How to build homes responsibly in an area of natural beauty
like the Santa Monica Mountains?
This has been the prevailing question in the minds of all involved in every stage and aspect of planning the project at Sweetwater Mesa. The result is that the five homes designed for these 156 acres will be built on just over 1 acre of the total land, leaving most of the land untouched and in its natural state.
The homes being planned for Sweetwater Mesa will be some of the most environmentally sensitive buildings ever conceived of in Malibu.
These homes are designed to some of today's highest environmental standards. Solar energy will power the homes and heat the water. Water collection and treatment systems will enable re-use and extreme efficiency.
The innovative sustainability plans have the goal of attaining a LEED™(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standard that very few homes today meet.
Wallace Cunningham, the homes' award-winning designer, has nestled each of the unique homes as carefully as possible into the natural landscape, minimizing their profile while maximizing the creative usefulness of interior and exterior spaces. The organic designs of the homes will make use of the soil and colors of the land, blending them into their surroundings to the greatest extent possible.
Award-winning landscape architect Pamela Burton completes the marriage of home and surroundings through her innovative planning and her strong commitment to sustainable landscape design.
Among the homes’ many environmentally friendly features are:
- California native landscaping
- Rainwater catchment system
- High-efficiency and low-flow water fixtures
- Onsite wastewater treatment
- Onsite electric vehicle charging
- Radiant floor heating system
- Passive cooling, natural ventilation, and daylighting
- Solar panels to heat water and provide electricity
- Recycled and renewable materials
In bringing together the very best environmental, architectural and design principles, the owners have sought to create homes that will both set new standards and withstand the test of time.
We invite you to explore the website to learn more, watch a video about the project, and to read a statement from The Edge, one of the homes' owners.