July 2009 Green Home Tour-Columbia City Green

Posted on June 23, 2009 by mmuhsam

CCG cutaway drawingOn Saturday, July 11th we will at last have an opportunity to tour Columbia City Green; the latest project from Case Design and Project Management.  As you may be aware we have been following the construction of these two homes from their foundation to their finishes and are very much looking forward to touring them as part of our monthly green home tours.  We will meet at ecoHAUS in Seattle’s SODO district, get an introduction to many green building materials, have some lunch, and then travel to the homes where we will have a guided tour by architect Tony Case.  This is an excellent opportunity to see what is happening in green building, to see products in a showroom and then in a real life setting, and to ask questions of the people who are engaged in this admirable line of work.  Please see the tours page for more information and to sign-up for the tour.  You will then receive a confirmation email with all the details and directions to both ecoHAUS and Columbia City Green.  We will look forward to seeing you on the 11th!

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Seattle Green Building-The Landscape of Columbia City Green

Posted on June 11, 2009 by mmuhsam

CCG 1The personality of a home starts with the approach; meaning that our experience begins as we arrive from different surroundings.  As we get closer we start to realize how the outdoor spaces set the tone for the rest of the house.  In turn, once we are inside it will be these same outdoor spaces that play a great role in the experience we have in the interior spaces.  While there are thousand of possibilities for how we will treat these outdoor spaces the success of our choice will be determined by the connections that we are able to make between the built environment (the house) and the nature that surrounds it. 

Case is taking great care to make sure that they are impacting the natural environment as little as possible and as we discussed earlier have added features such as a the green roof balcony and rainwater harvesting as a means of doing so.  The remainder of the landscaping plans for the homes will be to retain many of the native species that already exist, and to fill out the remainder of the spaces with drought tolerant plantings that will look beautiful year round with just enough time spent on maintenance for it to still be enjoyable.  Their approach of accomplishing more with less is intended, amongst other things, to provide a beautiful, peaceful environment that leaves the homeowners free to play and explore the world around them. Case_Garden

One of the homes at Columbia City Green will also include as an added benefit a prepaid urban farming service.  In this case Seattle MicroFarm has come in and constructed a raised bed for the South home and will handle everything from planting, irrigating, weeding, and harvesting a supply of fresh, organic food for the household.  This raised bed garden will have a drip irrigation system installed as well, significantly reducing the amount of water that will be needed for irrigating the crops.  Urban farming is just about as local as it gets and there are a host of resources for finding out how to start growing your own food right in your own backyard.  Locally Seattle Tilth is an excellent resource.  Search your own area and see what’s happening near you.

As you can see from the photos a large portion of the landscaping is being left to its natural state.  The native species and fruit trees will provide a sense of balance for the crisp, modern lines of the homes and weave them seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood.  The Northwest is the home of great natural beauty and the impact of clearing the site, altering the terrain, and creating ‘unnatural nature’ is immense and most importantly unnecessary. 

CCG1The combination of native and drought tolerant plantings, rainwater harvesting, green roof, urban farming, and a rain garden are all designed to lessen the impact that we have on our natural surroundings.  The hope is to accomplish these things without the sacrifice of beauty, comfort, or livability.  The icing on the cake is that if done correctly this combination will magnify all of these traits while allowing nature to do its thing, and be a contributing factor to a better world in the future. 

Over the course of our postings about Columbia City Green, we have addressed many of the major areas and systems that make up a home.  We have talked about the Foundation, the Framing, the Radiant Heat and Ventilation, the Siding, the Windows, the Green Roofs, the Interior Finishes, and the Rainwater Harvesting.  We have also spoken in depth to the part these homes play in the vitality of our neighborhoods with the hope that people will see the importance of this great work in a more holistic sense.  We want you to see how all of this fits together, that it may become more relevant to you and your life.

If this is the first post you have read in our Seattle Green Building series, take some time to go back through prior posts.  The links in the preceding paragraph will easily get you there.  If you have questions or comments about any of the posts please share them.  Case has been building beautiful, efficient homes in Seattle for a number of years now.  Their previous projects include their Latitia , 34th Avenue, and South Mead homes, just to name a few.

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Seattle Green Building-Harvesting Rain at Columbia City Green

Posted on June 9, 2009 by mmuhsam

Water ConservationIn our ongoing Seattle Green Building series following the construction of Columbia City Green we are going to spend the next few posts outdoors talking about the rainwater harvesting, landscaping, and the gardens.  We will show how the treatment and preservation of the site that these homes are built upon is an important part of any building project; green or otherwise. 

Our urban areas are literally covered with what is known as Hardscaping.  Streets, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, etc.  This hardscaping disrupts the earth’s natural ability to manage rainfall and instead places a huge burden on storm water systems occasionally resulting in urban flooding and a host of other issues.  Green builders have taken a hard look at different ways to reduce the amount of water we send to storm water systems and are utilizing the benefits of approaches such as green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and rain gardens in order to achieve this goal.  In an ideal scenario we would be able to keep all the water that lands on the property within its boundaries, giving the planet an opportunity to filter contaminants from the rain and reducing those that are typically pumped out into our lakes and coastal areas. 

CCG Cistern

800 Gallon Cistern

In a previous post we have spoken about the extensive Green Roof systems that they have installed at Columbia City Green.  These green roofs are going to work in conjunction with Rainwater Harvesting which will be achieved by the installation of two 30 gallon rain barrels and one 800 gallon underground cistern which has been outfitted with a pump for each home.  Case has estimated that the annual rain catchment they will realize is just over 6,000 gallons per year that will come from approximately 850 square feet of roof area.  The rain that is collected in these containers will be used for irrigation of the drought tolerant landscaping and urban gardens they will be installing at the project. 

Seattle is famous for the amount of rain that falls here each year, but is 44th on the list of the cities in the US receiving the greatest amounts of precipitation.  Further more, the majority of the rain that falls in Seattle occurs between the months of November and March which means that approximately 64% of the annual rainfall they collect will occur during these months.  This translates to about 3,840 gallons of harvested rain for each home at Columbia City Green during the winter months.  For this reason both the cistern and the rain barrels have overflow pipes that will be connected to the rain garden located in between the two homes.  They have sized the system to support approximately 3 months worth of irrigation needs.   A drip irrigation system will be installed for the vegetable garden, significantly reducing the amount of water that is needed to supply fresh vegetables all summer long.  We will talk more about the rain garden they have planned shortly so stay tuned.

CCG3The metropolitan Seattle receives its water supply from the snowpack that our Cascade mountain range receives annually.  The Seattle Times recently reported that climate change is the likely culprit for cutting the snowpack in Washington’s Cascade Range by at least 20% according to Joseph Casola, a University of Washington doctoral student in atmospheric sciences.  So you see Rainwater Harvesting overcomes a number of challenges of urban development; stormwater management and reducing the demand on a dwindling snowpack, and the wasting of potable water for non-potable purposes.  It will also help to lessen the impact on our delicate marine ecosystems. 

One particularly interesting detail about Rainwater Harvesting is that many state governments actually own the rights to the precipitation that falls on rooftops and structures within a given state!  In the case of Seattle our local utility has received a water right permit from the Washington State Department of Ecology, clearing the way for homeowners to harvest rain water without the risk of legal challenge.  You may want to check with your local utility before investing in a rain barrel or cistern for your home. 

If this is the first post you have read in our Seattle Green Building series, take some time to go back through prior posts.  The links in the preceding paragraph will easily get you there.  If you have questions or comments about any of the posts please share them.  These homes will be listed for sale mid-June.  They are currently available for presale.

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Seattle Green Building-Time for Finishes at Columbia City Green

Posted on May 28, 2009 by mmuhsam

Case Interiors

The construction of any home is really about the series of steps that are necessary in order to provide the structural support and install the systems to which the final finishes will be attached.  In the end, a home basically stands on two impressions; the aesthetic of the design and exterior finishes, and the aesthetics, functionality, and comfort of the interior spaces.  Having already completed much of the exterior work, Case Design and Project Management is in the midst of installing many of the interior finishes at Columbia City Green.  If all goes according to plan the homes will be nearly completed in early June. 

We are going to move inside along with them in this post to give you an idea of what kind of choices they have made and to describe the contribution those choices will make to the overall sustainability of the project.  Whether it be the sustainability of the products, the sustainability of our health, or both; finish choices are where many of the principles of green building are most visible.  Interior finishes are an opportunity to reduce, reuse, and simplify without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.  You will see that in many instances it is possible to accomplish all of these simultaneously.        

Let’s start with the flooring products.  Case has chosen to finish these homes carpet-free.  This can have a significant impact on the indoor air quality in the homes and at the same time is a great chance to incorporate materials that are either rapidly renewing or contain a certain amount of recycled content.  They have decided on Bamboo flooring, Ply-boo stair treads (solid bamboo that has been bonded together in layers with alternating grain orientation), and natural stone and ceramic tile.  All of these choices lend well to the modern design of the homes and offer the durability to last the homeowners many years without replacement.

Moving up through the houses we come next to the finish trim and doors.  Case has incorporated reclaimed Eucalyptus handrails and has also made use of support posts that they will leave exposed near the first floor stair.  It should be noted that many times as much as 80% of homes can be recycled and that many of the materials can be immediately reused for subsequent projects.  This wood is often beautiful old growth lumber with strength and quality rarely seen in today’s younger, faster-growing varieties.  For this project they have chosen to use Poplar for the trim and will be installing Birch veneer solid core doors throughout.  Poplar is a very fast-growing wood product and the Birch veneer door with its softwood core uses much less slow-growing wood with greater stability than a solid hardwood door might offer.

Upon inspection of the interior spaces you would see that a certain amount of the structure and seemingly unfinished surfaces that are still visible.  This is a design decision that has been made and one that recognizes that allowing a certain amount of unfinished surface to be exposed lends texture and balance to the interior spaces.  In this instance Case has left many of the PSL (Parallel Strand Lumber) beams and posts which are typically made of the waste scrap from Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock veneers exposed.  They are extremely strong, very stable, and lend well to the overall design of the homes.  The exposed plywood ceilings, which are not finish grade, continue on this theme of warm natural texture in balance with the harder, more modern lines inside.  To cover these materials with finishes such as drywall or additional finish wood is thought to be unnecessary and a wasteful use of materials.  Case strives to do more with less; a feeling that is well communicated in their designs.           

 In the kitchen you will find Ash cabinets made from low-formaldehyde materials and Paperstone countertops which are made from 100% FSC Certified recycled paper, a water-based phenolic resin, a cashew nut binder, and pigment.  The walls are painted with the lowest available VOC paint, and the poplar trim and doors are finished with OSMO Polywax; a natural, low VOC finish.

There are dual-flush toilets and Energy Star appliances, Low-flow plumbing fixtures and Compact Fluorescent Lights.  One might expect to see features such as these in houses of this type, and while it makes them no less important; in some sense they have risen out of the realm of “new green product” and on to become a commonly recognized feature (at least in Seattle green building). 

Green building projects must strike a balance between doing as much good as possible while still providing a home that fits the way people live their lives.  Understanding the person who will live in any project is the key to designing and building homes that people will love.  Meeting their expectations and comfortably introducing them to the benefits of improved design and efficiencies in homes like Columbia City Green’s will go a long way as we re-envision our approach to the built environment.

Over the course of our postings about Columbia City Green, we have addressed many of the major steps and systems that make up a home.  We have talked about the Foundation, the Framing, the Radiant Heat and Ventilation, the Siding, the Windows, and the Green Roofs.  We have also spoken in depth to the part these homes play in the vitality of our neighborhoods with the hope that people will see the importance of this great work in a more holistic sense.  We want you to see how all of this fits together, that it may become more relevant to you and your life.

If this is the first post you have read in our Seattle Green Building series, take some time to go back through prior posts.  The links in the preceding paragraph will easily get you there.  If you have questions or comments about any of the posts please share them.  While the homes will be listed for Sale in early June, they are currently available for presale.  Case has been building beautiful, efficient homes in Seattle for a number of years now.  Their previous projects include their Latitia , 34th Avenue, and South Mead homes, just to name a few.

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May 2009 Green Home Tour

Posted on May 8, 2009 by mmuhsam

Dwell Development

We are very excited this month to be touring another project by Seattle area green builder Dwell Development.  For the last four years Dwell has been designing and constructing cutting edge green homes in Seattle’s urban core and this project is no exception.  Features include Radiant Heat, Passive Ventilation, Solar PV, Dual-flush Toilets, Reclaimed Materials, and many more.  Our educational home tours are a very unique opportunity to learn about and see what is happening in Seattle area green building.  Please visit the Tours page for more information and to reserve your spot.

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Seattle Green Building-Columbia City’s Green Roofs

Posted on April 24, 2009 by mmuhsam

case-green-roof-copy

Spring has sprung in the Northwest and with it comes the familiar hum of lawnmowers and a collection of yard waste bags up and down the street as we start getting our yards and gardens in shape for the summer ahead.  There are countless discussions we could have about the value of plantings and other landscaping which we will get to in future posts, but for this week we are going to talk about planting a location in our homes that is normally reserved for identifiers like “comp” or “torch-down”.  I am talking about our roofs and roof-top decks; and more specifically “Green Roofs”.

In our ongoing series following the construction of Columbia City Green, we want to tell you about the green roofs they have designed into the homes and the positive contribution they make to the urban environment.  While green roofs can be challenging to retrofit onto existing homes, they are easily incorporated during the design process of new homes and we hope to see their installations increase as more builders and consumers realize their value.     

The term Green Roof (also known as Vegetated Roofs or Eco-Roofs) typically means plantings that are made in a growing medium installed over a buildings waterproofing membrane.  There are a few different varieties; the first of which is called an “Intensive Roof”.  This type of green roof is usually deeper than 8” and is planted with herbs, lawns, shrubs, vegetables, or even small trees.  The next is known as an “Extensive Green Roof”.  This type of Green Roof, usually 2-6” deep is planted with native grasses or Sedums and is the most common type found in residential applications.

At the Columbia City Green project Case will be installing an Extensive Green Roof that will cover approximately 200 square feet of a 300 square foot deck off the 3rd floor master bedroom.  The installation in this case involves first laying down a non-PVC TPO Roof Membrane (thermoplastic polyolefin).  This membrane is then covered in a layer of AmerGreen Roof Garden System drainage mat that is topped with Grower’s Design topsoil.  They have substituted the Sphagnum Peat ingredient with compost as Peat is a non-renewable resource.  The plantings will include drought-tolerant grasses, sedums, and other low-growing, low-maintenance plants.  In this case the depth of the planting medium will be 4-8” and will be edged with the same Faswall blocks that you may remember were used for the insulated concrete foundation walls we talked about in a past post.  These plantings will require very little maintenance by the homeowner (applying ¼ to ½” of compost annually) while bringing all the sights, smells, and sounds of a garden into the upper level of these fantastic homes. 

However you term it or whatever you plant there the benefits of these planted areas are many.  They are a storm water management solution, a natural cooling method, a filter for toxins in the atmosphere, provide a natural habitat for birds and insects, offer increased sound absorption and insulation value….The list goes on and on.

Imagine the changed landscape if the next time you looked out the window the rooftops you see now where planted and revealed colors actually found in nature.  If you are putting a new roof on your house consider adding a green roof.  Green Roofs block the harmful UV rays and offer impact resistance (the two leading causes of roof deterioration). 

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April 2009 Green Home Tour

Posted on April 3, 2009 by mmuhsam

harbinger-1This month we are going to be visiting a great green remodel East of Seattle in the Bridal Trails neighborhood of Bellevue.  Green does not necessarily have to mean small and YS Development is meeting the demand for luxury homes that are designed with the environment in mind.  This is a remodel of an existing architect designed home that is meant to make it fresh and relevant to today’s energy and environmental concerns.  We will meet on Saturday, April 25th at 11:00 a.m. at ecoHAUS in downtown Seattle and then carpool over to the house were we will meet the architect, builder, developer and designer for what is sure to be an interesting experience.  These tours are designed to give people a chance to learn more about environmental building materials and then hear from the people that are doing this great work.  Wander, ask questions, learn.  This is a truly unique experience and one that is hoped will inspire you to make thoughtful, considered decisions in your own home or the home of your future.  A light lunch is included at ecohaus.  Please visit the tours page to sign-up for the tour.  You will receive a confirmation email which will provide more details for the tour with map links.

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Seattle Green Building-Inside Columbia City Green

Posted on March 28, 2009 by mmuhsam

 

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We are back to check-in on Columbia City Green and see how things are coming along.  With a scheduled completion date of the end of May the exterior is wrapping up and the construction crew will be moving indoors just in time for the weather to get much nicer in this part of the country.  We thought as we move indoors we would talk a bit about indoor air quality.  We will touch on this repeatedly over the next number of posts and you will see that it is given quite a bit of attention in the design and construction of the homes. 

It may come as a surprise to many of us that the quality of the air indoors is often as much as 10 times worse than the air outdoors.  There are a variety of reasons for this not the least of which is the fact that most existing homes suffer from lack of proper ventilation.  Current building codes usually require that there are a certain number of fresh air exchanges that take place each day in any new home.  You can think of a fresh air exchange as replacing the volume of air that exists in your home with fresh air from the outdoors at the same time as you vent the stale indoor air.  In the summer months it is easy to accomplish these exchanges by opening windows and doors.  During the cooler months however we need to look to something like a whole house fan or a heat recovery ventilator. 

A whole house fan is a ventilation fan that is set on a timer and that will come on a predetermined number of times in a day to vent the indoor air.  Its operation is fairly simple.  Typically this whole house fan is located in the uppermost point in a home.   Many times it is located in an upstairs laundry or bathroom and it occasionally will double as the bath vent fan.  The fresh air vents can be found by closely inspecting one or a number of windows or sliding doors in a home.  There is a small strip of vents that can either be opened or closed.  In order for the whole house fan to work properly you must make sure that these vents are open.  Inspect your windows.  If you have these strips make sure that they are open and that your timed vent fan is set properly.  For more information on whole house fans click here. 

At Columbia City Green, Case Design and Project Management has chosen to install a heat recovery ventilation system to ensure the efficient operation of their whole house fan.  A heat recovery ventilator operates much the same way that a conventional whole house fan does except for the fact that it is designed to reduce your heat energy costs by maintaining a more constant indoor air temperature while introducing fresh outdoor air into the home.  How it works is that as the cool outdoor air is drawn into the home the warm indoor air that it is replacing is sent through a heat exchanger where the heat can be applied to this cool air as it enters the home.  The term ‘Heat Exchanger’ is very confusing to people sometimes, so let me give you a simple explanation.  Think of a heat exchange as the transfer of heat for starters.  If you put something cold directly against something that is hot the hot will cool off and the cold will warm up right?  It’s like putting an ice cube in a glass of hot water; the ice cube will melt and the water will cool off.  It is the same principle with a heat exchanger.  In the case of a heat recovery ventilation system it is the warm air that we are mixing with the cold air; thus heating up the cool outdoor air and putting less of a burden on our heating systems. 

So why do we put so much effort into making sure that our homes have adequate ventilation?  Well, part of it is comfort, but much of it is that without proper ventilation we can develop serious problems like mold which can lead to illness and other respiratory problems.  There are also a number of toxins that exist in our homes that we want to make sure we continue to vent as they continue to off-gas.  

We refer to these toxins as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and they exist in many of the materials that we traditionally use for building materials and the off-gassing that we just referred to is essentially the evaporation of the volatile (toxic) chemicals that are in these products and materials.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns of the presence of VOC’s in many building materials and products such as paints and lacquers, paint strippers, carpet, flooring, plywood, particleboard, adhesives, cabinets, countertops, insulation, and paneling just to name a few.  These Volatile Organic Compounds are everywhere and not just in building materials.  They are listed as ingredients in cleaning products, cosmetics, office supplies, pesticides, and more. 

There is hope however and we are starting to see Low/No VOC options available in products across the spectrum.  It is up to the individual in most case to take a closer look and be aware of what is in the products that you use.  This can be difficult when it comes to our homes.  What is behind our walls, what do our cabinets and carpet contain that we should know about, etc.  The place to start is to know that you are properly ventilating your home.  The next step is that when you bring anything into your home know what’s in it, and buy the safer option. 

As we have been working through this project with Case Design and Project Management it has been a pleasure to see that at every turn there are thoughtful, responsible decisions being made that will make someone a very happy, healthy, efficient home.  Tony Case and his staff are taking the stewardship approach to development and like so many, are doing what they can to make a difference. 

Speaking of the many that are trying to make a difference, the Green Festival will once again make a stop in Seattle this weekend.  This will be the second year for the festival and our participation in it.  If you are in the Seattle are this weekend and would like to stop by please do.  It is a great family event where I am sure you will be able to find some of the non-toxic alternatives that we talked about earlier.

If this is the first post you have read about the Columbia City Green project please take the time to go back and read prior posts.  We would like for you to come away with a different appreciation for what green building has to offer and to help you make future decisions when it comes to your current or future home.  As always please comment and ask questions.  Thank you for your interest.

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Seattle Green Building-What Makes a Home Green?

Posted on March 7, 2009 by mmuhsam

What exactly is it that makes a home a green home?  Is it just the materials that are chosen?  Or the amount of energy it consumes?  Is it where it’s located, or whether or not it has a lawn?  Do they look different?  Feel different?  Do people know they are in a home built with the environment in mind?  Does it cost more money? 

For this weeks Seattle Green Building post we are going to look a bit more closely at a few of these questions  and hopefully paint a clearer picture of what green building is all about in the process.  The short answer to all of them is yes.  The long answer is that it depends on what is important to the individual in most cases and to what extent we take the definition of what is green. 

Since we have been talking about and following the construction of Columbia City Green we are going to use this speculative building project as our example.  While we will not dive into specific costs, we cannot avoid the impact they have in the speculative market as well for custom built homes.   On a side note, it may be a good idea to run quickly through what a speculative or ‘spec’ home is.  I have been asked this question more times than I can remember.  A spec home is a home that is being built for sale and not for a specific person who is paying for its construction costs.  A home that is being built for a specific person is a custom home.  These are very general definitions, but you get the idea.  Simply put, in a spec home many decisions must be based on their contribution to creating a marketable product. 

One thing is for certain when we take a closer look at a particular green building project:  it is a balancing act between what the builder is looking to achieve and what they are able to achieve given the specific constraints of the project.  Each home is as different as the people that build and live in them.  You have to consider the specific site (trees, hillside, zoning, view), the architecture, the ambitions of the builder, the demands of the intended resident, and of course the budget. 

Case Design and Project Management is particularly interested in reducing the amount of energy our homes demand.  From the insulated concrete forms to the heat recovery ventilation system, they attempt with each project to reduce the amount of energy that is needed and rely heavily on the materials they put into their homes to achieve this.  Choices such as the insulation, radiant heat, and others all add to the overall efficiency of the homes.  The sustainability and durability of the materials not only have an effect on the impact, but also work together with the technologies of the home to reduce its energy requirements.  It is clear to see in any truly green home that energy requirements are dependant on the materials that go into the project and that the amount and type of these materials can have a huge effect on the impact of a home. 

If you read last weeks post, we talked about connections to the community and the contribution that these homes intend to make to that community.  These are urban homes and are helping to increase density in our metro area.    They are intentionally built in this location because of their walkability and proximity to bus and light rail lines.  As to this particular site, you can see from the photos these homes are being built on a sloped lot.  They have a great view to the East and are exposed to enjoy this view and the passive heating that is possible.  The homes are designed to take maximum advantage of the buildable area and will be landscaped to be drought tolerant and low maintenance (no grass).  Case has also chosen to put green roof decks on both of these homes.  This vegetated alternative to composition roofs can help with urban heat gain effect, can cool the air as it comes in nearby windows, and is much more pleasant to look at than the picture we all have of what a roof looks like. 

When it comes to the look of a home there is not necessarily any difference between a green home and its traditional counterpart.  There is a misperception that a home must be modern in aesthetic in order to be green, but some of the most traditional designs are in fact the best representations of green building we have seen.  With certification programs like FSC and environmentally friendly alternatives for just about every building material we are able to please the taste of just about everyone out there.  It is all about the choices we make and the idea that we must build homes that have less impact on our resources and that will do the best job of providing shelter at the lowest operating cost. 

As far as feel, green homes really have the ability to shine here.  With proper air sealing, low VOC finishes, and effective heating and cooling green homes offer far superior comfort and livability.  People will perhaps not be aware of the fact that they are in a home built with the environment in mind, but that is the whole idea.  When pulled off well, these materials, techniques, technologies and finishes will all work seamlessly together to provide a home that fits well into its surroundings and community, provides it’s inhabitants with a comfortable, healthy environment, demands less energy to operate, and requires less materials and resources in it’s construction. 

There are a thousand ways to get there, and people must consider all their options when heading into a building project or looking at buying a new home.  We are by no means there yet when it comes to what is possible in green building.  It is a process of learning and implementation that will get us to our goal of a truly passive home.  The important thing is that we take a closer look and see how we can improve on what has already been done.  Case Design is one of a handful of builders in the Seattle area that is on a clear path to the passive home goal and Columbia City Green is their latest effort on that path.  There will be a number of opportunities to take a closer look at these homes including a behind the walls tour on March 15.  It really doesn’t matter if you are looking to buy a home or not.  This is a chance to learn more about what goes into these homes and there are many ideas that can be worked into your next remodel or building project. 

Thank you for your continued interest in green building and this project in particular.  When all is said and done with Columbia City Green we will have a unique portfolio of this building project that we hope will inspire more of you to get involved and consider the green alternatives when you are making your housing decisions.  As usual if you have a question or anything to add please do so.  If this is the first post about this project you have read take a few minutes to look back over previous posts. 

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Seattle Green Building-Sustaining & (re)Envisioning our Urban Environments

Posted on February 27, 2009 by mmuhsam

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For the last many weeks we have been walking through the process of constructing two green homes in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood.  The idea behind following the project this way is that by seeing and talking about how a home is built we can create a greater understanding of why green building is so important and encourage more people to explore its possibilities. 

When we think about green building we most often focus on a set of issues related to materials, energy, and indoor air quality.  Buildings account for approximately 40% of materials and energy use worldwide so it is understandable that these items would be high on the list.  However, when we look at the bigger picture of sustainability we see that it is not just the materials and technologies that homes are made of, but how they are connected to the communities they are a part of that can play a significant role in the future of our built environments.  This week we are going to talk about the neighborhood and community that these two homes are being built in, and also touch on how they fit into a vision for a more thoughtful, connected existence.

Columbia City Green is being built in, you guessed it, Columbia City.  This vibrant Southeast Seattle neighborhood was originally settled around a lumber mill after the arrival of the Rainier Valley Electric Railroad in 1891 and was known as Columbia.  “Columbia City” was incorporated in 1893 and was annexed to Seattle in 1907.  The early 1900’s was a prosperous era for Columbia City, but in the 1930’s and 1940’s it entered into a long period of slow decline and by the mid 1970’s it showed clear signs of neglect and deterioration.  Seeing value in the history of the neighborhood local residents sought and received designation as a landmark district.

Then and now community activism has played a major role in the vitality of Columbia City.  Four organizations in particular have been pivotal in implementing programs along the way to ensure that the area retains its connection to its history while continuing to develop as a community focused, pedestrian friendly, culturally diverse and thriving neighborhood.  These organizations are the Columbia City Development Association, the Southeast Effective Development (SEED) non-profit community development corporation, the Columbia City Revitalization Committee, and the Columbia City Business Association.  With the efforts of these and countless individual citizens and businesses Columbia City has and continues to become a special place to live, work, play and be. 

For Case Architects the beauty, efficiency, and impact of their homes is only part of the equation.  Tony Case wants his homes to be well and easily connected to the communities that they exist in.  His choice to build most of his homes to date in or near Columbia City has a great deal to do with its connection to public transportation, its diverse urban environment, and the fact that he can walk to them from his office.  As an active member of the Columbia City community he is participating in far more than simply the construction of homes, he is connecting the dots to create a greater sense of community and encourage social, economic, and environmental responsibility.   

Seattle’s first light rail system (scheduled for operation mid 2009) passes within blocks of many of his projects, easily connecting its residents to the city and beyond.  This is hoped to produce a more pedestrian friendly environment which will in turn encourage more pedestrian traffic, and with that fewer cars and a strong community connection amongst Columbia City’s citizens.  There are parks, galleries, theaters, bars, restaurants, schools, a farmers market, and more, all within a short walk and the entire region is easily accessible by bicycle. 

There are neighborhoods all over Seattle where community involvement is strong and Columbia City is just one of them.  As a relative late comer in the revitalization game it holds great opportunity for a thoughtful, connected approach and plan for its future.  It will be interesting to see how it changes once it is (re)connected to downtown Seattle by an electric train.

 The other projects that Case Design & Project Management has built are:

·          Letitia Avenue Development

·          34th Avenue Development

·          3951 South Mead

 

If this is the first post you have read on this great project you are encouraged to take a few minutes to go back and read the posts that have come before it.  For more information about Case Design & Project Management please visit their website at www.case-architects.com.  If you are interested in taking a tour of the project a special tour is being given on March 14th.  Seeing what goes on behind the walls of these homes can be an incredibly interesting experience.  If you have anything to add or a comment or question please don’t hesitate to let us know.

 

If you are interested in owning one the Columbia City Green homes they are available for pre-sale. 

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