Hakatai helped Vision Development achieve LEED for Homes Platinum-level certification for the “Tree House Project.” Marty Meisler, principal at Vision Development, specified 675 square feet of Hakatai’s Ashland-e series glass mosaic tile for the home, located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles, California. All tile in the Ashland-e series is comprised of between 30 and 70 percent glass from bottles and/or other waste glass that would otherwise have entered the solid waste stream. This waste glass is a mix of approximately 90 percent post-consumer and approximately 10 percent pre-consumer material. The Ashland-e series is available in many colors and several finishes, as well as in 1” x 1” and 1” x 2” subway-style glass mosaics.Meisler, a certified sustainable building advisor, took advantage of the wide range of colors and styles available in Hakatai’s Ashland-e series, using the glass mosaics for a full wall in the kitchen, as well as extensively in the master bath, children’s bath and powder room inside the house. Outside, Ashland-e was used for the pool trim at the water level and for the outdoor shower.
“Hakatai recycled content glass tiles helped us max out the environmentally-friendly products category,” said Meisler. “We did a lot of research to find the right products and Hakatai made the cut. The high recycled content was very appealing to us. The colors were great and they matched the vision we had for the aesthetic of the house. We’re very happy with how it came out. The product is very attractive. Everybody that sees the tile work says it’s gorgeous and can’t believe it has recycled content.”
The Ashland-e series fit well with Meisler’s modern, contemporary design goals and was used abundantly throughout the project. The Tree House kitchen has a 100 square foot, full wall of Ashland-e in Light Olive. The master bath used 245 square feet of Ashland-e 1” x 2” glass tiles in Silver Spring Blend for three walls, the double sink backsplash, jacuzzi tub deck and surround, and a full shower. The children’s bath used 210 square feet of Ashland-e in Clear Cobalt for the two-sink vanity and backsplash, as well as the shower. The powder room features 21 square feet of Clear Ice glass mosaics. For the pool trim and outdoor pool shower, 100 square feet of Ashland-e was used in Clear Icicle Blend.
The Tree House is the first certified “Green” home in the San Fernando Valley. The 2,400 square foot house participated in the Southern California Gas Company’s Advanced Home Case Study Program. The goal was to identify products and measures that enhance sustainability, durability, energy and water efficiencies, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort of the home. The 20 foot-wide, two-story, four bedroom, 2.5 bath Tree House was designed to maximize passive solar heating and cooling. In conjunction with spray-in foam insulation, quality windows and doors, energy efficient lighting and appliances, and a cool roof, the house exceeds California’s Title 24 energy requirements by a remarkable 61 percent. More information about The Tree House Project is available at http://www.studiocitygreenhome.com/.
