Step Inside Amber Vallettas Eco-Friendly LA Sanctuary [Video]

That meant rethinking the approach, inside and out. Diaz + Alexander Studio, a development and architectural design firm in Los Angeles founded and run by Rob Diaz and Mark Alexander, had already constructed the foundation and frame. “The shape was there, so we worked with them on the finishes, to make it sustainable and bring it into the context of its environment,” Cassidy says.

They wired the house for solar panels, which will go on the roof, once they are delivered. “There’s a backlog in California—too much demand, which is great,” the designer notes. They put in double-glazed windows, which are required for new construction in California and “help thermal-insulate the house,” he explains. And they clad much of the exterior with responsibly sourced dove gray and sand-hued stone from Eco Outdoor in Los Angeles. “Light stone reflects light and keeps the house cooler,” Cassidy points out. “And stone lasts forever and is no-maintenance. If you think about the midcentury houses across Los Angeles, they …