This modern San Francisco townhouse's sophisticated design, cutting-edge construction techniques, and sustainable approach won the judges' hearty approval. “It feels of a whole to me,” observed one. “It ties together from room to room to room.”
The home belongs to Lise de Vito and Jim Zack, who run an architecture firm as well as a construction company. During the design phase, the pair decided to try using a panelized building system for the first time. They chose a manufacturer called Forma Home Systems to fabricate the panels, which make up the project's walls, floors, and ceilings. With a hired crane carrying these pieces into place, the entire framing process happened within a three-week period. “You give the people at Forma the floor plans and they work out the panels,” de Vito explains. “You decide where you want the panel breaks. You have a back-and-forth with them. They were wonderful.”
Panelization cuts down on construction waste, but that was just one aspect of de Vito and Zack's environmental strategy. They employed green materials, such as blown-in cellulose insulation and sustainably harvested palmwood flooring, and the building produces much of its own energy through rooftop photovoltaic panels and solar hot water. A skylight atop the central stairway pulls natural light into the core of the house, all the while highlighting the acrylic-and-metal stair's intricate detailing.
Project Credits
Entrant/Architect: Zack / de Vito Architecture, San Francisco
Builder: Built Form Construction, San Francisco
Living space: 3,291 square feet
Site: 0.06 acre
Construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Bruce Damonte
Product Specs
Bathroom fittings: DuPont (Corian), TOTO USA, Victoria & Albert; Bathroom fixtures: HANSA America, Hansgrohe; Bathroom and kitchen cabinets: COMPONENTS-plus; Countertops: DuPont (Corian); Dishwasher: Bosch USA; Flooring (carpet): Bellbridge Carpets; Flooring (ceramic tile/stone/concrete): Apavisa Porcelánico S.L.; Flooring (wood): Smith & Fong Co.; Garage doors: Automatic Garage Door Co.; Garbage disposer: In-Sink-Erator; Hardware: Omnia Industries, Sugatsune America; HVAC equipment: Radiant Heat Products (Munchkin); Kitchen fittings: Blanco America; Kitchen fixtures: Everpure, KWC America; Lighting fixtures: Artemide U.S.A., Cooper Lighting (Halo), Eurofase, Prima Lighting Corp.; Oven/range: Miele; Paints/stains/wall finishes: Benjamin Moore & Co.; Refrigerator: Thermador; Solar energy system; SolarCity; Wall, floor, and ceiling panels: Forma Home Systems; Windows: Bonelli Enterprises
