and after a few meetings the Eco House became a reality.
Picture Description – (Top) back of the lot looking to the northeast (Middle) view to the northwest and (Bottom) view of the mountains to the north

How Green Are You?

As we prepare to bring you the details of how ecologically friendly building practices and sustainable materials will improve and enhance our lives, now would be a good time to test your homes to see how “green” your living practices are and what steps can you take to reduce your own personal greenhouse gases? By entering the data in the personal emissions calculator, you will be provided with a number showing your greenhouse gas emissions that will probably surprise you.

Fear not however. Help is at hand. After you pick yourself up off of the floor check out these action steps for an immediate plan of improvement. The City of Pasadena in conjunction with Pasadena Water & Power also has some excellent programs to assist you in your efforts to improve your own “green” initiative. They will provide rebates on certain appliances and fixtures that help save water and electricity. What a great opportunity to replace those old systems with new energy efficient cost saving alternatives.