Turning an Aging Flat into a Modern Green Home

Linda Sobuta and Jerry Griffin, both LEED-accredited architects, have lived in their 1908 Edwardian flat in San Francisco since the mid-’80s, first as renters, then as tenants-in-common and finally as condominium owners. Tired of a problematic layout that limited natural daylight—but determined to maintain their urban, compact, transit-oriented lifestyle—the couple gutted the flat and rebuilt it, incorporating as many green features as possible.

Project Challenges: Opening Space, Upgrading Systems
The flat is detached on three sides and has spectacular views, but is modestly sized (1300 square feet). Its six small rooms felt dark and cramped and were difficult to furnish. It had no insulation and poorly fitting windows, which made it cold, clammy and musty-smelling in San Francisco’s chilly fog.

Design: Modern Green
In our minds, a green building is one that respects both the planet and people. Poorly designed buildings guzzle energy just like big cars, and improper materials can damage the health of the occupants.

Sustainable materials can be used with any design sensibility; our goal was a simple, contemporary design. More than anything, the attitude toward detailing the materials set the tone for the project. Details such as flush baseboards, full-height pocket doors that slide away to dissolve the rooms and bold planes of color create a calming environment. Planes of natural materials such as glass tiles, absolute black granite and cement board provide a contrast to the bold paint colors on the kitchen, closet and fireplace cores. These features play off the highly graphic quality of the striped wood floor and custom casework (sourced from FSC-certified suppliers). We selected wood as a primary material for its natural beauty and inherent warmth.

We were especially interested in good indoor air quality, so we specified low-emitting paints, sealers, carpet and composite wood products for the casework. This is very easy to do with a little research. We were careful to specify a nontoxic finish for the wood flooring since it is one of the largest surfaces in the unit. We also looked to materials with recycled content to reduce the impact on landfills.

A lot can be achieved by replacing outdated building systems. We installed a high-efficiency furnace, optimized the duct layout and installed highly effective air diffusers to provide even heating to the remote rooms. We hired a lighting designer and made the move to fluorescent and low-voltage light sources. We also insulated the entire shell—exterior walls and roof—and replaced the original windows with new double-glazed casement windows.

Materials Selection: Working with Wood and Cement
The flooring is an interesting story. We decided to reinterpret the Victorian parquet floor in a modern idiom, and after mocking up various pattern alternatives, we settled on a striped floor in a repeating pattern of two 3-inch-wide maple boards and a 2 ¼-inch cherry board.

Since wood is such a common material, we assumed ordering could wait until right before installation. What we didn’t realize was that in order to dovetail, the two woods would need to be from a single sustainable supplier. It turned out that the source for the material was in Massachusetts, with a lead time much longer than we expected. Fortunately, it worked out in the nick of time.

Another product that is very green is the cement board. It is a permanent material that should require little or no maintenance over its life. We used this for a 40-foot-long gallery wall and developed a predrilled stainless steel picture rail to avoid constant repainting and repair.

Construction: Low VOCs, but Lots of Paint
Probably the biggest issue was with the painting. We specified a low-VOC paint that required many coats to cover the wallboard, possibly because we used some pretty bold colors.

We recommended that the contractor control construction dust to limit indoor particulate contaminants, but did not demand this too zealously since we opted to move out during construction. At the end of the construction, the unit received a thorough cleaning prior to our return.

The least green aspect of the project was that we didn’t salvage the demolition waste due to schedule concerns. We had rented a temporary apartment with a short lease and were under pressure to be back by a certain date. We didn’t have time to research the impact that the salvage of materials would have on our schedule.

Results: A Bright, Open, Environmentally Friendly Space
We converted a six-room warren to an open, light-filled space with a major living area at each end of the plan. Now there are four rooms in all: a study, a bedroom, a den/library and a generous 20-by-25-foot kitchen/dining/living space.

The space is free-flowing and generous—it seems bigger and brighter due to the proportions of the rooms and shows that you can reinvent your abode without moving. There is no off-gassing, the products we used are from sustainable sources and we are conserving energy. The materials are beautiful and durable. We did not sacrifice much to achieve a substantial green benefit and didn’t pay a premium for most of the materials.

My only regret is that we waited so long.

Resources

Linda and Jerry chose ICI Dulux Lifemaster paint for their remodel.

The maple and cherry striped hardwood floor was sourced from Green River Lumber and finished with water-based Basic Emulsion.

Photography by Michael O’Callahan.