This breezy, contemporary-style house belies the local environmental considerations, high-performance features, and green-building technologies that went into its design. Sited on a .67-acre lot, the home replaced an old 1930s cabin in poor condition, says architect Matthew Coates. “We deconstructed the home,” he says. “Ninety-seven percent of the material was reused or recycled, which diverted waste from the landfill.” The lumber was sold—for about $16,000—roofing was recycled, and windows and doors were repurposed.
A raft of high-performance features were used for the LEED Platinum–certified project. Most of the home employs a hybrid building envelope of closed-cell foam, eco-batt insulation, and an FSC-certified hardwood rainscreen that promotes drainage and helps keep the house cool. “It resulted in airtight construction at an affordable cost, but also allowed us to push the dew point outside of the building envelope,” Coates says. The rest of the house is built with concrete masonry units with horizontal groove joints. Also incorporated is a mechanically vented crawl space, a heat recovery ventilator, a geothermal system, triple-pane windows, PV panels, radiant-heated floors, and a green roof.
Inside, warm wood plays off cool concrete and metal. The master suite is on the open plan ground floor, and the guest suite and library are upstairs. A polished concrete floor throughout features no steps or interruptions, and extra-wide doors and curbless showers will make access easy.
