by James Chuda

Main Structure

Built into the lush Hollywood hillside, this home is a magnificent marriage of high style and green living. Perfectly oriented to catch the solar potential and the canyon breezes for passive cooling.

The spectacular steel frame windows and doors throughout entire house were custom built by craftsman Arnufa Perla of Perla Iron Works. Perla has worked with steel all his life, starting out in the steel plants. Steel is probably the most recyclable product in construction…96% recyclable. Hidden in the walls is insulation made of recycled cotton blue jean material by Bonded Logic.

Landscape: Designer Valleycrest Design and Build

The Chudas wanted the best landscape company with a thorough knowledge of conservation techniques. They included edible organic gardens, herb gardens, water conserving irrigation systems, mulching and plants with medium to low water requirements including aloe, citrus, bamboo, palm, magnolia, New Zealand Flax, horsetail, dracaena, lavender and bougainvillea.

Gridpoint Connect Solar Power System

The home's solar panels connect to Gridpoint Connect tm, an intelligent energy management appliance. This State-of-the-art product utilizes a Pentium computer that makes intelligent decisions on the best way to use, buy and sell energy for the home. It also protects the home from power outages and informs the owner on how much solar versus utility generated energy is being used, as well as indicating the home's peak periods of usage. Additionally Gridpoint Connect can draw energy from the solar panels during the day, storing it for use when the cost of energy is high, thereby lowering the energy bill. Rick White of California Solar installed the system.

Lifesource Whole House Water System

This whole house water system, which has earned the Water Quality Association's Gold Seal, ties into current plumbing and provides water that uses no salts or magnets, manages hard water problems, reduces chlorine taste and odor, is eco-friendly, self cleaning and eliminates need for bottled water. It is available at www.lifesourcewater.com

Tankless Hot Water Heater

"Tankless heaters are the only way to go," says architect Jim Chuda, "they only heat the water as you use it instead of storing it in a tank which is constantly heating the water and then circulated it thru copper pipes which are always losing heat."   Tankless heaters vary by how much they heat per minute, ranging from 7gal/min up to 13 gal/min. This home uses one, 7gal/min unit, by Rinnai. "It's important to locate the unit as close as possible to bath areas. In a larger house I would  probably have more than one." says Chuda.

Walkway/Koi Pond: Designer Peter Logan Design

Translucent glass pavers provide a magical entrance to the Green Home as they bridge the pond and weave through the water garden. "The sound of water is so relaxing," says Logan. "And the water garden is a low maintenance, ecologically-balanced system, requiring no toxic chemicals. It lets mother nature do the work."

Logan's water garden features an enormous unglazed Asian pot feeding water to a moss and rock-lined stream that leads to a crystal clear koi pond. "The pond features a newly patented skimmer design that is the most effective in the business, says Logan, and hidden is a state of the art subsurface drip irrigation system that reduces water consumption approximately 30 percent. The water garden is the most cost-effective upgrade you can make to your home," Logan advises.

Entry Hall: Designer James Chuda/Barbara Lockheart

Renowned Los Angeles designer Barbara Lockheart, the Honorary Chair of the Green Home design team, is a long time family friend of the Chudas and worked with James to establish the tranquil theme for the Green Home.

Creating the fluid flow to this multi-level, angular space, Lockheart used Benjamin Moore, Eco Spec paint in color Everlasting, tawny flooring of bamboo, and subtly colored, recycled aluminum tiles in the entry hall.  She accented the hall's niches and window insets with shimmering copper-like paint from Portola Paints and Glazes to pick up on the luminous colors and tonal variations of the aluminum floor tiles from Classic Tile and Mosaic.

Furniture maker Cliff Spenser designed the hall table, made of quartersawn cherry wood, sculpted legs and edges, split-wedged tenon joints and hand carved pulls. Flowers were provided by Empty Vase.

Meditation Suite and Patio: Designer Suzanne Furst Interiors

Inspired by the Chuda's love for Buddism and a feeling of connection between Zen philosophy and nature, Furst, a recent past president of the American Society of Interior Designers(ASID), chose to express the link between the transcendent state of everlasting life and sustainable design.  The products she chose were both ecological and earthy in feeling and color, and include sustainable and recycled woods, natural fiber fabrics, and rugs, cabinetry of natural stone and glass, floors of cork, and walls finished in natural clay plaster and payrus paper. The side table is made of recycled coconut shell from Nusa Furniture, the sofa is made with kiln dried hard wood from Warisan.  Shoji style doors are from Doorset, rugs from Rug Warehouse. Terrace furnishings are from Warisan and accessories from Crate & Barrel.

Media Suite and Powder Room: Designer Greg Grande, Grande Design

A production designer and set decorator for 18 years, designing shows such as "Friends", Grande included plants and floating palm wood flooring, needing no glues, to bring in the outdoors. He used organic woven grass wallpaper, Indian spun organic silk curtains, wool rugs from Ariana, leather, and wood furnishings along with chair covers made of woven seed for the lounge chairs from Atmosphere.

Media Room Bathroom, also by Grande, includes red clay-based paint, recycled glass and aluminum tiles, a low flow toilet, Alchemy glass sink, and Kirie Board, sorghum-based shelving, from Living Green.

Living Room Dining Room: Designer Leslie Harris

Widely-published Los Angeles designer Leslie Harris' minimalist design respects the architecture while giving a sense of comfort and color and creating a place to sit, relax and enjoy easy conversations. Natural materials such as the granite used for the fireplace and bamboo for the flooring, from Bamboo 2000, form a backdrop for her ecologically-friendly furnishings and accessories; a petrified log made into a low table; a dried branch and carnation sculpture both from Atmosphere, a large window shade made from dried abaca plant and banana leaves; seeds recycled onto pillows; natural clay ceramic bowls from Unici; wood recycled into sculpture; and a wool area rug of organically dyed, hand spun wool. Window shades automatically descend when sun is too strong. In the dining room the table from Vioski is made of Macassar Ebony, as are some of the cabinets. The Angel Fan from Info Lighting is a favorite of the Chudas.

Kitchen:  Designer Troy Adams Design

Adams created stainless steel and cherry and wenge wood garages and sliding door cabinets and aluminum roll top tambour doors that hide the appliances when not in use. His ecological solutions and energy saving devices include: natural cork and bamboo flooring that is formaldehyde free and emits no toxic fumes; French lavastone countertops (both untreated and enameled), which emit no out-gassing; and veneers made from materials found in sustainable forests. In addition, low voltage light fixtures and energy- efficient and low amp appliances were installed throughout. "The concept of the kitchen particularly suits my FusionDesign philosophy, which blends natural materials with man-made ones" says Adams.

Family Room and Dining Terrace:  Designer Sari Ehrenreich

The family room is meant to create an envelope of eco-friendly materials such as the bamboo floors stained cherry to add rich depth, and kiwifruit colored walls, that are a natural lime-based, textured finish. Fritz Hansen swan chairs, furniture from Italiano, and Home Goods accessories work together to create Ehrenreich's signature family room style, and an all wool rug and plants create a transition to the rich plant life outside, seen thru the floor to ceiling Perla steel-framed windows. "The project made me sensitive to every product and furnishing I introduce to clients" says Ehrenreich.

Terrace

Comfortable and exotic resin outdoor furniture from Berk's with Sunbrella accent pillows make the outdoor space of the kitchen irresistible.

Powder Room: Designer Kristine Kamenstein, Jackson Paige Interiors

Kammenstein used environmentally friendly products without compromising her desire for an elegant and sophisticated space. She decided on a total emersion of recycled glass tiles and stone--two materials that can be harvested without harm to the environment, and  chose accessories from Snyder Diamond that emulate nature's beauty: coral and twig-like polished nickel sconces, an Eames walnut stool, and Origins bath products.

Master Patio and Mezzanine:  Designer Paula Lechman, Lechman-Testa and Associates

"The Chudas are pioneers in the field of environmental design, and it's an example that we will all soon be following," says Lechman. For the mezzanine she used furniture of all natural materials; The famous Eames Chairs designed for the 1940 "Organic Design" competition, and the 1957 award winning Paul Kjaerhom table of stone and iron. A wool rug from Rug Warehouse and  natural accessories from Home Goods and Art Design Resources finish off the room. The outdoor patio is a grass roofspace with beach glass architectural accents teak tables and chairs and sunbrella cushions.

Master Bedroom: Designer Carla Sophia, Sofia Ray Designs

"I wanted to exceed the traditional expectations of what a master bedroom should be,"  says Sophia. A platform bed made of Peroba, a Brazilian reclaimed wood, and raw silk duvet from Between the Sheets. The backdrop is a resin paneling called Tiger Thatch. The rug is a 100 percent felted wool yarn from Rug Warehouse.

Master Bath: Designer Meg Kalhammer, MLK Studio

Inspired by Japanese Zen gardens, order and calm dominate this room. Natural materials like limestone slabs, natural pebble flooring from Classic Tile & Mosaic, and walnut cabinets finished with a non-toxic water-based sealer are used. Kohler's Hat Box toilet (which uses only 1.6 gallons per flush), a steam shower from Thermasol, and Kohler's "infinity" SOK tub which creates champagne like bubbles, recirculates and reheats water and comes with chromotherapy (colored lights). Millenium towels made of beechwood Cellulose, and sandlewood-scented wood roll-down shades along with Origins bath products are the finishing details.

Master Wardrobe: Designer Lisa Adams

Vice President and Design Director of the wardrobe division of Troy Adam's Design, she brought to the Chuda home her trademark multi-functional space. An artful combination of materials include mahogany cabinets, basalt honed shelves, bamboo floors and natural light.

Laundry Room: Designer/furniture maker Cliff Spenser

Using bamboo, mesquite hardwood, natural oils and waxes, Spenser uses only fast-growing renewable resources and non- toxic finishes to create unique furniture and environments with positive ecological benefits. The floors are Marmoleum, a natural linoleum. Also included are: Bosch high-efficiency Nexxt washer and dryer from Pacific Sales and environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies from Seventh Generation and Begley's Best, available at Whole Foods.

Loft Gallery: Designer James Chuda

The Herman Miller Banko table, Nelson bench and Mirra chair define this unique angular office space. With a Kenton Nelson painting from Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery, stool by Phillippe Stark, and Interface non-toxic carpet tiles, which need no glue, it is a stylish, unique and non-toxic work space. Furniture supplied by Jules Seltzer Associates.