Great use of an existng building. Gives people inspiration to explore alternatives to new construction, a green element itself.

Cost of conversion was about $20,000.

The green elements:

1) Adaptive/Re-use is a form of recycling, where the existing structure is saved rather than torn down. Instead of carting off a ton of construction debris to a landfill we found a way to adapt and re-use the existing storage shed and turned it into a guest house.

2) Passive Daylighting: The tilted angled wall with it’s slit skylight, allows the interior of the house to be illuminated during the day by reflecting ambient light, lowering the need for artificial light.

3) Energy efficient fluorescent lighting. This sounds like an easy thing to implement for any building, but it is an aesthetic challenge. Fluorescent lighting is energy efficient, but its illumination is harsh and unflattering. Our solution was to conceal the low-energy fluorescent bulbs behind the polycarbonate slits in the redwood wall, which glow at night like a lantern.

4) The landscaping is all drought tolerant, xeriscaping, which uses native plants that require very little watering.

5) The kitchen countertops, the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and the bathroom shower are constructed of poured in place concrete with 50% recycled fly ash.