Is this the greenest house is Los Angeles? That’s what the LA TImes recently asked after touring the Nob Hill Haus in the neighborhood of Mount Washington. Architect Frank Pasker and designer Grit Leipert incorporated sustainable landscaping to make it one of the most water-efficient homes in the region. Beneath its desert landscaping, the house features a 1,500 gallon cistern to store rainwater and there’s even a solar water heater, photovoltaic panels and a gray-water system to maximize efficiency.
“With new design elements, architects have to try it out themselves as guinea pigs,” said Pasker. “If an architect wants to do something new, he very often has to do it for himself first to have proof that it works. That’s a good thing about being an architect. You actually can do it yourself.”
The Nob Hill Haus is truly a product of its environment. Because water and power are scarce resources in California, the house has been designed with conservation in mind.