High above on the rooftop sits a feature for the homeowners to enjoy: green roofs. Overall, the green roofs total about a quarter of the rooftop space, while the remainder is deck space to entertain and take in the surrounding scenery.

Other features that will go unnoticed, including by the homeowners, are the low blower door scores and high density blown-in fiberglass insulation in the walls and ceilings. Those, working in tandem with the full R-10 sub-slab insulation, ductless mini-splits, and high-efficiency gas tankless water heaters, will have a big impact on energy savings.

For good indoor air quality, Denizen used all low-VOC, low-toxic paints, caulks, finishes, and adhesives, and many certified products, such as CRI Green Label carpet. Their commercial-grade housewrap, rainscreen under the siding, drainage mat around the foundation, and back dams on doors and windows is sure to keep weather and water out of the units, hopefully keeping it a healthy environment for a long time to come. In addition, Madrona 12 also used an abundance of locally and regionally made materials, from the pavers to the siding and the studs in between.

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

• All pervious hardscaping
• Green roof!
• No turf grass and drought-tolerant landscaping
• Low-flow EPA WaterSense-certified plumbing fixtures

Energy Efficiency

• Energy consumption reduced by 29% compared to code
• Commercial-grade VaproShield housewrap
• Full rigid sub-slab insulation and fiberglass BIBs in walls and ceiling
• Energy Star Appliances and all LED lighting
• 2.5ACH @ 50Pa average blower door score

The project has a five-foot setback from a wetland ecosystem, creating connectivity to a landscape with plenty of native wildlife and vegetation. Throughout construction, the project team observed Herons (Great Blue & Grey), beavers, Columbian Black-tailed deer, dragonflies, pacific tree frogs, American bullfrogs, and many other creatures in the backyard.

From the street view, the modern and trendy farmhouse-style home stands out from other more traditional houses in the neighborhood. Amidst the isolation that the pandemic has brought about, many of society’s “normal” activities were constrained to their residences and made virtual.  As a result, this project sought to integrate some of those activities into the space itself. The design features a “Zoom Room” for an unbeatable work-from-home setting with a stunning view of the backyard.  Outside of the workday, the residents can enjoy a variety of in-home activities: an entertainment/theater room complete with a wet bar and beverage fridge; a music room with decorative sound attenuation tiles; an exercise room with a sauna and steam shower nearby and is equipped with ventilation systems that filter and pre-heat fresh air into the entire home.

Throughout the early stages of construction, Lochwood-Lozier explored different iterations of building components and systems to achieve significant energy savings to target Built Green 5-Star’s required 30% energy savings or greater (as compared to code).  The combination of a ducted heat pump system, ceiling cassette mini-split heads, in-floor hydronic radiant heating, balanced ventilation system, and humidity sensor exhaust fans allows for the home to remain comfortable and energy efficient.  The intentional placement of the mechanical systems keeps them in the background while bringing the interior finishes and outdoor views at the foreground.  A 5.6 kW solar photovoltaic system was installed at the southeast and southwest sides of the roof to offset some of the energy consumption of these mechanical systems, the EV chargers, and luxurious amenities.

The three-bedroom, two bath house is meant to allow the occupants to age in place. The first floor has a kitchen, main living space, a bedroom and bathroom, and ADA-compliant doorways.

Overall, this home is a comfortable, clean, net positive building, allowing the homeowners to be happy, healthy, and confident in the knowledge that their home is serving their needs, meets a high standard of excellence, and is protecting the environment in the process.

To monitor the energy consumption and usage of the home, the project incorporated a Brilliant Smart Home System that integrates an audio/video intercom, lighting, HVAC controls, and security cameras along with an EcoBee Smart Thermostat.  Innovative features like motorized touch-sensor cabinet doors, Alexa-enabled kitchen faucets, touchscreen wine and coffee dispensers, switchable glass windows in front of the bathtub for privacy, a bidet in the primary bathroom, lights tubes in the primary closet, and an operable skylight also makes this home hard to leave!  Many of these technological elements will also allow for its residents to age in place and ensure this is their forever home. Ultimately, the 2021 Northwest Idea House shows that high-performance and innovation is achievable in a large, luxury home with intentional design, details, and execution.

Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

Why are we updating these checklists now?

Our main goal with our checklists is for Built Green homes to perform better than code and reward our designers and builders for this voluntary accomplishment. Checklist updates are primarily influenced by code changes, technological advancements in the building industry, new products that hit the market, and housing market trends. As checklist updates evolve throughout the years, 4-Star projects from older checklists are not the same as 4-Star projects under the new updated checklists. The changes represented in the 2018 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) represent a significant change to the industry and to standard building practices. Many have been asking how the new energy code will affect Built Green and its checklist, and how Built Green is staying current. Read on to get all the answers.

What are the some of the changes you can expect to see in the 2021 checklist updates?

There are two checklist updates that are planned to go into effect on February 1, 2021. The first is a full checklist update of the Single-Family/Townhome New Construction checklist. Below are some of the notable changes you can expect to see in the 2021 SF Checklist:

• New Equity and Social Justice credit section
• Simplified performance and prescriptive pathways for energy performance and water conservation, with increased quality control and assurance
• Increased value for deconstruction and salvaged materials
• Combined comingled and source-separation recycling point allowances
• Embodied carbon credits
• Removal of outdated or code-required practices

What has not changed:

• Point requirements per sections 2-5 and total points for each Star level
• Housing size multipliers
• Credit item alignment with local green building incentives and rebates

The second checklist update our team has undertaken is on the Multifamily New Construction checklist to address changes in the 2018 WSEC. Similar to the SF checklist update, our team aims to offer builders simplified performance and prescriptive pathways for energy performance, with increased quality control and assurance. These updates are still in progress and will be announced in the coming months.