Eastside Harvest House Scores High with Deep Green

Conceived and built to achieve the highest point value for any Built Green 5 Stars and LEED for Homes Platinum project to date, the Eastside Harvest House is one of the most sustainably innovative, single-family residences in the region. Completed in May 2012, the home is designed to be beautiful, functional and green, as well as celebrate Kirkland’s farming culture that defined the community a century ago.

The home’s western-facing orientation optimizes stellar sweeping views of Lake Washington, the Olympics and the Seattle skyline. It sits on a quarter of the one-acre property, which includes an orchard, vegetable beds and edible landscape, as well as a giant rain garden.

Built to last, the home uses the highest standards in residential engineering and construction. Its complex, self-sufficient backup systems are enveloped by the home’s simple, modern and clean interior space design.

The 3,570 square feet home was designed with a separate mother-in-law suite for multigenerational living under one roof.  The open floor plan includes a light bathed great room, living / dining / kitchen, a modest master bedroom and bath, a private guest bedroom and bath, and highly functional his and hers offices. An exercise room supports the homeowners healthy lifestyle.

This home was also built with the design/build team’s impressive professionalism, communications, and construction protocols.

• George Ostrow, LEED AP, architect, Velocipede architects, inc.
• Jason Legat, founder / president, Model Remodel LLC
• A long list of outstanding sub-contractors

And finally, we offer a special thank you to the visionary homeowners who continually pushed the team to design and deliver a technically advanced model for future residential development.

Here is a list of the significant strategies used throughout the home and site.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY SYSTEMS

• Highly insulated building envelope
• Insulation used to achieve R-20 to R-50 levels
• Energy modeling to inform and evaluate design options
• Highly-efficient heating, water and cooling systems
• Air-source heat pump is used to heat the house
• Renewable generation through photovoltaic system
• Nearly all of the home’s energy will be provided from the sun
• Sunshades deflect unwanted summer heat
• Energy Star efficient appliances
• Efficient LED and compact fluorescent lighting

MATERIALS AND FINISHES

• Only low- or no-toxicity materials and finishes inside and out
• Mechanical ventilation systems continually filter indoor air
• Utilized 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified wood throughout
• Low total carbon footprint in concrete installations
• Very little PVC
• Triple-glazed, argon-filled windows
• Materials spec’d with low maintenance as a key criterion in selection process

WATER-RELATED COMPONENTS

• Water efficient plumbing fixtures used throughout home
• High-capacity, onsite stormwater management system
• Rain collected in four, NSF-certified, HDPE plastic tanks totaling 12,000 gallons
• Water captured will be filtered to one micron and sterilized for use as the first permitted potable water in King County
• Rainwater harvesting system to provide 60 percent of the home’s total water needs
• Black and gray wastewater directed to municipal sewage system

WASTE REDUCTION STRATEGIES

• During site demolition, 98 percent of the debris was recycled, reused or repurposed
• Advanced framing construction methods used to reduce construction waste
• Materials chosen for durability, ease of upkeep, and where possible, high-recycled content

SITE FEATURES

• Soil conservation strategies whereby all excavated soil was reused on-site
• Erosion control construction plan
• Tree retention and protection plan
• Utilization of drought-tolerant plants
• Edible landscape design with orchards and beds for extensive vegetable garden
• Extensive rain garden design for beauty and functionality

NEIGHBORHOOD ATTRIBUTES

• Walkable community with easy access to schools, retail, restaurants and personal services
• Nearby trail supports healthy lifestyle of walking, jogging and biking
• Transportation options – personal electric car, bike to work, major bus lines to Seattle and around the Eastside

If you are in need some residential green building insights and expertise, please contact us we are always inspired to talk about our unique experiences and to learn more about your vision and goals for your new home or remodeling project.

 

Photo credits: Cindy Apple Photography