Living roofs go beyond any other roofing option when it comes to the multitude of benefits they provide to those who own, work and live under them. Green roofs are beautiful, create habitat, promote health and well-being, reduce stormwater runoff, protect building envelopes and conserve energy.
Recently, SZ specified LiveRoof’s Standard modular system on a home in Mercer Island. Here’s the skinny.
Read More
When meeting with residential clients early on, the question of whether to remodel or build-new quickly surfaces. I’ve often advised that there’s a tipping point of when a remodel ultimately costs more time and money than tearing down and building new. The goal with any Addition/Remodel is to leverage as much of what’s existing as possible - play off of the current footprint, structural framing and site orientation to seamlessly realize an existing property’s best potential. Recent examples of such outcome include the Niederman’s Lakefront Home on Mercer Island and this Leschi Home in Seattle.
Early design efforts quickly conclude best course of action. This is when real estate values, code research, programming needs & wants, and a close assessment of existing conditions translate into creative Schematic Design options. That multi-disciplined approach may also lead to the decision to demolish entirely and build ground-up, as is the case with this Mercer Island Residence. Psychologically, this may feel daunting for homeowners. But, it’s worth noting that typically, pound-for-pound, new-construction homes are more cost-effective, per square foot. We work hard to define that tipping point to best advise our clients.
With a fresh approach to the site, we’ve designed a 4,200 SF, two-story home including a daylit basement. The home is organized along a two-foot thick stone wall, running lengthwise North-South, allowing unique light filtration from sunrise to sunset. Lighter wood clad boxes float off this wall, topped with flat roof gardens.
Read MoreOn International Women's Day (March 8th), we had a chance to sit down for an interview with Susan Jones, Founder and Principal Architect at atelierjones in Seattle. She recently published Mass Timber: Design and Research, a book whose timing is particularly exciting due the recent bill that has been passed in Washington that will soon allow mass timber to be used for larger development projects.
It was an enlightening discussion on all things mass timber, and we are so excited to share this interview with you.
Read More
As of November 1st, Mercer Island's new Residential Code is in effect. While there has been a lot of focus on what these codes mean to residents, another code that homeowners and developers may not be aware of (but is something that should be emphasized even more) is the Updated Stormwater Management Standards.
These updated standards come directions from the Federal Clean Water Act and Washington's Department of Ecology, requiring cities to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for stormwater control standards. Mercer Island is behind on adopting these standards, but as of this past July, the new standards have been approved and are now in effect.
What this means for Mercer Island residents is that the city will be holding them accountable for having better storm management systems in place at their home, and these standard will affect building new structures as well. Homes must now use a system of Low Impact Development (LID) to ensure that stormwater is being drained in a way that does not cause polluted water runoff. This essentially comes down to needing a certain amount of land for water to slowly flow into the ground (otherwise known as bioretentive land or surfaces, like rain gardens), compared to the square feet of impervious, hard surfaces on a property.
Read More