When Vana and I had the opportunity to design and build this house, we wanted to involve as many of our friends and our community as possible, so we began by holding a blessing ceremony on the vacant lot. Our friends wrote their good wishes for the future house, put the papers in a fire, and the ashes were buried, so they are now under the finished house. We also chose designs so that our friends could participate in the construction. For example, a clay artist installed the finish living room floor and a cob wall. Another installed the clay plaster on the walls. A class at PSU taught by a friend volunteered  to install the ecoroof. Some walls and ceilings were painted by friends who are artists. Our kids each made ceramic kitchen tiles.

We also wanted to reduce the embodied energy and environmental impact of the house, so wherever possible we chose reused, recycled and salvage materials. For example, all the interior doors are reused, and all the interior wood trim is from trees blown down in a storm. The extra-thick walls are insulated with blown-in recycled cellulose and denim fiber. Some walls are built with blocks made of cement-coated recycled wood. The floor slab perimeter is insulated with batts made from waste slag. Wherever we could, we selected low-impact options.

To reduce operating energy, we followed the Earth Advantage standard, so the house is very well insulated and sealed against air leaks. That means it remains comfortable for much of the year with no heating or cooling. We installed solar water panels, which provide about half of the annual heating. Our roof is prepped for PVs when we can afford to install them in the future. 

Our house is, we hope, a welcoming place for our family and friends, and next year we plan to be here for the fall tour, so we’ll see you then!