Coates Design | The Ellis Residence

in Architecture by editor — 4:45 pm | September 22, 20120 comments

Perched high on a Bainbridge Island bluff, this magnificent home enjoys unique views of Puget Sound from Mount Rainier to Mount Baker. The home is unique in other ways as well: it’s the first LEED Platinum residence in Washington State that’s outside of Seattle. Elegant and educational. Modern and motivating. Stunning and sustainable. Joanne and Ed Ellis wanted to create a home that all of these things and more.

Sustainable from the Start

Architect Mathew Coates, president of Coates Design Architects of Seattle and Bainbridge Island, was determined that the Ellis’ home would have a commitment to sustainability from start to finish. “This is a new way of building that requires a new process,” he said. “You can’t look at building a green home like you do a conventional home and just slap all this green stuff on it.” The commitment started with the homeowners and architect, but the contractor and subcontractors also had to be “all in”. “Their willingness to alter decades of traditional construction and learn sustainable construction practices was paramount to the success of the project,” said Coates. Coates made sure that the project’s ecologically small footprint went well beyond just the construction of the Ellis’ new home.

The site had an existing structure on it that was carefully taken apart and recycled, effectively diverting 98% of its building material from the landfill. Before construction began, subcontractors created detailed lists of framing and sheathing to more accurately place their lumber orders to reduce waste. Additionally, the contractor tracked all waste and recyclable material on the site to provide a 75% landfill diversion rate. Interior trim and stair material originated from site - milled fir trees that were fallen from a neighbor’s property. The site was rehabilitated with native and drought tolerant vegetation and pervious pavers. The crest of the bluff was restored with plantings to reestablish habitat and to prevent erosion. Extreme care was taken to preserve natural habitat and existing trees throughout the construction process.

Designed to Make a Difference

The entire house is oriented to capture sun and shade and designed to passively heat and cool itself. The home also has a wide range of features to increase energy productivity including
geothermal heat, photovoltaic energy collection, solar hot water, thermal massing and heat - recovery technologies. Additional key features include: two 1,500 - gallon rainwater collection cisterns, radiant floor heating, site - milled wood trim, triple - glazed windows and a vegetated roof.

A large east - west “spine” forms a central thermal mass core for the house. This massive wall reduces temperature swings and is oriented in conjunction with operable skylights to take advantage of cooling techniques. In addition, this wall sets up a division between private and public spaces. To the north, the private portion of the house is much more enclosed. To the south, the glassy public spaces have abundant natural light and views. To the east, the water side of the house, windows and doors open to allow the naturally cool breezes from the Sound to temper the interior spaces. Coates also created spaces with multiple functions in order to achieve a smaller overall footprint. For example, the washer and dryer and clothing storage are built into the master bathroom casework and there’s an office tucked into a corner of the media room. The home’s roof became a vegetated garden patio providing a place to relax - and greater insulation. There are also sliding and bi - folding doors that transform smaller rooms into larger gathering spaces that can be easily connected to the outdoors.

“Every room in the house serves at least two functions, and usually four or five,” said Coates. Coates’ commitment to going green paid off: the 2,500 sf home uses 70% less energy than a typical comparably - sized home.

LEEDing the Way

The Ellis ’ home shows that sustainability and a love of modern design aren’t mutually exclusive. “ We wanted to prove that modern, gracious residential design could encompass local environmental concerns and state - of - the - art energy efficiency,” said Joanne Ellis. “Matthew and his team far exceeded our goals.” The home serves as a model and educational tool for future sustainable residential projects. During construction and after they moved in, the Ellis’ hosted open houses to inspire others to embrace sustainability. Coates is a sought - after speaker and lecturer and the Ellis’ often join him to relate their experiences to a wider audience. “It became obvious early on that Joanne and Ed wanted to do more than just build green,” Coates recalled. “They are active role models for sustainable living.”

The Ellis’ are proud that their home raises the bar for environmental commitment in design and construction, but more importantly they hope it will inspire others to embrace sustainability in their own homes – and lives.

Location: USA

Architects: Coates Design

Photos: Art Grice, Lara Swimmer , Roger Turk