FROM LATIMES.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE: This feature is about a recently updated home from Huntington Beach with commentary from the designer.

This profile looks at how designers updated a tract home with an eye toward sustainability.

Design-build: Dweller West. Architect: Susan J. McDonough, McDonough & Associates. Structural and civil engineering: Engineering Alignment Systems, (714) 664-8991. Mechanical: C. Brion Engineering. Electri-

cal: Nader Shams, P.E. (818) 601-6429. Landscape: Love Design.

Dweller West’s description: This traditional 1970s residence was hardly the kind of home that would garner a second look. It had small rooms, poor views and too much trim. The threecar garage was larger than the kitchen and master bedroom combined. The singlepane windows were leaky and worn, and there was evidence of earthquake damage.

We were asked to do a total renovation that included a seismic retrofit. The mission was twofold: to modernize the house with sustainable materials and green technologies and to bring a stylistic panache that would enable the house to stand apart from its neighbors.

One of the homeowner’s desires was to incorporate as many green features while staying within budget. Sustainable elements include solar panels, a reflective roof, an efficient heating and cooling system, a low-volt age

lighting system and non-toxic finishes and materials for the cabinets and flooring.

The homeowners were able to stay in the home during construction. In order to meet the accelerated schedule, the design-build team integrated designers with tradesmen from the start, eliminating miscommunication and better defining the scope, schedule and budget for all the work.