Press | Building Naturally with Boa Constructor Green Building & Design

Press

Press

	Mother Earth News June/July 2005 "On a narrow lot in Capitola, Calif., stands a modest and inviting craftsman-style home. This not-so-big house fits into the quiet neighborhood, yet it is anything but ordinary. Its energy-efficient design features and solar technologies make this home a cutting-edge model of sustainability."

	Santa Cruz Magazine Spring 2009 "Peek through the recycled glass, and you will see the pale golden rice straw used in constructing the Sullivan's energy-efficient home. It is the first straw-bale house to be constructed in Capitola. Designed and built by general contractors Michele Landegger and Debrae Lopes of Boa Constructor Building and Design... it fits into the neighborhood beautifully."


05/26/2012
	Remodeling putting contractors to work: Housing permits up but numbers small; financing key for commercial projects
05/4/2012
	Green building boom: Straw bales, insulating concrete forms, rainwater catchments. You name it, it's being done here, as green building goes mainstream

In Books

	In-laws, Outlaws, and Granny Flats Publication: March 15, 2011 "Herb and Ellie Foster's comfy old farmhouse in Santa Cruz was, in many ways, the heart of the neighborhood, and over the years it probably hosted more potlucks, community meetings, and teenagers hanging out than all the other houses on the block combined. So when their kids moved out and the stairs became too much for the couple to navigate, Herb and Ellie's first instinct was to figure out how to stay in the community they had lived since 1958."

	The Hybrid House Publication: May 1, 2010 "Just blocks from a sandy beach, they deconstructed a run-down cottage on a narrow lot to build an inviting Craftsman-style home. Passive energy efficiency is concealed within the attractive design. Siting the house at the minimum five-foot setback along the north side of the narrow 45 x 100 foot lot allows more living space on the south for maximum daylight and solar heat in the winter."

	The New Strawbale Home Publication: September 1, 2009 "Luscious, hand-applied earthen plasters of naturally occurring micaceous clay from New Mexico adorn the interior bale walls. Ferrous sulfate, a benign and inexpensive agricultural fertilizer, was used to stain the exterior lime/cement stucco. Other handcrafted details include built-in window seats, a recycled tile mosaic and the requisite truth window."

	The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes Publication: January 1, 2001 "When first planning to build a straw bale house in Santa Cruz, Michele and Debrae enlisted the help of their architect friend Kelly Lerner to conduct a workshop in order to build a simple structure so they could learn the basics. They continued by creating a design for a larger living space with help from Kelly and another friend, Blythe Campbell."