One of the amazing new features on Ed Begley Jr.'s new house being built as environmentally sound from ground up will be something that no one can see.
A 10,000-gallon tank was placed underneath the base of the house in Studio City so that it can catch rainwater that the Begleys will recycle for the house.
Begley and his wife and daughter live in Studio City already in a house that was retro-fitted as an environmentally-friendly house. He bought another property not far away near the Los Angeles River which he hopes to show the world in a series called On Begley Street.
"We want to show how people can implement sustainable living and show our successes as well as our failures," Begley said.
His wife, Rachelle Carson, helped design the house and only had a few demands—not sharing a bathroom, more closet space and have it finished by 2012. (The last one won't be a reality, but it should be completed some time next year.)
The house will have a small pool and a vegetable garden that will use the rain water.
"We want to show how some of this is doable for the average family," Begley said.
One of the big part of the process was how to do away with the existing house. They dismantled the house and parts of the bricks and windows went to the Habitat for Humanity. Pieces of the house are now part of a church that is being built in Mexico.
"This is a great area, and we have the best neighbors in the world," Begley said. "We love Studio City."
The foliage in the area will remain the way it is and solar panels on the house will face east and west and be part of the overall design.
Read more about the project on the webside OnBegleyStreet.com.
