Ellis Residence / Coates Design

Bainbridge Island, Coates Design, LEED Platinum, USA, Washington

Perched high upon Yeomalt Bluff, the Ellis Residence enjoys a commanding 180-degree view of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline. The owners requested that the residence be sustainable, and the resulting design by Coates Design is the first LEED Platinum home outside the city of Seattle.

Architects: Coates Design
Location: Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA
General Contractor: Smallwood Design and Construction
Landscape Architect: Outdoor Studio
Structural Engineering: Quantum Consulting Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Sound MechanicalInterior Designer: All in the DetailsProject Area: 2,560 sqfProject Year: 2010Photographs: Northernlight Photography

The owners had a special goal in mind when they decided to build a sustainable home in the beautiful surroundings of Bainbridge Island, WA. The owners' 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 design limits its impact on the environment with a multitude of sustainable practices. Through implementation of geothermal, photovoltaic, solar hot water, and advanced heat-recovery technologies this home has succeeded in reducing the energy consumption by more than 70% compared to a typical home construction. The home also makes use of rain water cisterns for irrigation of native landscaping and a vegetated roof. The project's ecologically small footprint was not just constrained to the construction of the new house. 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 seen from the dining/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 the owners, 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…"