The Ojai Valley Green Coalition invites the public to the 6th annual Green Living Home Tour & Show on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s Tour features several appealing sustainable homes, showing examples within a diverse range of budgets and tastes. Homes range from a retreat cabin themed “tiny house” by Humble Handcrafts made almost entirely of redwood reclaimed from a house in Ojai’s Ease End, to the Matilija Street moderately sized family style home displaying an array of innovative and waterwise features, to the 1920’s Spanish Revival “El Toro” estate designed by famed architect Arthur E. Harvey, creator of Château Élysée in Los Angeles.
The El Toro estate will be an in-progress “behind the walls” look at creating a net-zero energy home while keeping with the original artistic and historic integrity. Upgrades will include insulation, air sealing, solar panels, greywater, and a permaculture landscape. Renouned Ojai permaculture consultant, Connor Jones will transform the land to include organic edibles and aquaponics. This will be an exciting project to follow as the completed project will be featured on the 2015 Tour, with the end result being a restored home that is ready for the next one hundred years.
This year’s Tour starts at The MOB Shop, 110 W. Ojai Avenue, a full service bicycle shop that was also designed and constructed with sustainability in mind. Here you can pick up tickets and your map to the self-guided Tour. While you’re there, you can browse the Green Living Home Show displaying products and design ideas for homeowners wanting to learn more about sustainable products and practices. Actor T.J. Thyne, know for his role as Dr, Jack Hodgins on the television series “Bones”, will be on hand, and if you ask may discuss progress on his own “Sugar Box” tiny house retreat project, one of the Tour sites from the 2013 Tour. The Home Show is free and open to the public.
Tour tickets are $10 (kids 18 and under are free). Information on the Tour, Home Show, ticket purchasing, biking the tour and much more can be found at www.ojaivalleygreentour.com.