Officials break ground for the EcoHouse.

City officials, environmentalists and contractors don't usually gather with a homeowner a ceremonial groundbreakings. They did so in on June 11 in an unsual event for an unsual home, dubbed the "Pasadena EcoHouse."

At the Groundbreaking: Alno Pasadena's Fred Crockett and Vince Luzzi with homeowner Janice Kopanski and daughter Brooke.

On a small plot of hillside on the extreme western edge of the city, the EcoHouse will soon be built and become the first home in the nation to have earned Platinum certification for water and energy efficiency by the U.S. Green Building Council.

"This showcase venture will demonstrate the feasibility of eco-friendly new home construction, one of today's most interesting economic, philosophic, social and political topics," says its architect, Robert Mechielsen.

Doug and Deena Willis of Assist 2 Sell Real Estate with Adam Carter, field representative for Assemblymember Anthony Portantino.

Mecheilsen calls the home architecturally significant, environmentally responsible, and budget-conscious.

The 1,975 square foot three-bedroom, single-level Pasadena EcoHouse will be built into a rocky hillside in the San Rafael Hills. A wall of sliding windows will offer panoramic views of the San Gabriel Mountains and give the cantilevered roof the appearance of floating atop the home. A two-car garage will sit under the house at street level.

Doug and Tom of Outdoor Elegance, which will work on the first-of-its-kind project, at the ceremony

Mechielsen's plan also solar components, energy-efficient systems and appliances, minimal neighborhood impact and respect for the historic value of the community. The design, he says,  "can easily be duplicated on almost any buildable lot."

A central architectural feature of the construction will be structural concrete insulated panels (SCIP), a sustainable lightweight composite building material with the strength of heavily reinforced concrete. Weighing 60 percent less than

An artist's rendering of what the home will look like when built.

reinforced concrete, SCIPs allow for innovative but structurally safe designs. The use of this material helped the design meet the stringent requirements for LEED Platinum certification.

Inside the EcoHouse will feature top-of-the-line green building and design products, including a grid-tied solar electric system, a solar hot water system, recycled glass countertops, a ductless high-efficiency heating and cooling system, permeable hardscape, a rain and greywater catchment system and many more. LED lights will illuminate the house and complete the project's commitment to low-energy use.

"The Pasadena EcoHouse represents our dream of creating an environmentally sound home, and within our strict budget," said the homeowners. "We are ready to break ground, and we look forward to sharing our green building adventure with the world."

For more information, see http://www.thepasadenaecohouse.com/