SEATTLE 鈥� Jeff and Steve really went the extra mile, energy-efficiency-wise, in their search for a brand-new forever home: They didn鈥檛 drive a single extra mile.
Considerately, and sustainably, the perfect net-zero possibility beckoned from a website with a decidedly eco-friendly outlook.
The couple have lived in Seattle since 1997, says Steve 鈥� first in a 1920 Dutch Colonial that 鈥渨as never quite warm all winter,鈥� and then in a Mount Baker home by green pioneers Dwell Development.
鈥淲e liked those features and design 鈥� it was sturdy,鈥� says Jeff. 鈥淲e were checking the Dwell site regularly.鈥�
Things started clicking. And now, Jeff and Steve鈥檚 dazzling new Dwell dwelling checks every forward-looking forever box:
鈥� It鈥檚 on a particularly scenic site in a particularly familiar neighbourhood: Mount Baker. 鈥淲e just kind of knew this area,鈥� Steve says. 鈥淥n summer days, when they close Lake Washington Boulevard, it鈥檚 nice to have it right there.鈥�
鈥� It鈥檚 super-sturdy. 鈥淚鈥檝e had cars that aren鈥檛 great cars,鈥� says Steve. 鈥淗aving lived here six months, I just feel it鈥檚 solid. You鈥檙e cruising instead of bouncing along.鈥�
鈥� It鈥檚 roomy, airy and light, with 3,700 square feet, five bedrooms and four bathrooms. 鈥淥ne of the biggest attractions is the space, the openness front to back,鈥� says Steve. 鈥淲e鈥檝e entertained more here in six months than the five years in our old house.鈥�
鈥� It鈥檚 strikingly modern 鈥� another Dwell hallmark, says principal Anthony Maschmedt. 鈥淚t鈥檚 low-maintenance interior design,鈥� he says. (Abbey Maschmedt of Dwell was the home鈥檚 interior designer; Jeff and Steve also worked with Jill Rerucha of ReruchaStudio after they moved in.) 鈥淣o statements were made with colour; they make their own: wood, reclaimed materials, a chevron island, Carrara marble. We try to be very, very neutral and use the same themes: metal, glass, concrete.鈥�
鈥� And it鈥檚 greener than the sprawling swath of park just across the street 鈥� innovatively so. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first Built Green net-zero home certified in Seattle,鈥� says Maschmedt. 鈥淲e used low-maintenance materials, no chemicals, no VOC. There鈥檚 no smell, no off-gas, and all water-saving fixtures and low-flow toilets. When we get an average year, it鈥檒l blow the socks off the model.鈥�
A net-zero building is a building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is about equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.
In the meantime of that first moving-date milestone, there鈥檚 a whole lot of above-average energy-efficiency going on up high 鈥� just beyond a clever cutout on the top level of the two-level boxy deck (stabilized by a mesmerizing cable X), and even higher.
鈥淲e have the maximum amount of solar panels on the [lower] roof,鈥� Maschmedt says 鈥� but not quite enough to achieve net-zero. 鈥淲e got right to the end and had an energy rating of 1. We don鈥檛 want 1. That鈥檚 not good enough. We popped on three more panels on the higher part. You don鈥檛 want to run a marathon and stop at 100 yards.鈥�
Sharing rooftop real estate with 11kW of photovoltaic panels is a cool-on-many-levels solar hot-water system that transfers heat through thermal gel instead of water. 鈥淭hat water technology had flaws,鈥� Maschmedt says.
鈥淥n hot days, tubes on the roof would overheat. On cool days, the water would freeze. Here, Silk Road Environmental fluid runs through the tubes and holds the heat. It鈥檚 a beautiful thing. It can get up to 700 degrees before it鈥檒l overheat, and down to -50 before it freezes.鈥�
Lower to the ground, a flexible, free-flowing floor plan stretches up three levels, and all the way back to a covered outdoor entertainment area. Along the way: a happy-surprise indoor rock garden under the first flight of stairs; a packed 鈥渃ontrol room鈥� that holds the home鈥檚 high-tech systems; and, instead of a butler鈥檚 closet, Maschmedt says: 鈥渁 bartender鈥檚 closet.鈥� (鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of Jeff鈥檚 favourite rooms: where we keep the wine,鈥� Steve says.)
Jeff and Steve are independent consultants who both work from home: Jeff in a spacious main-level office (behind a jumbo sliding barn door made of sustainably harvested oak from Montana) that could adapt to a full mother-in-law suite, and Steve on the tippy-top third floor, anchored by a special piece of artwork by their Phoenix friend Rocco Menaguale, and enhanced by a calming view of the familiar neighbourhood.
鈥淚t was our intention to watch people walk by in the park,鈥� Steve says. (They can do that from the shower in the master suite, even, thanks to a strategically placed horizontal window.)
Passers-by are watching back.
鈥淲e had people stop and ask to take pictures of the house,鈥� Steve says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e interested to see the solar panels: 鈥楾ell us about that.鈥� 鈥楬ow does that work?鈥� People have stopped about the [solar thermal] tubes: 鈥榃hat鈥檚 that?鈥欌��
Jeff and Steve are more than willing to pass along what they鈥檝e learned on their low-mileage journey to this supremely green home.
鈥淭he Dwell team is so wonderful about educating us,鈥� Jeff says. 鈥淪ustainability is part of the overall savings _ over the long haul, it will decrease the cost. Another practical perspective: We have a more-healthy environment, with clean-air systems and airtightness. We鈥檙e focusing on environmental issues: climate issues, not dumping waste or pollutants, natural materials. We want to know what we need to do. This is where we spend our time.鈥�
