Does green design have to = contemporary?

The answer is no, it doesn't, but you couldn't tell from all the magazines filled with glass and steel and concrete linearity. These items, the magazines announce, are the Next Big Thing.

Let's show you what I mean.

Last week, I visited the Margarido House in the Oakland hills. Beautiful, without a doubt, chock-full of energy-saving and environmentally responsible materials -- enough that the builder and homeowner, Mike McDonald of McDonald Construction, is seeking a platinum LEED-H rating.(Check out the website and the Google images.)

 
(Photo credit: SFGate/McDonald Construction & Development)

Architects are visiting from all over the country and it's featured in just about every magazine you can think of. But that's just it. It seems that every contemporary design is lauded as the only way to green design. But what about those of us who aren't comfortable living in a contemporary home? Who have a 1950s bungalow? Or a 1980s split level with no plans (or money) to tear down and re-build?  How do you reconcile sleek and metal with the intrinsic home design without it looking like something out of  Beetlejuice?  More importantly, do you have to give up your style in order to be green?

The answer is still no.

Here's another home, also in Oakland. When I discovered it, I did the happy dance. (No, there will be no YouTube of this.) Check out the Gottfried Home - A 1915 Craftsman bungalow. It has a Platinum LEED rating as well, a whopping 106.5 points (80 is required). And it fits - fits with the style, fits with the warmth. The owner, David Gottfried, is no stranger to green design - he founded the U.S. Green Building Council and the World Green Building Council so you'd think there'd be some good choices in his green design, wouldn't you?

(Credit: Gottfried Home)

The magazine, Metropolitan Home, (writer: Peter Hellman) recently did an article on the home -- see what you think and if there's anything you can take away from this. Here's a picture of the kitchen to get you started. Have fun!

(Photo credit: Metropolitan Home)

(Edited to add: I found this blog post by architect Suzy at ThinkDwell when searching for traditional green design: "Does affordable green design have to be so modern when I want TRADITIONAL!"  How strange we'd post about the same thing on the same day. And no, I've never met her.)

Comments

[Suzy@ThinkDwell]

Kelly,
What a coincidence, huh? I've added your link as well in my post. I like your spin on the subject. It's an interesting debate. Thanks for dropping by.

Suzy