G
reen is what the San Diego of 2023 aspires to be: ambitious, growth- oriented, and planet-forward. But you wouldn’t know it from
our existing housing crop. Despite new homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) popping up on seemingly every block, few are considered green builds. San Diego’s history with green building practices might well have started with James Hubbell and his sculptural, organic-looking structures crafted from local, low-impact materials. The visionary architect is widely considered the original vanguard of the movement here in San Diego. But while Hubbell and his son Drew helped lead California towards more environmentally friendly construction (see “Sticks and Stones” sidebar, page 47), San Diego overall has been slow to join the green building renaissance. The city claims its landmark 2022 Climate Action Plan “takes bold steps” towards a more sustainable San Diego. And while that may be true in certain categories, in terms of building, the plan mainly focuses on phasing out natural gas and converting new projects to electric. “Bold” might be a bold choice of words. It’ll take a lot more than swapping out gas stoves for induction burners to get the city where it needs to be. “A green building is much more comprehensive,” says Colleen FitzSimons, executive director of the San Diego chapter of the US Green Building Council. Green building advocates look toward more holistic criteria like LEED certification, a sustainability rating system that awards architectural projects with points for reducing carbon, energy, water use, and waste; utilizing renewable materials; and more. That might include the use of reclaimed wood, rain-catching, and greywater irrigation systems. LEED-inspired architects consider how to place structures in such LEFT Architect Drew Hubbell equipped this home with green features like natural ventilation and photovoltaic panels—plus Fibonacci spirals inspired by its mathematician owner. 45 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker