The Masons have integrated sustainable thinking into an otherwise typical kitchen and bathroom remodel by focusing on saving energy and becoming “carbon neutral” while retaining the original charm of their small 1925 bungalow.

 

Vinh Mason designed the new kitchen to connect it to the living space, improve its circulation, add storage and light, and make room for modern ENERGY STAR appliances. The cabinets are made with formaldehyde-free ‘PureBond’ plywood from Columbia Forest Products. Wood salvaged from maraschino cherry vats compliments new FSC certified wood. The old oil furnace was replaced with an efficient electric heat pump and is powered byrenewable energy from PGE’s wind power program. The heat pump supplements other passive cooling strategies, such as operable skylights, that allow night air to flush and cool the interior on summer nights.

 

 

 

Jeff Dood converted an “eyesore” single family home into a new multi-family building that integrates contemporary, sustainable urban density into an older neighborhood. Instead of tearing down and building new — which is often easier and cheaper — Jeff enhanced and transformed a dilapidated house into three dwelling units, while saving and reusing most of the original building.

 

To save energy, Jeff installed high efficiency furnaces and air conditioning and is sealing the ductwork to meet the Earth Advantage program requirements. Tankless water heaters, heated by solar power, also conserve energy. For durability, Jeff is using Nichiha fiber-cement composition siding over a vented rain screen to prevent moisture problems. He also installed quiet, efficient fans for bathrooms to control excess indoor moisture, and the attic is power-vented to prevent heat build-up.

 

 

 

An instructor in building with straw bale, clay, cob, rainwater harvesting, ecoroofs and home solar options, Candace Gossen has turned her home into a laboratory for natural building or ‘ecological architecture’. Her home returns to this year’s tour by popular demand.

 

Her cozy studio/library was one of the first loadbearing straw bale buildings in Oregon, and she monitors moisture content to address concerns about straw in a wet climate. Solar systems heat the studio and a backyard hot tub. A former garage is now a classroom featuring recycled rubber flooring, no-VOC paints, reed mats and earth plasters. A 1,500-watt backyard solar photovoltaic array makes electricity, and displays both kWh produced and greenhouse gases eliminated. Candace’s oil furnace runs on B20 biodiesel fuel, rainwater flows through bioswales into salvage tubs to provide water for birds and animals, and rain barrels store 740 gallons of water from the roof.

 

 

 

Eric Starr and Paula Hills purchased this 1904 house for $1 and moved it behind their existing 1906 house, creating instant infill. Care has been taken to create a feeling of spaciousness within the “labyrinth” of homes and open space on the property. When renovation is complete, it will appear as though the house has always belonged on the site.

 

Both the new house and an existing garage are being completely reused. The couple refinished existing hardwood floors, and salvaged fir flooring will be reused in a new upstairs bedroom. Original hex tile counter and vintage cabinetry in the kitchen will be reused, and salvaged cabinetry will complete the cabinets. The driveway uses ECO-TERR, a driveable surface with the appearance of lawn, to eliminate the usual slash of concrete that typically separates closely situated city houses.

 

 

 

Karen Frost nicknamed this house the Rubicon — the “die was cast” to fulfill her dream of building a beautiful and energy-efficient home. Inspired by the book The Not So Big House, Karen added barrier-free design to allow her to age with the house, and she has chosen a car-free lifestyle.

 

The house incorporates energy-saving features such as Insulfoam Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs, in the upper floor and spray-in foam insulation on the main floor. The slab-on-grade concrete foundation has a radiant hydronic heating system with a Polaris high-efficiency boiler. Karen and general contractor Eric Brakstad reduced waste to an absolute minimum by recycling and reusing—including relocating a garage from Karen’s existing house to use on the lot next door.

 

 

 

This small house located on a wooded site next to Johnson Creek matched the ultra-low-impact, modest-income lifestyle Willow Dixon and Jon Biemer wanted. Willow has already started a “food forest” in the roomy flat yard—an intensive practice that mixes vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and berries while restoring soil to robust health. Invasive plants have been replaced with natives, and the existing gravel driveway allows rainwater to reach the soil instead of running off.

 

Inside, Jon and Willow live with no refrigerator and create no garbage. Their vegan diet allows them to use cool storage for food and compost nearly all of their waste. A tankless water heater saves space and energy. Within the small house, Jon and Willow have created an inviting space to work and meet with colleagues.

 

 

 

Pedro and Adriana Ferbel-Azcarate have been leaders in natural and healthy homebuilding. Their house features the first permitted cob addition in Portland, and was built without throwing anything away. The couple combined inexpensive salvaged and reused materials with local natural materials like clay, straw and cob to add on to a small house that includes a home office space for a naturopathic clinic.

 

Pedro and Adriana believe in a holistic approach to health, and their house is an essential component of healthy living. Natural and recycled materials keep toxins out of the house, and daylight and views create spaces that feel tranquil and embracing. Building the addition also brought the couple lots of fun, requiring friends to get together for satisfying work and play.

 

 

 

 

 

Colin and Jaynelle Nash are striving to build a sustainable house worthy of the natural beauty of their site on Estacada’s Clear Creek. Ecologic Excavation began by prepping the site with minimal disturbance to existing trees, using equipment run on 100 percent biodiesel fuel. Walls built with Durisol Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are strong, durable and energy efficient. The thermal mass of ICFs help stabilize interior temperatures in both winter and summer. In the age of climate change, thermal mass becomes an important strategy to keep houses cool without air conditioning – think adobe in the Southwest.

This house will still be under construction, offering a peek “under the hood” at green building construction techniques. The home is expected to meet LEED for Homes – Gold.

 

 

 

 

 

Architects Jeff and Tracy Prose design and build homes together as Building Arts Workshop, LLC. Their vision is to create distinctively modern homes guided by sustainability and craftsmanship. The Orchid Street project is being built to meet the rigorous LEED for Homes – Gold standard.

 

For Jeff and Tracy, quality of construction and attention to detail start with fundamentals like advanced framing in which non-structural wood lumber is eliminated and insulation is increased, resulting in better energy efficiency and reduced wood consumption. These essential details keep the open, airy, daylit design functional, comfortable and efficient. A radiant hydronic heating system with solar assist is combined with a fresh air ventilation and filtration system. Toxic pollutants, like formaldehyde, have been eliminated or reduced by using green materials in cabinets and finishes.  

 

 

 

Charlie Weiss and Katharine Lawrence are building a 2000 sq. ft. house and a 600 sq. ft. accessory dwelling unit designed to take advantage of the federal and state energy efficiency tax credits available for new homes. Many hours of research have informed the couple’s decisions, and their priorities are reflected in their choices. This home is expected to achieve LEED for Homes - Platinum.

 

The home’s wood comes from well-managed forests including new FSC certified wood from Zena Timber, located in the mid-Willamette Valley; stairs milled from a fir tree on the site; and cabinets and trim from reclaimed cherry barrels. An E-Tech air-to-water heat pump takes heat from outdoor air and uses it to warm water for the radiant hydronic floor. A rainwater collection system creates potable water for use in the home.

 

 

 

Nate Brusselback took an unusual lot next to a park and a stream corridor, and designed his house to fit into the adjacent woods without damaging or altering them. Large windows and balconies connect the house to the beautiful forest and welcome the sun. Polystyrene Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), stacked and filled with concrete, provide strength, excellent insulation and air tightness. ICF blocks and panels replace and improve on wood framing, which saves energy and conserves forests.

 

To prevent erosion or pollution from stormwater in this streamside lot, Nate has installed a series of linked concrete water cisterns and bioswales to slow down the rate of flow, recharge groundwater and store irrigation water. A tile roof helps keep the rainwater clean, and cools the house in summer.

 

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Jason Pastega and Matthew McCarthy teamed up to build their first “spec” home and make it as green as their budget and the market would allow. They met the challenge, designing this attractive house that nestles into the trees and includes many green features not found in conventional houses. Inside, the home’s windows frame pines and evoke images of a Japanese garden. Spray-in foam insulation and “low-e” windows will reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

 

Outside, large existing trees will provide summer shade and cooling, and a durable metal roof will also help reflect summer heat. To keep stormwater on site, the builders used permeable paving for the driveway, and the ecoroof is planted with a “Green Grids” tray system.  

 

New - Single Family  

 

Alan and Michaeline Kiraly dreamed of building a small house to fit harmoniously into their building site, tucked away near a wetland and stream. The site was once owned by Michaeline’s grandfather, and she desired to treat it as respectfully as he once did. Some of the fruit trees from his orchard still remain.

 

Inspired by places like Peoples’ Food Coop, the use of natural, locally-sourced and reused materials became a focus. Their clay finish floor has inset tiles from Pratt and Larson’s factory seconds store. A reconditioned 1950’s gas stove forms the heart of the kitchen. Recycled concrete surrounds a bioswale that cleanses rainwater before reaching the stream, and the metal roof will help keep the house cool and is designed to last through the ages.

 

 

 

Many Portlanders want the urban lifestyle of an in-town condominium. But until recently, new condos were built with little attention to the environment or the health of residents. Designed and built for LEED Gold certification, South Waterfront’s John Ross project offers close-in living, environmental sustainability, innovative transportation alternatives and easy access to the river and natural areas.

 

The building reduces runoff and conserves water with ecoroofs, bioswales, and low-irrigation landscaping. Special window glazing keeps warmth in and excess solar heat gain out, while still allowing panoramic views of Mt. Hood, the city and the Willamette River. A quarter-block public plaza and ground floor retail area activate the street and create a sense of community around the John Ross.  

 

 

 

 

 

Built for LEED Platinum certification, the Casey uses less than half the energy and has half the greenhouse gas emissions of a similar conventional building — proving that energy efficiency does not mean sacrificing livability. Owners in the high-rise building can open windows for fresh outdoor air; when windows are closed, heat recovery ventilators bring in fresh air, exhaust stale air and recapture waste heat. Air quality has been preserved by minimizing construction dust and pollutants, installing non-toxic finishes like wool carpet and using only safe cleaning products and processes.

 

Developer Gerding Edlen integrated aesthetics and performance with social and environmental awareness—for example, FSC-certified wood flooring looks handsome and comes from a well-managed forest. Building “commissioning” will verify that all building systems were installed and operate as intended, for an unusual level of quality control.

 

 

 

 

 

Sabin Green represents a new model of community-oriented, affordable, beautiful and green infill housing in NE Portland. It consists of four homes, owned as condominiums, on the corners of a 75’ x 100’ lot with a central courtyard and shared common house (built largely by volunteers with the Village Building Convergence).

 

Project goals include: preserving and renovating existing structures; using less land per house by arranging multiple residences on the same lot; building small units (2 homes under 600 sq. ft.) that are affordable and take fewer resources to build and maintain; using design to make it easy for residents to share resources such as internet, meals, newspapers, camping equipment, etc.; incorporating salvaged materials and artwork; and creating a beautiful and welcoming place in which to live.

 

 

 

Tate and Brook Kuerbis deconstructed a deteriorated existing house and rebuilt from the same foundation. Working with designer Matt Daby, they created an open, light and airy multi-level house whose roll up walls connect living spaces into adjacent gardens. When the overhead doors are open on both sides, the house and outdoors merge.

 

One driver of U.S. energy use has been ever-larger houses and apartments. This house provides an example of how dynamic forms and changing light can make a more efficiently sized space feel larger than it is. Tate and Brook selected high efficiency 21 SEER mini-split heat pumps; a tankless water heater saves space and reduces waste from standby heat loss.

 

 

Ray Culi and Beate Ioanide-Culi designed and built a small, attractive and eclectic “backyard cottage” for themselves and their architectural design practice, while also remodeling the main house, an 1895 Victorian, for Beate’s parents. The homes show off practical and affordable ideas for responsible wood use, energy from the sun, daylighting, reuse of salvage building materials, reducing waste and intelligent design. Good design choices improved quality and environmental performance, without draining the pocketbook. Ray and Beate chose to forego off-street parking to create an interior courtyard between the two small houses, connecting the living spaces of three generations of extended family.

 

Ray and Beate have kept detailed records of their home’s exceptional construction and performance. Taken together, many small decisions add up to more sustainable housing that will support strong family ties, affordable living, and a healthier environment.

 

 

 

 

 

Eric and Jen Miller are completely restoring and remodeling a modest 1899 Queen Anne Victorian in the North Mississippi neighborhood that was severely damaged by fire in October 2006. The couple wants to bring back the original charm and feel of the home and act as stewards – caring for the things we have, for today and the future.

 

Using as much of the original trim as they could salvage, Eric and Jen are restoring the exterior of the home to reflect its original beautiful detailing. All the framing lumber is FSC certified, and reusable original timbers are being incorporated into the new framing. A radiant hydronic heating system will save energy, and insulation in the exterior walls will reduce winter heating load.

 

 

City of Portland Green Building Specialist Mike O’Brien and his wife Vana created a beautiful new home on an infill lot in North Portland. The house features natural materials throughout, including clay floors, a cob wall, and clay plasterwork and paint. Cozy spaces alternate with open areas in an unconventional floorplan. Kitchen cabinets were crafted from used cabinets and salvaged fir, and stairs and interior trim were built from fir trees blown down by last November’s windstorm.

 

Thanks to solar and wind power, the O’Briens’ house is “carbon neutral”—it does not emit any greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. A solar water heater will provide about half of the total heat needed for the domestic and hydronic hot water over the course of the year, and renewable electricity for other needs is purchased from PGE’s wind power program.

 

 

Kathryn Gray began creating and developing passive solar homes in the early 1980s and has become one of Oregon’s most experienced and best-known solar designers. The floating home she has created with husband and builder Steve Gray represents a culmination of what they have learned and practiced together.

 

The couple designed the house to use zero net energy and be carbon neutral. To reduce energy use, the house is a compact 1,150 sq. ft. A rooftop deck and a light and airy 200 sq. ft. greenhouse expand on two stories of live/work space. A rainwater storage tank within the greenhouse provides thermal mass to collect and store solar energy. A solar-assisted hydronic heating system and heat recovery ventilator provide low-cost comfort and fresh air ventilation.