Some of our clients have asked about Seattle’s new Backyard Cottages program, which could be a great way to build density in neighborhoods without sacrificing privacy. Infiniti Real Estate Development, one of our marketing partners, has sponsored a design competition with Method Homes, a local pre-fab builder.

For us, the challenge was to design an entry that was adaptable, easy to construct, and most of all, affordable. Our design could be either one or two stories, with room for a garage and greenhouse or extra storage underneath. The upstairs is flexible- an extra guest suite with kitchen and bath, a studio or an office. The pre-fab modules can be flipped or changed around to take advantage or solar orientation and privacy. Exterior materials can be changed to co-ordinate or contrast with the house onsite.



Here’s our competition entry.

The PI wants to know "Does Green Building Make Cents?

We think so. Look long-term, where our true interests lie, and there's the green. In all manners of speaking.

One wave in the vast sea of green building discussion is the concept of embodied energy. Embodied energy is defined as the total amount of energy required for the processes of extraction, processing, transportation, construction, and disposal of a material*. If you can think of all of the steps involved in creating a product, and if that list of steps is short, it is likely that the product has a low embodied energy rating**. Trying to conjure all steps necessary to produce a PVC pipe, for example, leaves us feeling dizzy and short of answers.

There is a good amount of literature available comparing embodied energy of building materials. While the numbers themselves may vary across charts, relative values remain consistent. Wood finds itself at the top of all lists, requiring little energy to bring to market. Clustered about the bottom of these lists are materials such as plastic, brick, and steel.

It seems that the consensus on using wood as a primary building material has come full circle. Now knowing that not all things rendered common by convenience ought to remain, we look to wood in a new way.

We are always happy to learn more about new and sound practices of low-energy design and construction. When it comes to using products that are beautiful to look at, easy to work with, and demand little from the earth, we are happy to find that sustainably harvested wood tops out in every respect.

Here is a graphic produced by the green building periodical Environmental Building News:



This shows relative carbon emissions for three common building materials:
steel wood, and concrete. Please note that emissions data are based on metric tons (1000 Kg) of each material. These materials are each their own density, as shown in the relative size of the “metric ton cubes” out in front.

Click here for the original article.

Articles and resources on the topic of Embodied Energy of Building Materials:

US Department of Energy
The Architectural League of New York: Ten Shades of Green
Washington State Department of Ecology

*US Department of Energy. “Embodied Energy of Building Assemblies.” Buildings Energy Data Book 1.6.6 (September 2008).
**Measured by the US Department of Energy as MMBtu/SF (millions of Btus per square foot

Our newest addition to the neighborhood, as well as our latest effort to embody our own thoughts about sustainable urban living, is this home at 3951 S. Mead St. We'll be having a Behind-the-Walls tour this Sunday, April 27, hosted by Greenworks Realty. You can read a more complete description of the house here. Come see what makes Columbia City such a great place to live, and what makes this house so special.




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Here’s a photo of the new Office Truck - a 7-speed electric bike from Electric Bikes NW. It’ll do nearly 20 mph on the flat without pedaling, and, with a rack that holds 100 lbs, it carries a lot of stuff. It’s handy for carrying vegetables from the New Holly CSA garden, or a half-dozen growlers from the Georgetown Brewery.