Case Study: View Haus 5

This multi-family development boasts Seattle’s first Passive House-constructed townhomes. Designed by award-winning b9 architects, inc. and constructed by Cascade Built, View Haus 5 has five distinct homes that were designed to appeal to a diverse group of buyers with a few commonalities. “The buyers of these homes understand the role air toxins play in asthma and allergies, are happiest when they can focus on living and not how much their utility bills will cost during a particularly cold winter, love the accessibility of living in the urban core, and they are visionaries in a larger global movement to reduce energy consumption,” said Cascade Built owner, Sloan Ritchie. View Haus 5 is aptly named for its five-unit community.

Passive House design and striking views of the Cascade Mountains.  The project’s modern designed units are a mix of 3-story 2b/2ba and 3bd/2ba townhomes ranging between 1,100   and 1,700 square feet. Unlike most townhomes that are mirror units or have one unit type for the entire complex, View Haus 5 bucks the cookie cutter trend with individually designed units.

The homes are clad with 100-year old reclaimed barn wood, outdoor spaces include a central common courtyard and private rooftop decks with gas BBQ piping. Interiors offer an open floor plan, large windows, double-height spaces, LED lighting, and modern finishes.

View Haus 5 offers striking views of the Cascade Mountains. The Zola European Windows and Doors provide clean lines and highlight the surroundings.  Windows and doors from Zola’s popular, budget-friendly Thermo uPVC line were specified for the project.

We interviewed architect Bradley Kouri and builder Sloan Ritchie recently about the project.  Brad Kouri is the principal and founder of b9 architect.  Sloan Ritchie is the founder of Cascade Built and a pioneer in Seattle’s residential green building market.  A LEED accredited and Passive House certified builder, Sloan draws upon his understanding of building science and decade of experience as a green builder to construct the city’s most energy-efficient, high performance and long-lasting homes.

What was your design inspiration for this project?

Bradley Kouri: ​“View Haus 5 was designed and developed with a holistic approach and with the intention to promote sustainable, innovative and high quality design and construction.  The design process of View Haus 5 clearly demonstrates how architects and clients work together to reach innovative solutions. The site’s potential for adding meaningful density is balanced with a priority on design and building performance. The project includes the first Passivhaus certified townhouse in Washington state. It features locally sourced high quality, sustainable materials and relies heavily on building systems.”      

What was the design challenge for this project?

Bradley Khouri: “Our primary challenge was applying Passivhaus building performance standards to a multi-unit townhome project on a significantly sloped site. This commitment to the project’s goals required a significant collaboration between the client and architect as well as the consultants.  Detailing with the goals of achieving Passivhaus produced a building that far exceeds code requirements and sets an example for how infill development can minimize its footprint and succeed in its market.”

What makes this project outstanding?

Bradley Khouri: “The project displays an incredible commitment to design execution balanced with building performance.  Thoughtful, simple architectural details and strategic systems are applied consistently throughout the project.”

What was your personal design theory or focus for this project?

Bradley Khouri: “The design concept grows out of an innovative approach to infill development in Seattle on a narrow site.  The site plan is organized with two homes fronting onto the adjacent street, two homes facing the alley and eastern views to the Cascade Mountains and Lake Washington and one home in the center elevated above a shared central courtyard. The structure follows the topography, stepping down from the street to the alley. The project’s massing is articulated at a human scale, distinguished by the use of three materials and detailed design elements.  A walkway along the south side connects the courtyard to the street and the alley parking at the rear. Existing topography is utilized to maximize the pedestrian experience and minimize the automobile by providing parking below the courtyard level.”

What are your some of your favorite construction products used on this project?

Sloan Ritchie: “Salvaged barnwood from Utah, site-reclaimed Douglas Fir rafters milled into windowsills, mini-splits, and Zola tilt-turn windows.”

What product lines did you use from Zola for windows and doors?

Sloan Ritchie: “Two of the units used the Thermo uPVC tilt-turn, and 3 units used the double pane Classic uPVC.”

Why did you choose these product lines?

Sloan Ritchie: “We certified one unit Passivhaus, so we needed the performance of the Thermo, and wanted the tilt-turn with airtight gaskets for all the rest, even though we didn’t need quite as high a U-value performance.”

What is your favorite Zola product?

Sloan Ritchie: “The Thermo uPVC tilt-turn.”

What do you like about Tilt-Turn windows? Why do you think more Americans might consider using them?

Sloan Ritchie: “We already knew about tilt-turn windows. They are much better than leaky old sliders, but Americans don’t know until they see it. Because of my familiarity with tilt-turn​ windows (my wife is German and we visit often) I have been looking for opportunities to use ​them ​in our projects for years.”

What is the view you see from the windows or doors from the house?  What does it look like?

Sloan Ritchie: “Views are of the Valley, and some Cascade mountain range views, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount Stuart.”

Sloan Ritchie, owner of Cascade Built,  is a graduate of Whitman College, an MBA graduate of the University of Washington, and a sustainable building advisor graduate.  He speaks on the topic of residential green building and Passive House constructed homes, and is featured in a myriad of publications for his homes and expertise.

His mission is to change the way homes are built in Seattle and the way people in these homes think about their quality of life. He seeks to educate consumer audiences on benefits of choosing a high performance, passive house-constructed home, and refute myths that prevent the benefit of green homes from being realized.

Bradley Khouri, AIA, is the Principal and founder of b9 architects inc. in Seattle, Washington. Bradley has served on the Board of Directors of AIA Seattle and Design in Public as well as on the Seattle Planning Commission.  Bradley teaches Architectural Design studios part-time at the University of Washington, College of Built Environments and serves on juries regularly.  Bradley has lectured on topics including the relationship between BIM and small practice, density and housing, material sourcing and sustainability as well as community development and social connectivity in b9’s work. Bradley received his Master of Architecture at Harvard University in 1996 and B.A. at Washington University in 1992.

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