Behind the modest exterior of this California home is an exciting new resource for anyone considering an eco home improvement. The Green X-Ray House is a collaborative effort between the City of South San Francisco and a number of local green businesses affiliated with Greenv, a sustainable showroom of green building technology. Our friends, Gary of Rudolph’s Interiors and Tom of Hargens Construction, were both involved with the project and invited Re:modern for a tour of this recently completed remodel.
Every room of this 3 bedroom/1 bathroom house, along with exterior landscaping, features demonstrations of built components chosen with energy, the environment, and resource conservation in mind. Over 30 types of special green products and systems were donated to the project, including:
- Solar panels to offset electrical usage
- Irrigation and landscaping that is native or drought resistant
- Energy Star-qualified double pane windows
- Tankless water heater for on-demand hot water
- Water filtration system to remove the need for bottle water
- Radiant heating that is more efficient than baseboard heating
- Low-VOC and No-VOC paint
- Kitchen cabinets from responsibly harvested FSC lumber
- Energy Star appliances
- Recycled glass and concrete countertops
- Dual flush toilet that regulates water usage
- Salvaged and repurposed furniture
The deceptively typical appearance of the house (it fits right in to the neighborhood) is probably its strongest testament to how easy it is for any homeowner to make greener choices than conventional construction.
See more photos of our Green X-Ray House tour on Flickr.
