Kevin deFreitas Architects completed the Casa Familia in 2007. See the project description from the architect after the image.
A reinterpretation of quintessential Southern Californian courtyard houses; this is a modestly sized home that lives much bigger than it really is by thoughtfully opening up to, and engaging, the landscape and wonderfully temperate So. Cal coastal climate. It is a home that simultaneously looking towards the future (technologically feature rich), while remembering the low tech comfort strategies of the past; a time before air conditioning and forced air units existed.
The goal of this project was to design and construct a highly efficient home that would employ passive and active strategies to significantly reduce, energy, water, and resource consumption all while delivering a modern, comfortable and livable home for a young family of six.
Through concerted research, experimentation and a good measure of faith, the house proved a success consuming 65% less electricity than state mandated standards and 55% less water than homes of comparable size without sacrificing comfort or aesthetics. This is important to dispel the common public misperception that efficiency and conservation has to look â€hippie†or alternative.
Like the song says, “it not easy being green”, but it likewise it’s not difficult either, and the ramifications for future generations are enormous.
Specs:
Building Size- 3,460 s.f.
Lot Size – 0.21 acres or 9,178 s.f. (73’-6†x 125’-0â€)Awards:
Architect – Kevin deFreitas Architects, AIA
Builder – Kevin & Kara deFreitas
Interiors – Kevin & Kara deFreitas
Landscape Architect – Aerea, Leslie Ryan
Structural Engineer – Envision Engineering, Alex BarajasPhoto Credits:
Exterior Day: David Harrison Photographic
Interior Day: David Harrison Photographic
Exterior Night: Glenn Cormier
Interior Night: Glenn Cormier
