NEWS & BLOG

Breaking news and resources from across the industry.

First Lamp LLC: 5-Star Single-Family

Posted on Jul 30, 2018 in:
  • Case Studies

Built with a homeowner in mind, this single-family home in the Bryant neighborhood of Seattle hosts many unique features not typically seen on new construction projects.

This house was designed by First Lamp to look like alternating stacked blocks, which creates extensive overhangs. In addition to the overhangs, First Lamp added a large cantilevered roof allowing for the main entry, porch, carport, and deck to be covered while providing lots of usable space to spend time outdoors year-round. To create additional privacy for the porch area, an outdoor concrete wall was built to provide a separation between the street and living space.

Vital Stats

Section

Points

Location: Bryant neighborhood, Seattle
Star Level: 5-Star
Checklist: Single-family/townhouse new construction
Verifier: Evergreen Certified
Site and Water 154
Energy Efficiency 159
Health and Indoor Air Quality 145
Material Efficiency 106
  Total Score 618.45

 

The home’s uniquely designed interior highlights Shou Sugi Ban paneling surrounding the fireplace, recycled cardboard light fixtures, and a small indoor atrium. Other interior finishes include polished concrete on the main floor, bamboo flooring on the additional levels, fiberglass-clad wood-framed windows, locally-made cabinets, and recycled-content quartz countertops.

On top of the design features, this house is also built to be energy efficient. Rigid sub-slab insulation and blown-in fiberglass in the walls and roof provide a good thermal envelope, while the hybrid heat pump water heater designed for domestic water use, radiant slab, ducted and ductless mini-splits, Energy Star appliances, and LED lighting all help to keep bills small. And for fresh air, the HRV will do the trick!

First Lamp Exterior

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

  • Native vegetation and trees saved with extensive protection during construction
  • Topsoil stockpiled and covered on-site for reuse
  • 100 percent pervious hardscaping with bioplanters for maximum water infiltration
  • Vegetated roof surrounding the deck on the second level
  • No grass on-site; all drought-tolerant landscaping

Energy Efficiency

  • 1.96ACH @ 50Pa blower door score achieved with an Intello Plus interior and a Solitex Mento exterior air and vapor barrier combination
  • Passive solar strategies incorporated into the house design
  • Hydronic slab, ductless, and ducted mini-splits for efficient space heating
  • Hybrid heat pump water heater and Lifebreath HRV installed
  • Electric vehicle car charger integrated into the carport
First Lamp Living Room
First Lamp Exterior Patio
First Lamp Atrium
 

Health and Indoor Air Quality

  • Eco-charrette and chemical sensitives meetings conducted with homeowners and subcontractors
  • No carpet installed for better indoor air quality
  • NAUF millwork and all low- or no-VOC products used
  • Large roof overhangs for water protection
  • Lifebreath HRV balanced by Evergreen Certified

Materials Efficiency

  • Salvaged lumber used from the original house
  • FloorScore certified bamboo hardwood flooring
  • Combination of metal, Hardie, and cedar siding used
  • Truss roof system and no framing members larger than 2-by-8 and 4-by-8 feet used in the house
  • 25 percent fly ash by weight used in concrete foundation
First Lamp Kitchen
First Lamp Exterior and Carport

RESOURCES AND GUIDES

Help us build a sound future.