The Sustainable Building Task Force sought Sunset to build a home that would demonstrate to the public the latest advances in green building design and construction, as well as champion the benefits of sustainable building practices.

The Idea House is built beside an identical demonstration house, where people can see the "insides" of a green-built home and the eco-friendly features and materials it's composed of.

The side-by-side homes will reside within a new neighborhood in Menlo Park, California, a location centered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each home is designed to be efficient enough to send excess energy back to the power utility and will provide ideas and inspiration for people seeking a more energy-wise, eco-friendly home.

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Open: October 7th, 2005 -- January 22nd, 2006

Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm
Closed Monday-Thursday
Closed weekends of November 25th, December 23rd & 30th

Tickets: $12 general; $8 seniors Fridays only; Free for ages 5 and under; cash/check only. Available for purchase at the shuttle stop, on day of tour.

Directions: From Hwy 101, take the Willow Road exit toward Menlo Park. Follow Willow to Middlefield Road. Cross the intersection and turn right into the Sunset parking lot.

Tours: House tours are self-guided.

Interior Design: Pamela Pennington Studios

Landscape Architect: HLD Group Landscape Architecture

State of California:
Members of the Sustainable Building Task Force
California Energy Commission
Recycle Works, County of San Mateo
Integrated Waste Management Board

Non-Profit Partner: Peninsula Habitat for Humanity