The Peninsula Residence incorporates three green roofs or rooftops gardens. A sedum garden is located off of the second floor bedrooms. An ornamental garden complements the outdoor living spaces on the lakeside sky deck, and a functional vegetable garden provides fresh, organic food throughout the year. All green roofs incorporate water-saving drip irrigation and plants well suited to the micro-climate of each rooftop garden.

The landscaping includes multiple gardens, including herb gardens, ornamental gardens, and productive fruit and olive trees. In addition, a green roof vegetable garden located above the master suite produces vegetables throughout the year. Through the use of carefully designed planting beds and modern green roof techniques, the 150 square feet of green roof vegetable garden produces enough vegetables to consistently provide for a family of four.

Because of the significant glazing facing the lake, the Peninsula residence uses a tiered approach to shading and reduction of heat gain. The landscaping is specifically designed to shade the harsh late afternoon sun in the summer but allow sunlight in the winter. All glazing is Low-E, tinted, double pane glass, which significantly reduces the heat load. Finally, all south or west facing widows are equipped with exterior roll down shades. These automated shades are used one or two hours each day to reduce heat load when the sun shines directly in the home. Because these are exterior shades, they reduce 95% of the heat gain while preserving the view.

The use of tinted, Low-E glass, combined with other active and passive shading strategies, allows the owner to enjoy incredible views from every room while consuming no more energy than an equivalent traditional home of the same size.

A retractable curtain provides shading for the picnic table during the late afternoon and evening

The slated trellis mirrors the picnic table below, supports a massive flowering rose vine, and shades the picnic area.

The covered reflecting pond shades the living room and master bedroom.

The shade structure over the solarium shades the all-glass structure and provides a pleasant seating area in the rooftop vegetable garden.

The reflecting pond and pool wrap around the master bedroom and living space, and visually connect the home to the lake.

The reflecting pond overflows into the pool. The pool and reflecting pond are serviced by commercial quality filtration and sanitization systems.

The pool is surrounded by a fogging/misting system. During the summer months, the misting system drops the poolside temperature by 20 degrees and provides a spa like setting.

The misting system is concealed in the pool deck and creates a cool, rain forest effect with the flip of a switch

A custom manufactured swim jet is integrated into the end of the pool. Unlike mass-produced systems that are visually distracting, the narrow stainless steel jet is invisible, but produces a current that allows the athlete to endlessly swim in place.

The solarium is an indoor/outdoor room that opens to the pool and boat dock beyond. The solarium can be heated or cooled as desired, but the room is designed to be exposed to the extremes of the elements as well.

The Peninsula Residence treats lighting as integral to the overall design. Lighting becomes a central element of the residence. In the dining room, concealed LED lights from Color Kinetics wash a polished plaster wall. The acute angle of the lighting highlights the natural mottling present in the plaster finish, creating an engaging art installation while serving a essential lighting function.

In the children's library, located on the second floor, lighted acrylic panels emphasize the geometry of a recessed sitting area.

At night, the home comes alive from the exterior view. The view into the home at night from the multiple outdoor recreation areas is as dramatic as the view from the home during the day.

The use multiple lighting elements in the dining room creates an intimate environment that encourages easy communication and the exchange of ideas.

The lighted backsplash in the kitchen cook center illustrates the approach to lighting. The single piece of etched glass provides an easy to maintain backsplash surface. The diffuse quality of the surface gently reflects the exterior lake view, providing an ever-shifting scene. The concealed low energy LED lighting provides a comfortable and diffuse functional light source for cooking.

Many components used in the detailed finish of the home were manufactured on-site by skilled craftsmen. Here, something as simple as a switch cover becomes an opportunity to amplify the qualities of the home

The kitchen utilizes the material palette used throughout the project. The cabinetry is massaranduba, which is used for exterior siding and decking. The countertops are custom copper slabs (not veneered) which are allowed to oxidize, providing a contrast to the etched glass backsplash and spines. The etched glass both provides a lighting source and reflects the exterior views.

The kitchen design employs a work station approach, with distinct cooking, food preparation, baking, food storage and entertainment centers. These centers relate to each other naturally. As a result, the kitchen can accommodate multiple people. The chef can prepare a meal while comfortable surrounded by guests. The cook center features a custom integrated ventilation system, and a lighted etched glass backsplash that reflects the lake views in unexpected ways.

The food preparation and baking centers are separated by a spine of light, which serves both a functional and aesthetic purpose.

Careful attention to detail imbues the kitchen cabinetry with a fine furniture or art quality. Solid slab copper countertops and side panels envelope the European style cabinets, which is finished with a copper toe-kick and etched glass spine. Each element serves both a functional and aesthetic purpose. The etched glass spine is an easy to maintain backsplash surface and provides task lighting through internal LED lighting, but gives the large work centers a light and abstract quality.

Rather than using a standard commercial vent hood, the ventilation system was integrated into the cook center design. Water-jet cut copper panels conceal ventilation filters, which are accessible through touch latch doors. The ventilation fan itself is mounted on the exterior roof, which reduces ventilation noise to whisper quiet levels.