E Street Green: Greenbuild Contemporary with Historic Context, 2006
Size: Three lot subdivision with an historic residence and two new homes
Location: Niles, California
As small as it is, E Street Green was considered a Planned Unit Development by the city, due to the age of the existing residence. The existing house is located in the middle of the property, allowing for property subdivisions to the left and right of it. The domestic richness of the three homes is supported by the extensive use of private garden courts and and architectural composition compatible with the Spanish Revival style of the existing house. The play of contrasts between austerity and ornament was the successful formula in Spanish Revival: this project also is a play in these contrasts. The building materials for the new construction are similar but different from the Spanish Revival house. The new cement plaster is hard-troweled flat and smooth rather than medium texture and undulating; the color remains off-white. The roofing material for the new construction is similar to the original clay tile, as the profile of the metal roofing produces deep shadowing just like the clay tile. The color of the new roofing contrasts, in a neutral manner, with the clay tile. The new metal roofing allows for installations of photovoltaic panels where the clay tile does not.
