Shadows of Sycamores

I first noticed Kovac Architects back in 2007 when they finished their Tree House. Now it’s finally time for the firm director Michael Kovac to build a house for himself… at last. The Sycamore is being built in Pacific Palisades, California. Once finished it is expected to be granted a Platinum LEED certificate. If it gets it, The Sycamore will be one of the first Californian homes to go Platinum – it means it has a close to zero environmental impact.

The house that stood on the site, before building work commenced, was carefully demolished and given away to Reuse People – a charity that picks up and redistributes usable materials from demolition sites.

The new house is made of low impact concrete and Forest Stewardship Council’s certified wood. Its interior employs VOC-free paints, recycled glass tiles, formaldehyde-free chipboard and plywood and reused wood planks for flooring.

This eco house is expected to be completely off-grid with all its required energy produced by photovoltaic panels and geothermal heat pump.

Michael Kovac considers this house a laboratory for the company’s ongoing research in green design. The house is nearing completion and will be unveiled later in summer 2010.

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2 Responses to “Shadows of Sycamores”

1. Susie says:

   May 11, 2010 at 5:30 am

   I am attracted with your Sycamore Green Home Project. I will like to see more on the home design. To build this zero environment defact how much does it cost?
2. admin says:

   May 11, 2010 at 5:34 am

   Hi Susie,
   Thank you very much for your comment. Hang on, I’ll be posting more inspiring green home plans soon. I’m not sure how much would it be to build this house. I reckon you’d be looking to at least £600,000 on this… with all the demolition, ground work and hi-tech features involved. Having said that, I know that it is possible to build a green home for a fraction of that price. It all depends on the specs.