With about 27,000 residents and located among Brentwood (to the east), Malibu and Topanga (to the west), Santa Monica (to the southeast), Santa Monica Bay (to the southwest), and the Santa Monica Mountains (to the north), the area of Pacific Palisades is an ideal place to live.  

While soaring gas prices continue to impede our impulse to hop into a car and drive anywhere we want, the location of the VISION House Los Angeles is in walking distance of many amenities in the community.  Less than a 10 minute walk from the building site you’ll find a grocery store, multiple coffee shops, a flower shop, a bookstore, a plethora of restaurants, schools, and an abundance of parks with some great hiking.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

Structure Home and Green Builder® Media are currently organizing community events, heightening awareness, and developing educational opportunities regarding the latest in green design, building techniques, and sustainable products.  The VISION House® Los Angeles is their demonstration project that will showcase the latest innovative home building technology.

Community participation begins July 4, 2011 with the first awareness and fundraising event, the Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade. The parade begins on Via De La Paz and travels through the coastal community of Pacific Palisades, while Sunset Boulevard is closed for the festivities. The playhouse was generously constructed and donated by: Aggressive Sash & Door, SC Sheet Metal, Hagle Lumber, D&J Painting, and Allen Construction. Thank you to Tim Greenleaf Engineering for donating the equipment, time, and hard work of loading the Playhouse on/off the truck to be driven in the parade.  The family friendly event gets 10,000 to 25,000 spectators each year.  The Pacific Palisades Parade Marshal is Jeffrey Tambor, the Honorary Mayor is Sugar Ray Leonard, and there will be over a thousand participants for this great American family fun event.

Structure Home has put together a mini Green Builder Media VISION House Los Angeles influenced playhouse (designed by the executive architect, P2 Design Inc.) to be driven on a float in the parade (announcing the VISION House Project).  The playhouse will then be raffled off at the Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club (PPJWC) Home Tour Event in November. Structure Home and Green Builder Media appreciate their kindness and support!  All proceeds from the Home Tour will be given to PPJWC in support of their local fundraising efforts.  In the past 10 years, PPJWC has donated nearly one million dollars to both of the Pacific Palisades fire stations, all six Pacific Palisades public schools, Palisades Beautiful and many other local charities.  Be sure to join the VISION House Los Angeles team for a memorable Independence Day celebration and be sure to cheer for the Structure Home/PPJWC playhouse float in the parade.

The landscape design for VISION House Los Angeles is by MJN Landscape Design Studio.  It is a compliment to the Structure Home design objective. The approved plan creates inviting gardens around the entire periphery of the building...at every access point...and spreading out to maximize the use of the entire property.  In the front yard, a garden seating area and water feature have been designed to specifically address and welcome the neighborhood into this special home.  A peaceful, meandering path (Via De La Paz) will lead visitors to a secluded entry courtyard and over water to the homes entry experience.  Once inside the home, an open living plan including formal and informal dining, family, kitchen and utility spaces open to the rear yard gardens with two transparent walls of glass.  Outdoor living in the VISION House Los Angeles is further enhanced with a covered and protected loggia...an outdoor living room with fireplace and heaters for year-round enjoyment. 

VISION House Los Angeles is located on a street called Via De La Paz.  "Via De La Paz" is a Spanish expression which translated means "A Path to Peace"...a theme the project will embrace and Structure Home believes it is particularly apropos. After all, perhaps the most important goal of a VISION House is to express a vision of a vibrant and sustainable future for the benefit of our children...and our children's children.

The VISION House® Los Angeles location is in Pacific Palisades, California.  It was carefully selected by Structure Home for several important reasons:

-Pacific Palisades is a high-profile community and one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the Los Angeles basin.

-The demographic of the community consists of affluent, educated, professionals who are well-connected with the broader regional community.

-Having been originally developed in the early 20th Century, all current development in Pacific Palisades is "in-fill" and hence, supports positive environmental benefits of redevelopment within the urban core.

-Due to its close proximity to the inland mountains and Pacific ocean, the community is both environmentally and health conscious as well as politically concerned and involved...making it particularly well-suited to the goals of the VISION House® series.

 A photo from today's groundbreaking!