Pin foundations for Low Impact-Clearwater Commons

This sustainable community development of 16 homes used innovative Diamond Pier precast pin foundations to virtually eliminate soil disturbance and storm-water impacts on their hydrologically sensitive site, as a result, no excavation & grading permit was required. By implementing this technology as part of a low-impact development strategy for the whole development, Clearwater commons navigated a path to compliance that protected their watershed, while allowing more homes, that were more affordable than would have been possible with other low-impact development strategies

Bullitt Center the first Mass Timber Building in Seattle in 80 years

The Bullitt Center, arguably the “greenest office building in the world” was the first mass timber commercial building constructed in Seattle in over 80 years. It has a structural frame of glulam columns and beams, floor decks of 2×6” lumber set on edge and “nail-laminated” together, and plywood used for structural diaphragm and shear wall panels – all conforming to prescriptive code requirements. 100% of the wood used in the project was FSC certified from local sources to meet the rigorous standards of the “Living Building Challenge.”

Seattle “C-Box” Backyard Cottage from a Shipping Container

Built with a re-purposed blue shipping container by hip Seattle EcoBuilders Sage Saskill and Mike Vacirca, the C-Box was designed as a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU), known in Seattle as a “backyard cottage”. Since it would be used as a commercial kitchen to house the owner’s small culinary business, it was permitted as a “shed” i.e. accessory structure (non-dwelling).