OUTDOOR LIVING
Responsible Building
IN LUXURY CUSTOM HOMES , THE ETHOS IS SHIFTING AWAY FROM WOOD AND CONCRETE , AND MORE TOWARD INNOVATION .
BY GEOFF NUDELMAN
W
ith both the climate and the consumer in mind , more and more , builders are turning to materials with less impact on the environment . Advances in engineering and science mean there are an increasing number of ways to make home feel like home , whether using materials from nature or from what ’ s already in circulation .
Originally designed by famed Laguna Beach architect Fred Briggs , this 3,000-square-foot , A-frame Laguna home with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean had a makeover in 2006 when local architect Anders Lasater , known for his attention to light , space , proportion and material , renovated the original Bauhausstyle structure with steel , wood and glass . “ When … originally built , it was sided with barn wood that seems to get better and better with age . The building seems to respond to the natural environment and , when you see the wood on the exterior — which has now been mated with corrugated metal , stainless steel and glass handrails and exposed steel structural I-beams — it becomes a composition of different materials that are all pointing in the same direction ,” Lasater says .
RECLAIMED MATERIALS By far , the most environmentally-responsible path of building is by using something already harvested or something that came from a prior build . While reclaimed wood has long been a favorite choice , builders are looking at metal , brick and other pre-loved materials that add a certain character just not possible with fresh product . It ’ s still popular to source some of these products overseas , but due to the intense energy and cost of transportation , more homebuilders are looking closer to the build site . With so many good building materials ready for a second life , they can certainly add another layer to the new home ’ s story .
24 FALL / WINTER 2023 / 24 | LATITUDE33MAGAZINE . COM