Case Study | Margarido House

Completed in 2008, the Margarido House features a striking, wing-like sunshade made of McNICHOLS® Bar Grating. The environmentally-friendly residence, located in a hilly neighborhood overlooking San Francisco Bay, has won acclaim for its sustainable features.

Bar Grating provides natural cooling and shelter from the sun and helps lower utility bills. Its permeable and non-corrosive properties support a rainwater recycling system by allowing water to pass through and collect in an underground tank. With the addition of a handrail, the sunshade doubles as a deck accessible for maintenance.

In the driveway of the residence, a trench is capped off with Bar Grating grates to assist with the runoff of water into a 4,000-gallon underground reservoir. McNICHOLS® Bar Grating also forms Stair Treads for an exterior stairway leading to rooftop garden. The product enhances safety, is durable, and attractive.

Sustainable design organizations — including the U.S. Green Building Council, which developed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification — have taken note. The Margarido House received LEED-H Platinum Certification. It also became first residence in the United States to be both LEED-H certified and GreenPoint Rated.

In this application, Bar Grating shows it can contribute to a high-end architecture while performing multiple functions required of the sustainable design.