Case Study
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The Cottage Company: Conover Commons in Redmond
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Built Green Rating: 3 Star for each home
HomeBuilder Checklist with 236 Points
Location: Redmond
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Conover Commons is a community of small cottages gathered around a central, shared courtyard. This community exemplifies cooperation between two Built Green member companies to achieve successful results in green building. The builder, The Cottage Company, worked with Triad Associates to situate the homes on the site to take advantage of the existing trees, the topography.
Conover Commons contains twelve exquisitely designed, highly detailed 2-bedroom/2-bath cottage homes surrounding a lushly landscaped garden courtyard and clustered on a 9.5-acre parcel of land. Another dozen cottages are planned on the site. Half the site is peaceful woodland, filled with birds, native plants and trees, and wildlife and designated a Native Growth Protection Area. With all homes certified as 3-Star Built Green, Conover Commons is also the first new community to participate in King County's 'Natural Yard Care' program.
Conover Commons amenities include large covered front porches, private yards surrounded by low fences, flowerboxes, a commons building and separate commons room (for parties, potlucks, meetings, and personal projects), decks, and viewing platform overlooking a beautiful, heavily-wooded ravine, permanently set aside as open space, and in private ownership by Conover Commons owners.
Site design and civil engineering was supplied by land development consultants, Triad Associates, located in Kirkland, Washington. This is the first development built under the City of Redmond's Innovative Housing Code (cottage code). Many of the Built Green certification credits for the community came through Triad’s innovative small lot site design, preserving much of the natural habitat. The landscape design by Jeff Cox, V.P. at Triad Associates and Director of Site Planning and Landscape Architecture, added additional qualifications at the development stage of this beautiful community by preserving and using native vegetation in addition to using innovative storm water management designs.
Trees that were cleared on the property were milled and 14,500 feet were used as building materials in the homes -- as flooring, as beams across front porches and as massive columns to support the community commons building. FSC-certified lumber was also used as flooring, and FSC countertops were installed in kitchen islands, along with durable granite tile on the counters. Each home provides approximately 1,100 to 1,200 square feet of living space with two bedrooms, and is spacious-feeling and filled with light. Front porches face the shared courtyard to promote good neighbors. Garages and a common parking area are located away from most of the homes.
Premium materials and designs were used throughout, including special ceiling details, skylights, second-story decks, breakfast nooks and 50-year siding from James Hardie. Ductless heating systems are centrally located to reduce the size of the distribution system. A 1.4 kW photovoltaic solar electric system is installed for the common area electrical system and is net-metered with the utility. Conover Commons is the first full community to be designated as a Natural Yard Care Neighborhood in King County, WA.
Green features in each home includes:
Site & Water Protection
- Five acres of trees were preserved
- Topsoil was protected, and compost was used to stabilize disturbed slopes.
- Soil was amended to restore environmental functions and to provide good growing medium for the homes’ individual gardens (an important feature of the community)
- Slow release organic fertilizers were used to help establish new vegetation
- Turfgrass is limited to one-quarter of the landscaped area
- During construction, care was taken to protect trees, to keep the soil stabilized and to wash out concrete trucks in paved areas
- Landclearing wood and stumps were ground for reuse
Using Energy Wisely
- Daylighting with clerestory windows and skylights, and the use of light colored paints saves energy for lighting
- Ductless heating systems are centrally located to reduce the size of the distribution system.
- A 1.4 kW photovoltaic solar electric system is installed on the commons building to provide power, and is net-metered with the utility
- Fully insulated corners and interior/exterior wall intersections, plus energy heels on trusses, provide better insulation and therefore save energy
- Timers on fans and programmable thermostats help save energy
- The water heater is located close to the highest use area and the pipes are insulated
- Compact fluorescent lighting is installed in high-use areas
- Energy Star-rated appliances save energy – refrigerator, heating/cooling, water heater, washing machine and dishwasher
Health and Indoor Air Quality
- Carpeting is limited to a third of the home’s square footage, is tacked instead of glued and is low-pile
- Low toxic materials include formaldehyde-free insulation
- Front porches provide a walk-off area for contaminants (such as leaves and soil)
- Most of the homes have no attached garage
- Homes were ventilated with fans after each application of finishes
Using Materials Wisely and Reducing Waste
- Trees that were cleared from the site were milled into flooring and porch supports, and several trunks are now support columns in the community building
- FSC lumber was used for flooring and kitchen island
Granite countertops provide greater durability
- 50-year siding from James Hardie and 30-year roofing provide exterior durability
- Many building materials were reused or recycled including wood, cardboard, drywall and metal scraps
- Flyash, a recycled byproduct of coal burning, was added to the concrete
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