Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/833937
Now, on to the tech. The individual homes—Apple, Pear, Cherry, Hawthorn, Mountain Ash, Red Maple, Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, and Walnut—are all 5-Star Built Green certifi ed, which means they have a bunch of ecologically advanced features to go along with modern mainstays of comfort. The homes feature geothermal heating and cooling, hardwood fl ooring, electric appliances, custom artisan-designed kitchen islands built using restored wood from the trees on lot, plus a garage attachment pre-wired to charge an electric vehicle. Crazy, fun, innovatively mind-blowing stuff lies in every square foot here—even, or especially, outside— and, most importantly, it's so ultra-convenient it makes you wonder why more people aren't taking advantage of these new home components, why more builders aren't utilizing them in their projects. The thing is, they are. I n just three months*, inside of King and Snohomish counties, more than 230 new projects have been certifi ed as Built Green. In the City of Seattle alone last year, 52 percent of all new residential homes (including single-family homes, condos, duplexes, and multifamily buildings) were Built Green homes. Green is the new gold standard and when demand starts to skyrocket, builders savvy to all this great new tech are starting to see themselves in the black. And you know what? That's great. The technologies implemented in Built Green homes and used by everyday people are better for the environment, easier on the wallet, and typically just plain more convenient than conventional methods of home living. Built Green—and green construction and living— as an ideology, service, and imprint on our communities, is getting bigger for a reason. People on both sides of the building industry are starting to see tangible diff erences in their lives. The Juanita Farmhouse Cottages are a piece of the puzzle we're putting together to better ourselves and our environmental impact within the cities and neighborhoods in which we live; maybe one of the big middle pieces that start to give the puzzle form. This community represents the next step in the evolution of green building and a bigger way of thinking about the overall landscape we build and live upon. The Cottages are producing some great things. You should take notice. *January 1—March 31, 2017 A half-door is where warm summer air and mouthwatering culinary aromas intersect on their ways in and out of the cozy kitchen. I want to do something that brings value to the community; something that allows more people to enjoy the benefi ts of this incredible environment we live in. And have a place that feels like home that I can share with other people, as well. —Juanita Farmhouse Cottages originator and owner Kim Saunders 31 SUMMER 2017 master builder