Eastside Harvest House Scores High with Deep Green

September 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

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.

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

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MRM Interviewed for Remodeling Expertise

June 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

On May 29th, Model Remodel’s Jason Legat and Walter Goodwin were interviewed on KKNW’s Brasheconomics talk radio show. The show focuses on trends in real estate, mortgages, finance and the local economy.  Radio host Ben Brasher selected Jason and Walter because of their industry expertise, reputation and engaging personalities. Both Ben and producer Heather Moore were great to work with as we developed a one-hour segment that would be really relevant and interesting to their listeners.

Ben’s questions explored remodeling trends as well as triggers, the value of green remodeling, and the “roundtable” topic of customer service – fundamental to any successful business.  Ben also commented on Jason’s PSBJ’s  40 Under 40 award and what an distinguished honor that is to achieve.  Two other segment participants – a biologist and property manager – focused on identifying and mitigating a home’s key health hazards and the value of working with a commercial manager who understands ROI and owner liability issues, respectively.

We think the show turned out great. Have a listen for yourself by clicking on the YouTube version of the radio program above featuring Jason and Walter.

Want to interview Model Remodel for your project, contact us anytime, to schedule a free consultation at your home or at our South Lake Union office.

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Demolish With Care – Deconstruction

November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment


With nearly 40 percent of our landfills filled with construction debris, it’s time for our industry to do some major rethinking about what gets hauled to the dump and what can be recycled and/or reused.

Following one of our key strategies – to act responsibly at all times – Model Remodel creates an aggressive waste management plan for every project and aims for recycling or repurposing 90 percent of existing site materials.

During our demolition at the Northwest Harvest House (NWHH) site, we surpassed even our highest expectations achieving a nearly 99 percent recycle rate and taking barely one percent of our onsite debris to the nearby solid waste transfer station.

The elements of the NWHH waste management plan included deconstructing the existing house and working with strategic partners that have also evolved their business models. We worked with the area’s waste management companies who make it simpler than ever to properly sort construction waste and called upon others to haul away salvageable fixtures, doors and windows – giving these things a second life in another home, business or backyard.

Model Remodel tested for lead and asbestos and, when found, met or exceeded the requirements for safe removal of these harmful building materials. Toxic materials are safely dealt with to protect people as well as our storm water system and nearby Lake Washington. We also protected and preserved healthy vegetation, donated plants to local organizations, and sold unusable trees for milling into lumber.

This sloping, one-acre lot also required extensive excavation of existing soils. We’re protecting it during construction and will reuse it elsewhere onsite as the project progresses. Reusing soil saves time, money and fossil fuel!

Everyone associated with the project warmly embraces the responsible tenets of recycle/reuse and are thrilled knowing that this project did not adversely contribute to expanding our landfills. Besides saving the planet, it makes financial sense, too, as any revenues realized during deconstruction are passed along as a refund to our clients.

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