A Net-Zero Energy House in Santa Monica, California

Architect Buzz Yudell, of Moore Ruble Yudell, and his wife made the decision to move from a rural area into the city so they could be close to work and all that the city has to offer. They settled on an urban lot in Santa Monica, California to design and build a home that merged indoor and outdoor living, just like their home in the country, complete with sustainable measures. The Georgina Residence acts as the perfect test site to potentially guide their future work.

The couple pulled double duty working as both designers and as clients to make the most of the tight lot. They managed to create a two-story home with blurred divisions of indoor and outdoor space.

A gallery-like space connects off the rooms and becomes the transitional space between the interior and exterior.

A double-height space is the core of the home where the living room is placed. The high ceilings incorporate lots of windows which help bring in maximum daylight.

Now that the home is a year old, they’ve discovered that the photovoltaic panels are producing a net surplus of energy, saving about 180,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over the last year. Solar water panels provide radiant heat, hot water, and pool heating.

The way the house is laid out helps to optimize natural cooling, daylight, shading, and heat gain in the winter.

Careful attention was paid to the materials that were used throughout the house as to do as little to impact the environment as possible. They used 100% engineered lumber, 100% FSC-certified plywood, formaldehyde-free millwork, FSC-certified wood veneer, no or low-VOC paints, adhesives, finishes, and sealants, and recycled/recyclable materials, like steel, glass, and aluminum. Materials from the original house were donated and recycled.

The house doesn’t even need air conditioning!

Oh hi, pups, on your cozy bed!

Photos by David O. Marlow.