Wallace Residence – Lane Group Goes Green in 1993

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The owner’s had initially retained The Lane Group Inc. to investigate the feasibility of renovating and remodeling an existing two-story frame house with a detached single-story garage that was set toward the back of the over grown corner lot located on the west side of Baltic Circle in Old Ortega. However charming and romantic the idea of repairing the existing house for the owners and their two young boys was, the years of disrepair, water intrusion and termites had taken their toll so the reluctant conclusion was to retain the garage but design a new house.

Wood floors, doors and plumbing fixtures were removed for re-use into the new home, and the owner’s dedication to several key concepts and features remained. The owner wanted to minimize the impact of the construction on the site, the idea of an understated simple quiet “House in a Field” was the image she wanted to accomplish for her and her family. No manicured irrigated lawn maintained with pesticides for this family. In fact, all pressure treated lumber on site had to be cut over a tarp so the remnants could be easily and safely removed from the site. No interior-grade plywood, particleboard or glues with formaldehyde could be used. Indoor air quality, re-cycling and off-gassing were all critical topics of conversation that the owner was committed to seeing incorporated. Once the interior painting and wood floors were finished, the heaters were turned on high and the house was baked for three days to speed up the curing process of the finishes, minimize their off-gassing before the owners moved in and reduce the chemical releases in construction products which are part of the indoor air quality equation.

With the new, eco-friendly materials, certain items from the original house took on a new life in the new house. After culling through the wood floors, enough was salvaged to compose the attic’s flooring while the first two floors, stair treads, hand railing and newel post were installed using re-claimed flooring. Used brick was incorporated for the front porch floor and steps, stem wall of the foundation wall as well as the walkways around the house. While the original doors had to be abandoned after years of sagging warped them beyond reuse, re-finished pedestal sinks, footed bathtubs and a free-standing laundry sink all found a new purpose within the home.

Even detail pieces like the light fixtures were revitalized in this home of an antique collector who recognized their aged character. One other request of the nostalgic owner was a second-story sleeping porch which had special childhood memories of visits to her grandmother’s home. The porch was designed in the northwest corner of the house off of the master bedroom and can still be identified in the elevations by the banks of windows mulled together. The sleeping porch was enclosed to create a sewing room for the owner.

Many of the lessons and concepts we learned and issues we overcame in designing this home have since been incorporated as standards in the design toolbox we use for our clients today. We continue to educate ourselves and work with the leading contractors and engineers in the field of energy efficient design, highly insulated and environmental-responsible construction concepts for our clients and our community at large. The widespread availability of new “green” ideas and products are a welcomed focus on critical sustainability issues that clients like the Wallace’s requested to be incorporated into their home almost 20 years ago. They were truly clients with a vision ahead of its time who pushed us to the new, leading edge of green design phenomenon. We continue to be thankful for the opportunity we had to learn from them while designing their home.