Z6 House, Santa Monica, California, USA

This modernistic style 2-story building located on 579 square meters site in Santa Monica (building floor area – 230 sq m). Construction works were completed in 2006. Z6 House is a single-family residence. The green roof of the building is covered with native plants. The architects of the house are Living Homes and Ray Kappe Architects.

The unusual name, Z6, is taken from the concept of ''six zeroes'' which was the main goal of the construction team (zero emissions, zero waste, zero energy, zero ignorance, zero carbon, zero water). The climate of the site is warm and marine so passive cooling is of utmost importance. Thanks to large doors and windows, daylight easily penetrates into the building. Balconies are shaded from sunlight. Energy consumption of the house is provided by photovoltaic array on the roof which produces about 70 % of energy. The solar water-heater also cuts down energy use. Rainwater is collected and reused later. The building is armed with a solar chimney, the main function of which is to mess hot air and take it out of the building. The main contractor was Hinerfeld-Ward Inc., based in California.

By Astghik Atabekyan, www.building.am

Photos: www.inhabitat.com