There’s a new gold standard on San Francisco’s Gold Coast.
A $40 million property put up for sale last week in the city is not only setting new heights in terms of price—listing records show it is more expensive than any house currently on the market in San Francisco—but it is also making a mark in its eco-friendliness.
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Developer Bill Campbell of Marble Management and his team went to great lengths to make this newly built seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom Pacific Heights house environmentally friendly, even going so far as to seek LEED Platinum certification. To achieve that distinction, the builders had to address issues in everything from the landscaping to the energy and insulation to how they handled on-site waste.
"It’s important in its own right," Mr. Campbell said. "But in San Francisco, where people have a higher consciousness of this than in other parts of the country...the need to build an environmentally friendly home was necessary."
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The property was purchased by Mr. Campbell’s company in 2009 for $7.8 million, according to public records. The firm had originally intended to do a gut renovation of the existing three-bedroom home, which had been built in 1890s, but soon decided to tear it down and rebuild. Getting the approvals took years, partly because the city wanted to determine the historic value of the area.
Because of LEED’s strict requirements for the platinum certification, the build took much longer than expected, Mr. Campbell said. The home features solar heat and power, a rainwater collection system that stores up to 5,100 gallons of water underground, double-paned windows and closed-cell foam insulation, which keeps water and air out.
"Close to 40% of the energy of the home comes from solar," Mr. Campbell said. "But it’s probably higher because of the insulation. I swear to God, you could heat this thing with a handle.
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The home is fully automated, Mr. Campbell pointed out, adding that everything from opening the front door to adjusting the temperature to turning the music on can be managed from a smartphone or computer. In fact, each light can be controlled through the computer system, down to the individual bulbs of track lighting. So if a piece of artwork is moved, for example, a lighting redesign takes "literally minutes to change, and no electrician is needed," he said.
The home, which is located on a street known for its exclusive homes, is not listed, but is being marketed to clients by agents Val Steele of Pacific Union International and Tom Biss of Sotheby’s International Realty, who confirmed that the house is up for sale.
The 11,400-square-foot mansion also boasts sweeping views of the city. Its floor-to-ceiling windows have non-reflective glass, a material usually reserved for storefronts, so the scene is just as good at night as it is in the day. In addition, there’s a roof deck to take in the sights of the city al fresco.
The house has a "great indoor-outdoor connection and, of course, the views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and many of San Francisco landmarks," Ms. Steele said.
Designed by Tom Taylor at Taylor Lombardo Architects, the house also a home theater, complete with snack bar, a top-of-the-line spa and exercise room and a gourmet kitchen with Miele appliances. There are two wine cellars, which were handmade in Colorado, and the trim and cabinetry is made with fumed oak, a chemical process that dates back to the 1800s and brings out the grain of the wood.
"To have a house built to the latest seismic standards with a floor plan that works for today's lifestyle is truly unique," Ms. Steele said, adding that "many of the houses built on the Gold Coast have kitchens in the basement and do not have a garage."