This project spares a remnant agricultural parcel from subdivision into yet another tract of merchant homes like those that surround it. Instead, it will return to its agrarian past to be re-born as a young family’s modern suburban homestead. The gently sloping hillside, with its southern exposure and ocean views, will contain a landscape of extensive vegetable gardens and fruit orchards for urban food production, permeable paving for storm water management and rainwater cisterns for gravity flow irrigation.
To stay within strict budget limitations the home is of modest size and simple form that recalls unpretentious farm structures. Non-combustible metal roofing and fiber cement cladding meet local urban wildfire requirements and reinforce the agrarian theme. It will also utilize pre-fab building technology, being fabricated off-site in four modules that will then be re- assembled on site, reducing both construction costs and time by 35%. 19th Century farmhouse meet 21st century sensibilities.
