Vancouver-based architecture firm Bricault Design is developing projects not only in architecture, but also in interior design, graphic design and product development in playful and customized ways. Among their architectural designs are a Brooklyn brownstone renovation, a Regina convent conversion, and a home addition located on Brooks Avenue, which can literally be called a “green building”.
Bricault Residence Venice, California, 2008, exterior
They basically maintained and remodeled an existing 2,000-square-foot building, while also supplementing it with the mentioned 1,700-square-foot space due to the need for more space for the growing family, flirting with many aspects of sustainable architecture: green lush living wall on three sides, green roof, and open courtyard.The grasses and shrubs that are watered with a combination of harwested rainwater and recycled domestic water, while cedar batten siding helps shade the interior spaces.
Bricault Residence Venice, California, 2008, interior
The ground level of the extension includes large glass doors that swing open to the courtyard, providing a connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. This feature, together with the addition of a spiraling staircase linking the ground floor with the roof as a chimney, drawing ventilation throughout the interior of the house, eliminates the need for air conditioning.
Almost all electric needs are met via the solar panels. High-efficiency combination boiler supplies radiant in-floor heating and domestic hot water. The building was insulated with recycled cotton and spray foam. Not to mention other green features, namely cork-rubber flooring, non-toxic / low-VOC paint, formaldehyde-free cabinetry, LED lighting, and low-flush toilets.