Toward a Sustainable Cedar Mill
Green Home takes shape in Bonny Slope

Meet the Gatchell’s—Chuck, Melissa, Nate and Dylan. They are currently working with Kurt Kopp, owner of Kopp Construction Company, to build a green certified home on a small “infill” lot that backs to Bonny Slope Park. It’s scheduled for completion in September.

Spray foam insulation installed by JB Insulation of Sherwood is up to 40% more efficient than traditional fiberglass

The home is being built using the United States Green Building Council’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance “green buildings.” LEED certification recognizes and rewards builders for meeting the highest performance standards, and gives homeowners confidence that their home is durable, healthy, and environmentally friendly.

Chuck, who works in strategic planning at Nike, along with Melissa, a doctoral candidate in public health at UCLA, are striving to build a home that has less of an environmental impact, and is healthier and more efficient than the typical American home.  They also hope to inspire others to build green, whether it’s a new home or a remodel project. It’s getting easier, they say, due to recent growth in green home-building resources.

Chuck says, “Throughout this project, we are balancing the needs of a growing family, and the amenities most of us aspire to, with efficiency from a water and energy standpoint.  We’re doing what makes sense for us, while still sticking within the LEED for Homes guidelines.”

For example, they are taking advantage of the sunset view by building up on their small lot. Chuck points out that, “There is a balance between natural light access, which these front windows will provide, and excessive heat (particularly in the summertime) as the sun sets.  We plan to get blinds to address this problem.  That way we can use them as needed. Western Pacific, the subcontractor we are using for windows and doors, is providing fiberglass doors that are Energy Star rated and resilient to weather, water and UV rays as well as windows that are double pane glass with a special coating that cuts down on heat transmission.

Some of the “green” features include a high efficiency furnace and heat pump, installed by Advanced Heating, Energy Star rated appliances, recycled glass countertops and other recycled materials, water efficient fixtures, cork flooring, low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint, as well as many other measures consistent with LEED standards. You can learn more about the project at www.greenpicketfence.org.

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