Scott Residence
After living for several years in a spec house in the planned community of Snoqualmie Ridge, the owners purchased a lot in the development to build a new custom house. Their goals included less floor area than their current house, superior indoor air quality, and quality construction.

The barren lot sloped gently down from back to front, then dropped about 8 feet down a bank to the street edge. Siting the new house was further complicated by a height restriction which allowed a house only about 20 feet above grade, so as not to be visible from nearby Snoqualmie Falls.

Our solution was to bury the lower floor into the hill at street level, and then set the upper floor even with grade at the back yard. A grand stair leads visitors from the sidewalk up between the house and the detached garage to the front door at the second level. The front of the house features a two-story porch for its full width, from which the family can enjoy the stunning view west up the Snoqualmie Valley to the Cascade Mountains.
View of Cascade foothills from entry deck
House at left, garage at right (still under construction)
The upstairs floor plan has three bedrooms at the south with two bathrooms between, including a shared walk-in shower room. A great room lies in the middle, combining living room, dining room, and generous kitchen under a vaulted ceiling. Doors flanking the soapstone fireplace lead to an enclosed back porch for additional sitting area and a small swimming pool. A study with mountain views to west and north sits next to the entry foyer, with its stair down to the lower level.

The lower level includes a mud room, an exercise room, a combined media room and children's play room, guest bedroom and bath, and laundry room. A covered passage leads to the separate two-car garage, which has a home office above.

The exterior is sided in prestained cedar shingles and bevel siding, accented with white painted wood trim. Windows are Douglas fir with low E argon filled glass. A standing seam metal roof is coated to reflect the sun's heat in summer, a so-called "cool roof." The house exterior passed the design review process of the Snoqualmie Ridge Architectural Committee.
Garage with home office above
Eave bracket detail Garage door Entry stair viewed from sidewalk
An independent verifier awarded the house a Built Green 4 Star certification. Ecological design features include best management practices during the extensive excavation, formaldehyde free insulation, cabinets, and trim, and no carpet anywhere in the house.

Careful attention was paid to reducing infiltration of wind driven rain in the face of the site's 90 mph winter winds (the owner's previous home had suffered water damage). The tightness of the building envelope, as well as its ductwork, were tested using a blower door apparatues.

The mechanical systems are first class. Heat is provided by a gas fired boiler with hydronic tubing for distribution to radiant floors at both levels. A heat recovery ventilator provides pressurized, HEPA filtered fresh air to all the living rooms while capturing waste heat from the stale exhaust air.
Colored pencil design sketch of exterior materials