DESIGN NARRATIVE:
Perched high upon Yeomalt Bluff, the Ellis Residence enjoys a commanding 180-degree view of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline. Owners Ed and Joanne Ellis had a special goal in mind when they decided to build a sustainable home in the beautiful surroundings of Bainbridge Island, WA. Their goal was two-fold: they wanted to prove that sustainability can be achieved without compromising a modern aesthetic design and they wanted to motivate others to follow suit.
The Ellis's are proud to live in the first LEEDİ Platinum home outside the city of Seattle. The design limits its impact on the environment with a multitude of sustainable practices. By implementing geothermal, photovoltaic, solar hot water, and advanced heat-recovery technologies this home has succeeded in reducing its energy consumption by more than 70% compared to a typical home. The home also makes use of rain water cisterns for irrigation of native landscaping and a vegetated roof. Rather than demolishing the existing structure on the site, the team deconstructed, it effectively diverting 98% of its material from the landfill.
The home features intimate multi-use spaces that frame exceptional views of Seattle across Puget Sound. The view is best enjoyed from the dining and living room's large expanse of glass windows and doors that open out to a concrete patio. Another great location to capture the vistas beyond is the sunken concrete tub in the master bath and on the accessible vegetated roof.
The anticipation of Ed and Joanne's unique goal encompassed a 3 year process. This is a small price to pay when your home is a model of sustainability. Ed states it best when he describes the first morning in their home. When I saw the sunrise with the skyline of Seattle as a backdrop the whole process was all worth it.
