In 2008, David and Sara Gottfried completed
a "deep-green" renovation of a 1915 Craftsman bungalow located in Oakland, California's Rockridge district. The
home received its LEED for Homes Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council on November 7, 2008. The home's 106.5 point score, 26.5
points over the 80 points required for Platinum for a small home, was the highest score in the country at the time of certification,
and the first LEED-H Platinum home in Northern California.
The Gottfried home in the coveted Rockridge area of Oakland represents the culmination of a lifetime of work in sustainable
building for David Gottfried. His journey of shepherding the world’s green building movement began more than 30 years
ago with groundbreaking studies in solar energy at Stanford University. In the next decade he learned the principles of real
estate development and construction in Washington, D.C. In 1992, Gottfried moved back to the Bay Area where
he crafted the vision and model for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its LEED® rating system – now implemented
in 140 countries.
Renown
author Paul Hawken writes in the foreword to Gottfried’s first Memoir, Greed to Green: “To say this
book is about the power of one person to change the world, though true, would be a cliché. Yes, his is a story of pluck
and determination, to be sure. And it is one of timing, hard work, and manufactured luck. But above all, it is a story of
conviction. Not the conviction that makes others wrong, but more an affirmation: of what is right and what is possible. I
have heard David speak several times, and without doubt what he shares above all is enthusiasm, a word that comes from the
Greek roots “en theos,” meaning within God. He founded and helped build the most important green trade organization
in the world. There is virtually no second place. Thousands of people and companies are playing inside it, creating the best
standards in the world. Nothing compares with the growth, magnitude, and import of the U.S. Green Building Council. No one
has done the metrics, but I believe it is safe to say that no organization has had a bigger impact on the environment than
this one in terms of energy and materials saved, toxins eliminated, greenhouse gases avoided, and human health enhanced. And
that is just the beginning.”
The Gottfried Home on 63rd Street is a physical manifestation of Gottfried’s “conviction”
and “determination” to showcase what is possible in sustainable building renovation. The story started by finding
the ideal existing home, one of character, history, embodied energy and unparalleled walkability. Gottfried and his family
of four, wife, Dr. Sara Gottfried, and two young daughters, found a preserved 1915 craftsman bungalow, half a block from the
charming and retail-hopping College Avenue, between Claremont and Alcatraz. Amazingly, all of the original craftsman wood
details had been untouched.
In
order to craft the vision and effectuation for a dream green showcase home, Gottfried hired award-wining Berkeley architect
Dan Smith and Canyon Construction. The master-landscaping plan was designed by David Thorne. The high-tech green products
were provided by a dozen manufacturers in an innovative partnership program. The result is the highest-rated LEED-Platinum
renovation (26.5 points over the Platinum threshold), shining in one of the most aesthetically beautiful remodels ever, coined
as “eco-bling” by Sara Gottfried, a Harvard trained integrative medicine doctor and yoga instructor and author
of The Hormone Cure, to be published by Simon and Schuster in 2013.
Beyond the awards which were bestowed, the house went on to extensive media acclaim, culminating
in a six-page feature article in Metropolitan Home magazine and an appearance on Renovation Nation TV show
with host Steve Thomas. Planet Green hosted a 7-part video series on the project and Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of USGBC,
awarded Gottfried the highest-rated LEED Platinum plaque on a stage in front of thousands at Greenbuild, the world’s
largest green building conference. The enthusiasts gave Gottfried a standing ovation at the end of his acceptance remarks.
The Gottfried “Tesla”
home is polished, efficient and gorgeous. Like the Tesla roadster, it exemplifies the utmost in human engineering, environmental
performance and beauty. On the energy side it features solar photovoltaic and solar hot water, new dual pane (craftsman trimmed)
windows, elegant radiant heating, three types of insulation, Energy Star rated Bosch appliances, LED lighting, and a Lucid
cloud-based dashboard. Water efficient performance is heightened by a graywater drip irrigation system, extensive rainwater
capture, Bosch dishwasher and washer/dryer, Caroma dual flush toilets from Australia, low flow faucets/showerheads and hundreds
of low water plants. Green materials include artistic recycled glass mosaic tiles (featuring abalone), 100-year old vertical
grain redwood, FSC rated Hickory, new doors made from reclaimed Douglas Fir, 36 colors of no VOC paint, concrete with 50%
fly ash and custom formed Syndecrete recycled content countertops. Waste minimization is increased by compost and vermiculture
bins and extensive recycling. Transportation performance is high from the ease of walking (92 Walkscore) to hundreds of local
shops, BART, schools and parks. Gottfried found it easy to give up his car for a one-year period, relying on BART, Carshare,
walking, bus and biking.
The
renovation included a full upgrade of all systems: electrical, plumbing, structural, removal of all pest problems. All plants,
trees, large boulders and security fencing are new, as well as a new reclaimed redwood deck and outdoor shower. An attractive
rear yard LifePod by Envison Solar was installed for Gottfried’s home office writing and art studio. It features
eight solar PV panels, water capture, radiant heating, wired Internet and new dual pane windows. Gottfried wrote his second
memoir, Greening My Life, in the studio and its garden-centered natural green spirit provided the inspiration for
him to become a modern art painter.
Within a minute walking distance is College Avenue’s bustling Wood Tavern Restaurant, Cole Coffee, Vino, Ver
Brugge meat market, Powell’s sweet and gelato shop and a new Peet’s. Across the street is Safeway. Rockridge features
a Sunday Farmer’s Market – easy walking distance and hundreds of more retail and public transportation conveniences.
The Gottfried 3 bedroom, 1.5
Bath (plus outdoor shower) home is on the market for the first time, offering the discerning ecologically and aesthetic minded
buyer an unprecedented ownership opportunity. Contact Anne Van Dyke at Grubb Company to arrange a tour. The Home’s awards,
LEED Platinum Plaque and certificate, website and Lucid dashboard will transfer with the sale. Click here to download a presentation of the Gottfried "Tesla" home.
Sales
Information:
Sales Price:
$1,295,000
Anne Van Dyke:
avandyke@grubbco.com, Tel: 510-339-0400, x399
Home Sale
Website: http://www.328-63rd.com/
