House Ocho is a roughly 2,900 square foot green home in Carmel, California, designed by San Francisco firm Feldman Architecture and completed in 2004. It sits in the Santa Lucia Preserve, uses passive solar heating and planted living roofs, and was recognized with sustainability awards, including an AIA honor reported in 2007.
House Ocho at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Architect | Feldman Architecture, San Francisco |
| Location | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California |
| Completed | 2004 |
| Size | About 2,900 square feet |
| Key green features | Passive solar heating, planted living roofs, buildings sunk into the slope |
| Recognition | AIA San Francisco Sustainability Award, Green Roof Design Award, and a 2007 AIA energy and sustainability honor |
What makes House Ocho eco-friendly?
The architects cut the buildings into the hillside and planted the overhanging roofs with tall native grasses, so the house blends into the meadow instead of standing above it. That reduces its visual footprint and keeps the structure cooler.
Passive solar heating handles much of the warmth, which cuts the need for mechanical systems. Together with the living roofs, this is why the project keeps appearing in lists of California’s best sustainable homes.
Where is House Ocho and what is the setting?
It stands on a nature preserve in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in oak forest and steep meadow. The Santa Lucia Preserve covers about 20,000 acres between Carmel and Big Sur, and about 18,000 of those acres are permanently protected by the Santa Lucia Conservancy.
The architects describe a path from a tree-lined ridge, through an entry grove with glimpses between building elements, down to a large terrace that works as an outdoor living room.
Who is Feldman Architecture?
Feldman Architecture is a San Francisco residential firm known for warm, light-filled spaces that respond to their sites. House Ocho was its first home in the Preserve and set the tone for the firm’s later work there. The firm works in a shared process with clients, and its designers stay involved from design through construction. Its portfolio is at feldmanarchitecture.com.
Why does House Ocho still matter in 2026?
Passive solar design, green roofs and low-impact siting were uncommon on luxury homes in 2004. Today they are standard in sustainable residential design, and the house still works as a reference for what a low-impact luxury home looks like.
FAQ
Who designed House Ocho?
Feldman Architecture, a San Francisco residential architecture firm.
Where is House Ocho?
In the Santa Lucia Preserve near Carmel, California, in the Santa Lucia Mountains.
When was House Ocho built?
It was completed in 2004. It was the firm’s first project in the Santa Lucia Preserve.
What awards did House Ocho win?
The firm lists an AIA San Francisco Sustainability Award and a Green Roof Design Award. A 2007 national AIA energy and sustainability honor has also been reported.
What makes House Ocho sustainable?
Passive solar heating, living roofs planted with native grasses, and a design that sinks the buildings into the slope to reduce their impact.
Last updated: October 2026.
