Soak Up the Sun: A Solar-Powered Home in Berkeley, California

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A glass corner on the former bungalow's added second story opens the home to passive solar gains and eye-catching views of the Berkeley Hills and Mounta Tamalpais.
A glass corner on the former bungalow's added second story opens the home to passive solar gains and eye-catching views of the Berkeley Hills and Mounta Tamalpais.
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Concrete countertops and plain steel hardware and drawer pulls keep the kitchen aesthetic simple.
Concrete countertops and plain steel hardware and drawer pulls keep the kitchen aesthetic simple.
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Bamboo floors and a locally made, salvaged Douglas fir dining table add warmth to the kitchen and dining area.
Bamboo floors and a locally made, salvaged Douglas fir dining table add warmth to the kitchen and dining area.
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Daylight floods the master bath.
Daylight floods the master bath.
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A concrete counter with recycled glass and plastic sits atop a bamboo cabinet.
A concrete counter with recycled glass and plastic sits atop a bamboo cabinet.
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In the second-floor bedrooms, beams of recycled Douglas fir recall the original, 1920s beams on the first floor.
In the second-floor bedrooms, beams of recycled Douglas fir recall the original, 1920s beams on the first floor.
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Main floor.
Main floor.
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Second floor.
Second floor.
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Etched glass on the double-pane, low-E windows provide privacy. A glass bridge allows daylight to penetrate deep in the house's core.
Etched glass on the double-pane, low-E windows provide privacy. A glass bridge allows daylight to penetrate deep in the house's core.
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Structural themes from the original first floor are continued on the second floor, where double-pane windows are trimmed in recycled wood and plastic composite.
Structural themes from the original first floor are continued on the second floor, where double-pane windows are trimmed in recycled wood and plastic composite.
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Once a weed-cluttered space accessible only by a narrow path, the backyard—filled with native plantings—is now a restful extension of the house.
Once a weed-cluttered space accessible only by a narrow path, the backyard—filled with native plantings—is now a restful extension of the house.
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A colored plaster wall bisects the house physically while uniting it in theme.
A colored plaster wall bisects the house physically while uniting it in theme.
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Chris' office occupies space that was once a windowless bedroom.
Chris' office occupies space that was once a windowless bedroom.
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Chris describes the bungalow as he found it in 1993 as
Chris describes the bungalow as he found it in 1993 as "absolutely run to the ground."
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A skylight well cut through the home's core allows hot air to escape through the roof. Formerly closed, the rear of the house now opens onto the backyard. The adjoining living room features the original fireplace re-covered in plaster.
A skylight well cut through the home's core allows hot air to escape through the roof. Formerly closed, the rear of the house now opens onto the backyard. The adjoining living room features the original fireplace re-covered in plaster.
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Homeowner Chris Parlette recalls a long-time fascination with solar power.
Homeowner Chris Parlette recalls a long-time fascination with solar power.

Just after he graduated from architecture school 15 years ago, Chris Parlette bought a plain, stick-frame house in Berkeley, California–one of the ugliest in the neighborhood. The 800-square-foot box had windowless bedrooms and a backyard that could only be accessed via a cramped laundry room door and along a narrow, overgrown path. “It was in extremely sad shape,” Chris says. “No one had lived here for five years. It had been just absolutely run to the ground.”

On a recent graduate’s budget, Chris did his best to make the house livable. He remodeled the kitchen and cleaned up the lot. And he dreamed. “I was in there for about 10 years, living in this kind of substandard house,” he says. “I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do and how much I wanted to change.”

Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine that Chris’s head-turning house actually sprang from the homely little house that was. And this striking two-story stucco and glass house has a laundry list of earth-friendly features, including a solar electric system that produces more power than it uses.

Better, not just bigger

Eager to make his home as energy-efficient, sunny and open as possible, Chris embarked on the remodel about five years ago. By adding a second floor, Chris more than doubled his original 800 square feet while expanding the home’s footprint–the area of the house on the lot–by only 50 feet. By strategically placing large expanses of high-performance, low-E (low-emissivity) glass on the home’s southern windows, he took advantage of passive solar gains while framing views of Mount Tamalpais across the San Francisco Bay and the Berkeley Hills to the east.

  • Published on Apr 8, 2009
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