Green Roof and Rainwater Harvesting Systems Shape this Charming Urban Retreat

A green home need not always be one that is nestled in some remote location on the edge of a cliff or surrounded by a lush green forest and is far away from modern civilization. It can be a gorgeous modern home in a bustling urban neighborhood that becomes ‘green’ by virtue of the way it utilizes energy and resources. Overlooking the iconic landscape of Downtown San Francisco, the Urban Retreat is one such elegant escape that lets you move away from the constant hustle and bustle of big city life even while being surrounded by it. A Feldman Architecture Design, the home has a lovely, flowing indoor-outdoor connectivity that adds to its eco-friendly, inviting vibe.

Whitewashed brick walls coupled with lovely wooden ceiling and large glass windows inside the modern living room








The main living area of the house stretches across its length on the lower level and contains the living space, dining area and kitchen. All of these areas are connected with the courtyard outside using glass doors. With spacious balconies and covered outdoor decks, the curated exterior space in here feel as captivating as the interiors themselves. Inside, it is a backdrop of white brick that shapes much of the backdrop with walnut wood shelves and cabinets that create visual warmth. The wood used for the home is largely reclaimed and has been sourced from the excess materials of other local projects while solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems give the home its planet-friendly credentials. [Photography: Stephen Kent Johnson]

Custom walnut shelves and interiors used throughout the house were reclaimed from previous projects
Fabulous walnut shelves and cabinets used throughout the house give it a cozy, modern look
Kitchen with concrete ceiling and floor along with warm wooden shelves in Walnut
Blue accents, wooden decor and whitewashed brick walls create a cozy, relaxing bedroom

The story of rainwater interacting with this LEED Platinum home stands out – green roofs filter and capture rainwater, which, after additional filtration, feeds into the home’s laundry and bathroom water systems. Greywater collected from the home is then used to irrigate landscaping, and the cycle is refreshed. Additionally, all of the wood used is in its second life, rich Redwood exterior cladding and Walnut interiors were reclaimed or recycled from excess materials from local projects.

Modern Urban Retreat in San Francisco with an eco-friendly design
Lovely green balcony of the Urban Retreat in San Francisco with comfortable seats and lovely views
Covered outdoor area of the house with modern decor and connectivity on both sides

You’re reading Green Roof and Rainwater Harvesting Systems Shape this Charming Urban Retreat, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Similar Posts

  • Expansive Mexican Home Turned into an Inviting Family Gathering Center

    There are plenty of different styles of homes that we come across on a daily basis and also houses that were once churches, industrial complexes and abandoned warehouses. But rarely do we see a large family home being transformed into a lavish family gathering center and event venue that has it all! Renovated and completely […]

    You’re reading Expansive Mexican Home Turned into an Inviting Family Gathering Center, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Cascading House

    The site has the typical challenges of many urban lots in Ho Chi Minh city: abutted by tall neighboring houses, small developable area relative to the clients’ program, and compromised access to daylighting and natural ventilation. Due to the height restriction, the house was pushed 1 level below the ground to accommodate the large program. In an effort to solve as many issues as possible, we proposed a concrete column system hidden inside the north and south concrete wall that face the neighbors, acting as the primary structure for the house and freeing up the space in-between. These concrete walls provide privacy to the clients and their family, and open up the east and west facade for views and outdoor-indoor connection. Because the column system extends continuously from the basement to the roof, the concrete beams spanning in-between can be moved vertically without any structural concerns. This flexibility also meant total discretion to determine the elevations of the upper floors–which we intended to take advantage of. By convention, the program is stacked floor-by-floor to maximize the usable area of a small lot which could result in monotonous and isolated spaces. We wanted to do just the opposite: visually and spatially connecting the different parts of the house together by splitting the floor plates, and then cascading them to create a multi-story atrium. In this space, life unfolds naturally; once a family member steps out of the bedroom, he/she will be in an all-connected “room”, and in the company of another member, whether that person is on the other side of the atrium or 2 levels above. In addition to spatial articulation, this atrium brings daylighting down to the basement, and–working with the 2 sunken gardens which are naturally filled with cool air–aids the stack effect by letting the hot air rises to the top. The temperature of the lower floors, as a result, becomes more comfortable. From the outside, Cascading House looks solid as a rock that provides sturdy shelter. The interior, however, feels as porous as a sponge soaking up natural light and air, and brings family members closer together–the qualities that make this house a home.

  • Magnolia Residence

    A new residence located in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood designed as a simple three-story form wrapped in a cedar rainscreen and stretched across the width of the property to maximize views west toward Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Spaces are arranged according to the importance of prospect and refuge. Primary social spaces are located on the top floor where the view is best and where kitchen, dining and living flow seamlessly together in one loft-like space. Private functions — sleeping and bathing — occur on the second level screened from the street. The ground floor contains entry, garage and an opening through the house, front to back — a covered exterior gathering space that frames the view of water and mountain for the passerby at the street. Contractor: Dovetail
    Landscape Architect: Land Morphology