First and foremost is the installation of a 30,000-watt solar photovoltaic electric system on the roof of Temescal Place. This is the largest solar electric system to be installed in the City of Oakland. The system is designed to generate as much electricity each year as the shared loads of the building will use. We would have made this system even larger, to serve some of electricity uses in the residences, but we ran out of roof space. More on Temescal Solar Power.

Production of vinyl is an environmentally destructive manufacturing process (check out the movie "Blue Vinyl" some day). So Temescal Place rejected vinyl flooring and vinyl windows which are so commonly used in new construction today. Instead, our specifications demanded real linoleum (made from linseed oil and other natural materials) in locations where vinyl flooring might have been used and metal windows instead of vinyl.

When it came time to select materials for the stairs to the upper floor mezzanine, we chose reclaimed "glulams" for the stringers and reclaimed hardwoods for the treads. The story of the treads is really interesting. They are cut from salvaged antique railroad ties that were used to build the railroads of Southeast Asia a century ago. These tropical hardwoods were naturally resistant to rot and infestation, so they were not chemically treated. Today you can marvel at the beauty of these woods that probably have another century of useful life to give and certainly would have many stories to tell if they could talk.

When we bought the site for Temescal Place, the lot was bordered by deteriorating power poles and high voltage power lines. Some were so close that it seemed you could reach out and grab the lines - now that would be an electrifying experience. We thought you might prefer not to have this opportunity, so we put a great deal of effort and money into having the lines put underground and the poles removed.

We also respect your indoor environment. Our specifications uniformly called for "formaldehyde-free" materials to avoid indoor air quality problems associated with formaldehyde off-gassing. And paints used in the building are all specified with low- or no VOC ratings.

The windows in Temescal Place are "low-e plus" - more energy efficient than required by state standards and the highest standard of protection against ultra-violet (UV) radiation we could buy from the manufacturer. The natural gas boiler system is 94% efficient, which means there is very little energy wasted producing hot water for the building.

The design of Temescal Place incorporates many passive energy saving features. Homes are designed with windows on two sides, allowing more natural lighting and cross ventilation. All the homes have large south facing windows, solar energy to help warm the homes in the winter while being partially shaded in the summer. The loft homes will allow stack ventilation; when windows and doors on their lower levels and upper levels are both open, natural air flow will cause cooler air to be drawn up through the home and hotter air to exhaust at the upper level.

Respecting the environment also involves life style choices. Many people today want to live in a community where services are located within walking distance and many locations for work and play are a short ride on public transportation or bicycle. Temescal Place is located so conveniently that you can keep your car parked much of the time. Getting around temescal.

Being respectful of the environment doesn't come cheap and our decisions added to the cost of the building. Our only regret is that we didn't do more. But if you buy a home at Temescal Place, you will probably agree with us that sometimes it is important to spend a bit more to do the right thing.