The C6 is a great step toward making an affordably, healthy and sustainable home. One that Glenn hopes will put the building industry on the right track, economically and environmentally. “We set out to make great design, really healthy and sustainable architecture much more cost effective. It’s been challenging doing that in the worst real estate downturn in US history, but I think we finally have something that delivers on that goal… I think we can even make this less expensively, but not if we don’t sell any. The more of these homes we do, the more cost effective we can make them.”
The C6 home is bright and airy, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass, clerestory windows, light tubes, and transom windows that maximize natural daylighting.
LivingHomes and Cavco also used zero VOC paints, which in combination with formaldehyde-free millwork, ensure zero emissions.
Low-flow water fixtures and a grey water system are included in the C6 home.
The home takes on a comfortable, natural texture thanks to cork floors, wood ceiling, natural wood millwork, and wood siding. You can also set the mood using your own iPhone, thanks to a tech-controlled lighting system
The C6 home achieves efficiency through a combination of strategies, including energy efficient lighting and appliances, smart heating/AC control system to reduce power usage and enough solar panels to produce more than 100 percent of the home’s power.
The millwork in the C6 home is formaldehyde free. Multiple entrances to the home ensure permeability between the inside and out.
Taking a cue from many Eichler homes, the C6 home is organized around a courtyard.
Starting at $179,000, the C6 is a three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,232-square-foot home outfitted with comfort and sustainability in mind. According to Glenn, hitting that magic number was the biggest challenge of designing this home, but, “a combination of smart, selective design and really careful material design” helped make his longtime dream of a cost-effective home a reality.
Chris Burden is a Los Angeles-based international artist earlier known for his life-threatening projects. As a young man, he has shot, electrocuted, cut, and nearly drowned himself in the name of his craft. He now makes large-scale artworks that investigate life in the urban context.
Metropolis II is a large-scale kinetic sculpture inspired by a Los Angeles of the future, with traffic moving at frenetic speeds.
Burden did not specifically model any of the buildings to existing structures in the real world. “We just make mock-ups out of cardboard, make big piles of them and decide which one to use,” says the artist.
Different types of buildings abound in Metropolis II. Each was constructed with the help of a dedicated assistant that specialized either in wood blocks, houses of cards, glass and tile, and other materials.
An Eames-like house of cards could often be seen in various buildings around the little city.
Approximately 100,000 cars pass through the sculpture every hour.
The moment when cars enter a curve is called a “brush.” It is a crucial moment in the kinetic sculpture, when cars are most likely to tumble off track. In answer to this, the artist and his team constructed the curves in such a way that it touches the rims of the wheels, adding friction and subtly slowing the cars down.
A sculpture as large as this isn’t without its problems. To ensure things are kept smooth, an operator stands in the middle of the frenetic sculpture. Rich Sandomeno, one of the original assistants who saw the project from birth to execution, says, “There are a million different variables with all moving parts. An operator helps correct any inconsistencies. Occasionally, cars turn up side down or hop off the track.”
The frenzy of cars runs on gravity, save for three conveyor belts set right in the middle of the exhibition. Magnets on the conveyor belts attract the magnets inside the cars and help pull them up a steep incline, where they are released down into the intricate system of eighteen roadways weaving in and out of the tiny city.
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1,100 specially designed mini cars zip and whiz through the city’s plastic roads at 240-scale-miles per hour.
Here's a shot of SoCal Edison's Energy Upgrade California site.
The whole residence is wired and hooked up to a smart home system that allows the home to be controlled from anywhere. Controls are available for temperature, security systems, even turning the fireplace on and off.
All appliances and fixtures in the home are positioned around the core of the home. Only about 5 percent of the electrical resides throughout the rest of the home. The rest is centrally located in the Core. The Core also houses 100 percent of all heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. This makes it easy to assess the condition of each system and, eventually, to upgrade when the time comes.
The Sunlight Home is made to grow with its owners’ needs. Tracks and trolleys are positioned all along the walls, which allow owners to create rooms just by moving one wall to another part of the home.
The Venice House now sits beside its architect’s home. It is hidden from the eyes of curious passers-by with a screen of foliage. Megan Schoenbachler and her husband were already working with Marmol Radziner on the design of their home when the property beside Marmol became available. That’s how the couple and their architect became unintended neighbors.
Kurath stayed away from any customization, preferring to purchase off the shelf products to lower the cost of building the home. Only the windows were custom-made, which is how it really is done in Switzerland.
The residents' office was similarly well-organized. Every book lined up perfectly and twin Macs were oriented toward the home’s heart, the central courtyard.
The interior of the home is evidence of its meticulous owners. Everything has its place, hidden behind sleek white shelving systems.
The residence was designed according to the proportions of the Tatami mat, a "golden ratio" of Japanese culture, says Kurath.
The Tatami home has a very closed concrete exterior that reflects the sensibilities of its ultra-private Japanese owners. It is also the result of Swiss designer Roger Kurath’s tilt-up pre-fab system.
The windows in the Master Bath open directly onto the balcony facing the street. But there is no worry of neighbors being able to peek in. The owner says that Thibodeau dutifully walked all around the street, making sure that nothing can be seen from any vantage point.
Almost every room fills with light, says the owner. Guests who sleep over are provided with eye masks in case they’d rather not be woken up by the morning sunlight.
Windows create a lot of the drama in the Rose House. Each one was thoughtfully planned out and placed by architect Robert Thibodeau, says the owner.
Once inside, the living area sits on the left while the media center is on the right. Through the slender staircase, the kitchen, breakfast and dining areas can easily be seen.
This home was moved into almost two years ago, but shows little wear.
The central courtyard is undoubtedly the star of the show. The softly curved lines on the roofline create a picturesque frame for L.A.’s blue skies and abundant sunshine. A lone tree sits in the middle, the focal point for the whole home.
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