Google's Larry Page Creates Fiefdom in Palo Alto
Over the last couple of years Google co-founder, Larry Page, has been buying up homes in his Old Palo Alto neighborhood and leveling them to the ground. On top of one of these .75 acre lots, Page has big plans to build a 6,000 square foot "green" mansion.The new two-story home will be located next to his existing residence. City ordinances prohibit him from adding onto his $7 million, 1930's arts and crafts style home so the only option for this billionaire is to start from scratch. Page will be using a lot of green building techniques including the planting of trees to shade his property and he'll be applying for Green Point Certification which awards points for the use of recycled materials and low VOC paint.
Anyone can get karma credits for using solar panels. What bothers me about this story is that I am personally a fan of old homes and I'd rather see a green conversion than a razing. If a complete rebuild is necessary, perhaps Page could find inspiration from R.E.X. Project which recycled an entire home into the new one. Besides, just because you use a certain type of paint on your gigantic home and plant trees on the tiny lot doesn't make it any less a McMansion.
[via: Ecorazzi]













