by Karen Steen | Photos by Todd Hido

When Gregg Bowman bought his 1957 ranch house in the Berkeley Hills, it was perfect: cheap wood paneling; small windows; dark, warrenlike hallways and rooms. Perfect, that is, for a major remodel. While volunteering for the East Bay chapter of Habitat for Humanity, the architect studied up on sustainable building materials like cement-board siding and photovoltaic panels, and decided he wanted a blank slate on which to try them out. He also wanted to do much of the labor himself, both as a means of controlling quality and cost, and because he knew he would enjoy the work. The little house on the hill (just 1,500 square feet) turned out to be his holy grail. It had great views of the San Francisco Bay and the ideal orientation for solar panels-plus, it was a bargain in a tight housing market. "Because I was able to buy it for a not-huge price, I decided, 'I don't have to pull back,'" Bowman recalls. "I could really do what I wanted."

What he wanted was to create an open, loftlike environment without adding much square footage. Unlike many midcentury ranch houses, this one was not a model of flowing, well-planned space. The kitchen was shunted off at the rear of the house, while a small bedroom next to the front door hogged picture-perfect views. So Bowman started tearing down walls. He transformed the front bedroom into a dining area, pushed out an exterior wall to make way for a kitchen that opens into the living room, and turned the old kitchen into a media room that doubles as a study. Bowman likes the open plan for entertaining, but he also sees it as one of the most environmentally sound decisions an architect can make. "People should ask themselves, 'Am I adding something that's unnecessary? Can I get double use out of a room?'" he insists. "I hope people start thinking of good architecture and flexible space as a green response rather than, "I'm gonna add that second story.'"

For Bowman—who in addition to working in architecture has also been a real estate developer—a "green response" meant efficient systems and construction processes. After removing the existing air conditioner and furnace, he installed radiant heating, which sends warm water through pipes underneath the floorboards. "It's more expensive, but it's going to be here longer," he says. "I don't have filters to throw away, and there aren't belts to replace." Both the radiant heat and the new on-demand water heater are energy-saving tankless systems that prepare water as needed, rather than keeping it hot all day. Bowman further increased his energy efficiency by using spray-foam insulation made from an organic compound and windows with a low-emission coating that retains heat.

With its southern exposure and flat roof that's not visible from street level, the house was a prime candidate for photovoltaic panels. "I oversized my solar system, so someday I can get an electric vehicle to plug in," Bowman says. "I should be a zero-carbon household." He already creates more energy than he uses. His electric bill is just $5 a month, for the privilege of being on the grid.

Aside from those he used for the major structural improvements, many of the materials Bowman chose for the interiors are green-design favorites: bamboo floors, cement-board siding, and fiberboard shelves made from wheat. He liked Richlite's paper-based countertop surface so much that he custom-made a range hood out of it. But he selected other products for durability alone. Commercial-grade sliding doors that open to the dining room, for example, may not have recycled content, but they're guaranteed to last a lot longer than your typical home improvement store's equivalent offering. Similarly, zinc facing on the kitchen island and bedroom windowsills will patina over time and never need to be painted or replaced.

Durable, earth-friendly materials are still stuff, however, and Bowman believes in the mantra "Reduce, reuse, recycle." Some architects would have stripped any vestige of the house's original 1950s-era style (or lack thereof). Instead, Bowman worked the tan flagstone fireplace and master bath's pink tiled shower into his design. And when outdated elements absolutely had to go, he made sure they went to the right place. "I was able to recycle everything," he says. "My son and I and various friends separated the materials and took them down to the recycling and waste transfer station in my truck."

That group effort was not uncommon to the project, nor was it new to Bowman. Inspired by the do-it-together teamwork at Habitat for Humanity, he enlisted his cycling group to help with demolition and held a Christmas construction party, complete with fireside singing. "I had my future son-in-law drilling holes underneath the floor joists. I had an architect from my swim club critique some stuff. A friend's cousin did the drywall," he recounts, laughing. "We called it Habitat for Gregg."

Now that Bowman has completed his house, he's also completing a loop by taking what he's learned about green building back to the people who introduced him to it. "I'm giving a presentation at East Bay Habitat, to try to talk them into using radiant heat," he says. He's also meeting with Rinnai, the company that made his tankless water heater, about donating materials to the group. "Of all the Habitat affiliates around here, East Bay is the biggest proponent of green building," Bowman says. "So it's nice to give back."

Trade Secrets from a Green Builder

For his remodel, Bowman relied on eco-friendly products from these manufacturers and fabricators.

• On-demand hot water heaters:
  Rinnai, www.rinnai.us
• Radiant heat system:
  Ultra Fin, www.ultra-fin.com
• Spray foam insulation:
  Icynene, www.icynene.com
• Windows and sliding doors:
  Blomberg Window Systems,
  Sacramento, CA, 916-428-8060
• Photovoltaic panels:
  Sharp Electronics, solar.sharpusa.com
• Bamboo floors:
  Flooring Alternatives, www.flooringalternatives.com
• Siding:
  James Hardie, www.jameshardie.com
• Composite countertops and range hood:
  Richlite, www.richlite.com