Tuesday, April 24, 2007

New Urban Home by David Baker + Partners

by Jetson Green

I wanted to talk about David Baker + Partners' (DBP) new design for a development called Blue Star Corner. The design is called the New Urban Home. The New Urban Home philosophy blends loft and condominium attitudes, with a modern feel that tends to build up--not out. This philosophy was brought to the Blue Star Corner development to create a sustainable (LEED for Homes), modern, urban design for the historic Park Avenue District in the Bay Area. All the appliances will be Energy Star, all the plumbing will be water efficient, and the site is located near mass transit. Blue Star Corner is planned for completion in mid-2007.

Green Features:
The developer, Holliday Development, and DBP hope to achieve LEED for Homes certification on this project. Here's some of what they're going to do: will use recycled and non-toxic building materials, non-endangered woods, galvanized metal, bamboo flooring, and environmentally-fabricated CaesarStone quartz countertops; will try to source materials locally as much as possible (keeps money in local economy + eliminates the transportation/gas premium); open spaces will feature sustainable landscaping by Conger Moss Guillard Landscape; appliances will be energy-efficient with Duravit, Kohler, and Bosch brands; and much more.

Other Amenities:
Units will include also Ann Sacks bathtubs, Sub-zero + Jenn-Air refrigerators, Bisazza tiles, Benjamin Moore paint, in-unit iPod docking stations, and personal garages with fold-up work stations. This is all going in with the general setup with a master bedroom, living room, kitchen, and flex room. To add to that, homes will be unique--they won't all have identical features, colors, or design. It's important to cater to individuality.

Extra Links:New Urban Home at Blue Star Corner [Generalized Case Study]David Baker + Partners Provide Design for "Green" Amsterdam-Inspired Townhouses [MHN]

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