Santa Monica Courtyard Houses

California’s Title 24 energy code inspired the project’s design. The net-zero side-by-side homes embrace the state’s guidelines and go one step further: they envision what homes will look and feel like in a future era of sustainable design. Like NYC’s 1916 zoning resolution, Title 24 offers an opportunity for invention. The code’s restrictions influence the overall appearance and window area of homes. While creating a mid-century type of glass house is still possible under Title 24, it requires employing high embodied energy materials and consuming hefty amounts of energy over the life of the home – undermining the Energy Standards’ sustainability aims.

Instead, we followed Title 24’s 20% maximum glazing benchmark, which meant there would be more solid walls and less glass area. The project’s limited windows and glass doors are concentrated around the main living spaces. Those rooms, which face the courtyard, receive generous amounts of daylight from three sides. In the two stairwells, large skylights and windows are paired together to draw the sun’s rays into the sole vertical volumes.

The remaining balance of permissible daylight is apportioned along the sides of the mirrored planned homes, which have only a few openings. There, at the side yards, the houses’ walls set back to make way for outdoor living (dining, fire pit, and zen garden). Enclosing less area than the maximum allowed by code, the homes increase the amount of space for outdoor enjoyment while decreasing the amount of interior area that requires energy for heating and cooling.

We hope these ideas will lead to a sustainable model of outdoor-oriented living people will truly enjoy.