Soaring to New Heights of Sustainable Living
Dwell Development Introduces Net Zero Ready Home to Mount Baker Hilltop

Dwell Development, Seattle’s award-winning leader in sustainable home building, is excited to announce the completion a new 5-Star Built Green luxury home in Mount Baker.

The modern and spacious 3,455 SF, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home features expansive western views and generous entertainment areas, including a deck, grotto, and patio. The home is perched on a 4,000 SF lot off a quiet residential street, located west of Hunter Boulevard near Mount Baker’s retail district. The detached 2 car garage connects to the home by an exterior bridge with front and backyard landscaping that showcases native plantings from a local nursery.

The interior is designed to capture grand views and features high ceilings with open and airy free-flowing living areas and a 4-story stairwell that fills the home with natural light. The main floor is intended to be an entertainment space with an oversized kitchen island and copious amounts of storage. Sustainably harvested solid walnut flooring and reclaimed wood accents are seen throughout the home for an organic aesthetic that aligns with the holistic green building approach.

In addition to being both beautiful and comfortable, this new modern home is 5-Star Built Green certified which means it is built 60-70% above Washington’s code. The combination of green building techniques and a solar-ready roof configuration make this home net zero ready.

Achieving 5-Star Built Green Certification
After receiving national recognition last year for their Emerald Star project, including being named the Grand Winner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Awards, Dwell Development was inspired to commit to the next level of building in 2017 and beyond — exclusively net zero ready homes. The goal of Dwell Development’s net zero strategy is to build every home with the ability to produce the same amount of energy as it consumes, reducing carbon footprints and energy bills. This new Mount Baker home achieved 5-Star Built Green certification, which is an environmentally-friendly, non-profit, residential building program from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties that ensures best practices in green development. This certification verifies a new home’s sustainability and establishes the home’s net zero status.

Urban Site in Local Neighborhood with Bird’s Nest View
At the heart of the net zero strategy is remaining local. Each home by Dwell Development starts with an urban site in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, where homeowners can live within blocks of all essential services and social activities. This new home is nestled in Mount Baker, which is one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods. Perched on a peaceful hilltop with large western-facing windows, the home offers a bird’s nest view of the Seattle area. It sits just steps away from Hunter Boulevard, which includes an Olmsted designed center median park and just a few blocks further, homeowners can access dense retail and commercial areas on Rainier and McClellan. The home was built on an urban infill lot, which aligns with the mission of Dwell Development to improve urban density while minimizing environmental impact.

Designer Finishes with Reclaimed, Local, and Recycled Materials
Dwell Development local strategy applies to all areas of building including materials. The exterior facade of this Mount Baker home is clad with reclaimed barn wood and reclaimed standing seam metal sourced from Oregon and all metal railings were done by NW Metal Fabricators. The floors throughout the home are covered in sustainably harvested solid walnut from Montana, with exterior polished concrete pavers sourced locally. The interior posts are wrapped in over 100-year-old hand-hewn beam skins from Montana. Handmade light fixtures hang throughout the open atrium that runs through the center of the house. The Calacatta Marble kitchen island features a walnut chevron pattern base adding a unique, modern detail. The master bath is covered in Carrara Marble and includes a spa-like shower and tub enclosure. A live-edge maple shelf sourced from Maple Valley can be seen in the master bath as well as the powder room where the material was used for the countertop. All of the native plants are from Western nursery in Arlington.

Water and Energy Saving Features
Water and energy conservation are a huge focus in this net zero home. Net zero homes by Dwell Development save an average of 8,000 gallons of water per year by using all WaterSense certified fixtures by Grohe and Niagra toilets that only use 0.8 gallons per flush (80% less water than the average toilet in the U.S.). The kitchen also comes complete with a full set of 100% ENERGY STAR certified appliances by Thermador. Additionally, the Mount Baker home is prepped for solar panels and electric vehicle charging, uses 100% LED lighting and is 100% electric, including an induction cooktop. Electric power is a key ingredient to achieving net zero, as well as an integrated solar panel system that the new homeowners will be adding this summer. Combining the airtight building envelope, advanced framing, super thick insulation, triple-pane Atrium windows, EnviroDri exterior barrier system, and a Heat Recovery Ventilation System, the temperature inside the home is organically regulated 24/7. This combination of supremely energy efficient systems leads to increased comfort and healthful indoor air quality.

Eco-Conscious Lifestyle
At Dwell Development, an eco-conscious lifestyle is just as important to sustainable design as the building materials and systems that go into all of their homes. The Dwell team is giving homeowners the opportunity to take control of their environmental impact by living a more sustainable life. This year and beyond, Dwell Development is continuing to build net zero ready homes throughout Seattle focusing on Columbia City, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Mount Baker.

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