Danielian Associates Brings Us Heightened Sustainable Design
Healthier, Smarter Living Comes to Life in the design of the ABC Green Home 3.0
By Genevieve Smith
Enhancing lives through distinctive architecture is the design goal of every project created at Danielian Associates Architecture + Planning. No matter what type of building Danielian is designing, each must be esthetically pleasing, healthy, and comfortable for its occupants, as well as being flexible and timeless, safe and efficient.
Collaborating on such projects as the ABC Green Home 3.0, Danielian is also gaining considerable experience designing affordable housing with superior energy efficiency. John Danielian, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Danielian Associates, says the four-bedroom, ABC Green Home 3.0 now under construction in Fullerton, CA, was designed from the ground up to optimize advanced sustainability and energy efficient components including maximum use of air circulation. Summing this design strategy up in one acronym, ABC stands for Affordable, Buildable, Certifiable.
A striking addition to the surrounding neighborhood, the ABC Home 3.0 reflects mid-century modernist architecture combined with a hint of design influence reminiscent of the fabled Eichler homes built by Joseph Eichler that populate Fullerton’s “Forever Houses” neighborhood and the Eichler enclaves in the City of Orange, CA.
The 2,400 square-foot home with two-car garage features sharply angled roof lines that create dynamic curb appeal as well as shade overhangs to block the sun rays from invading the home’s interior, reducing the solar heat affect. The south-facing roof area will be the perfect location for the solar panels that will add to the home’s sustainable footprint by generating power to reduce the electric bill and help mitigate greenhouse gas, an ingredient in global warming.
“When designing a sustainable home, or any structure, nature provides architects with an abundance of elements that can improve the home’s livability such as enhancing interior air quality while at the same time reducing energy use,” explains Danielian. “Our design of this very special home will, among other livable features, optimize the capture and circulation of air to naturally cool the interior and ensure that the air quality is healthy.”
Designed as much for outdoor living as indoor, the home has an abundance of window area for maximum natural light and cross ventilation and a large, private patio area directly off the great room for family gatherings and barbecues. A “deck garden” on the second floor connects to the upstairs family room, providing a greater sense of airiness and openness.
As a true multigenerational home, ABC 3.0 includes on the ground floor a completely separate one-bedroom “multi-gen suite” of 431 square feet with comfortable living room, kitchenette, full bath, washer/dryer, and it will have its own exterior patio and outside entrance for ultimate privacy. (Lead Danielian designers, Louis Bretana, Assoc. AIA, and Joe Digrado, AIA, calls it a home within a home.) The apartment can be home to a veteran living with his family or the caregiver for a veteran.
“For us as architects, this gives us an opportunity to incorporate some of our ideas such as the multi-gen suite as well as Net-Zero energy efficiency concepts that we are perfecting for the larger homebuilding industry,” says Danielian. “A key part of our business philosophy is to help the community by doing good and so this is a collaboration that we greatly value.”
Throughout the last 48 years, Danielian Associates has been widely recognized for innovation and excellence in residential design and planning with a host of national awards. The architecture of Danielian Associates is a reflection of the firm’s passion, creativity and commitment to a melding of art and science that is the foundation of the ever-evolving built environment.
Genevieve Smith is an Assistant Editor for Green Home Builder magazine. She may be reached at gen@penpubinc.com.