It's still the roof

The A.11 plan continues to hold; it really seems to work, except perhaps at the entry.

Not sure about the green roof, but a generally sloping ceiling to the trees in the back makes sense for the Trees Room, and I want a high ceiling in the dining room (and ceiling height variety around the entry).

What I don't want is the garage hip roof coming around the corner, impacting the walk to the front door. So I sketched this:

Remember that the design criteria effectively says that the south elevation can go to hell. All that matters is north and maybe west. The flat portion is quite arbitrary, of course. The ridge is where it is now, but that doesn't have to be true--the flat portion could be skinnier or it could be more of a mansard.

Update 3/31/15: Here's revision with a lower flat roof on the garage and stepped flat roofs over the Trees Room. This includes removing overhangs from the flat roofs, extending the entry roof north, and glazing the entry door wall for an MCM inside-outside feel.

What a mess.

Sketching A.11.3

Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Turns out, Seattle DPD has a publication all about GSI, Managing Rainwater (Dec 2010), as well as a website. Another website offers helpful resources, and being RainWise. What we're talking about is a "green roof," and a "rain garden." Projects with 2000 SF or more of new or replaced impervious surface (roof and paving) must implement a GSI. More than 750 SF of new or replaced pavement need drainage review from the Side Sewer desk (the existing driveway is 1,089 SF to the street).

The RainWise site says that this property is not eligible for any RainWise rebate programs.

Rain gardens provide bioretention, designed to get water to soak into the ground. Designed soil mix and native plants work better than a lawn. They also talk about conveyance furrows, kind of a directed French drain. There is a WSU Rain Garden Handbook. Recommended plants for the rain garden are found at Green Factor. The RainWise guide actually says don't do rain gardens, cisterns or rock-filled trenches around steep slopes or slide areas.

Rain water harvesting of 200 to 1000 gallons calls for a cistern. Smaller than 200 gallons is just a rain barrel. Rain water is better for plants than potable (chlorinated) water, but greywater (diverted from the sewer) has more code requirements.

Seattle DPD likes green roofs a lot. Typically less than 4" of "soil-like growing medium." There are extensive and intensive green roofs. Extensive is 10-50 psf, intensive 80-120 psf.

Geotechnical engineer Keith Cross suggested that I read:

• City of Seattle MC - grading = ch 22.170
• City of Seattle MC - ECA = ch 25.09 Directors Rules 4-2015; 17-2011; 18-2011; 3-2007
• City of Seattle MC - stormwater = ch 22.800 Directors Rules 15-2012; 15-2009; 16-2009; 17-2009(*); 18-2009

How about a green roof?

Structural Insulated Panels have bending strength to spare; they make it possible to put a layer of soil on them and grow things on the roof. Such a roof adds insulation and improves stormwater runoff: it captures water for later evaporation and it filters the water that does run off. The soil actually protects the roofing membrane from UV radiation and physical damage.

One study says rainwater runoff is reduced by 75%. According to Wikipedia, "water is stored by the substrate and then taken up by the plants from where it is returned to the atmosphere through transpiration and evaporation. Green roofs not only retain rainwater, but also moderate the temperature of the water and act as natural filters for any of the water that happens to run off."

We're talking about 660 SF of green roof and 2,265 SF composition shingles.

As the project gets more real, it is important to force myself to continue to dream big and not get bogged down by practicalities. Also, I used to think that buyers would be attracted by an "architect-designed" house. Now, with the hydronic heating system and advanced stormwater diversion, I think the appeal shifts to being a cutting edge (the LEEDing edge, if you will), high-efficiency green house.

Another study says a green roof could increase the value of the house by 7%. Academic bullshit aside, I think it might be a win in the Seattle marketplace. As a practical matter, no one knows what it costs. "Yes, I bought the house for under $500,000, but then I installed...the Future!...and now I want $1 million. Any other questions?"

Interior colors

I started doing this in Photoshop, but Benjamin Moore has an excellent online tool.

The basic concept is a whiter ceiling than we have now and a cool grey on the wall with gloss white trim. The existing 6-panel doors are fine, but not in white (it looks like primer). A dark charcoal grey for accent walls. I tried darker shades on the ceiling, but it makes the ceiling oppressive.

No mirror (no heating vent, either).

Thinking of painting the windows black (this one is clear aluminum at the moment).

Green or blue doors. Could be a darker shade (more of a Kelley green). Door hardware black and not a lever.

A.11.2 Trees Room

Just to see how it might feel, I put a hip roof on the Trees Room. It settles in nicely--like a matching throw pillow--and it makes the flat roofs just about disappear. We want a gable at the south end, however, to avoid rain runoff. This way, we just need a gutter at the sides (and some way to direct the east downspout to the front).

Then I thought I'd model an idea I'd had for the window wall--a naturalistic spacing designed to evoke a forest. I like it, but it reminds me of some too-clever 1960s church designs, and I worry that the room is too small for such a gesture. I don't let these concerns rule things out, of course.

The height of the Trees Room ceiling is based on the dining room roof (which, in turn, is based on hiding the existing hip). For this design, I gave up lofting the Trees Room ceiling high enough to accommodate stairs to a future master suite. It bugs me that it's almost high enough.

Kitchen Cabinets

I selected a bunch of ready-to-assemble cabinets from CSHardware.com, just to get a feeling for the cost. I choose a simple panel white painted door style, Wood Trends (Hampton), and listed 16 boxes, including the sink front, two tall pantry units, an over-the-refrigerator design and upper cabinets. The total, including an accurate shipping bid and Seattle tax, came to $7,764.33. I also need about 56 SF of quartz countertop which costs, at $70/SF, $3,920. I suspect these numbers are low, unfortunately.

InnerMost Cabinets - St. Lucia style in bamboo

I'm thinking that something like a vertical bamboo might make a good design theme for the house--vertical striations of random width and spacing mimic the way a grove of tall trees is seen from a given spot.

Ikea BROKHULT

• InnerMost (by Elkay), sold at Home Depot. Full-extension drawers, pull-out corner solution, Two-tier silverware drawer. Soft-close.
• Ikea SEKTION has drawers instead of doors in base cabinets. BROKHULT doors are flush, but the grain runs horizontally.
• Thomasville. Blythe Maple Clove is a simple panel with vertical wood grain. 
• KC Fine Cabinetry - Bothell
• Kitchen Classics by Lowe's doesn't seem to have a flush panel door option.
• KraftMaid is sold at Lowe's. Malibu Maple is a flush panel. Bryant is available in quartersawn cherry, maple, or oak.
• Shenandoah - Sydney is their flush panel (Maple Wheat, Cherry Spice). They have a Utility cabinet with a pantry swing-out kit.
• Diamond calls their flush panel Heyword, but it doesn't look much like bamboo. White and black are options.
• Schuler calls Soho a "mid-century marvel." Cherry and maple.

The countertop might be something like Caesarstone "Fresh Concrete."

Update 3/26/15: A detailed plan using Ikea SEKTION cabinets with BJORKET (Light wood, shaker) doors worked out to less than $6,000. This allows for extras like lighted drawers, and maybe fancier doors--more expensive styles like the gloss white RINGHULT, which is nearly 4.5x the BJORKET doors. BROKHULT is 1.7x the cost of BJORKET.