Hardly a newcomer to energy-efficient design, Dwell Development set Seattle, Washington’s green building community abuzz after earning the Emerald City its first Built Green Emerald Star-certified home in September.
The firm’s latest project, located in the densely populated and walkable Admiral district, checks another green milestone off Seattle’s list—this time in the commercial realm.
Dwell’s projects adhere to the rigorous standards of Built Green, a regional building program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties in Washington state. Built Green projects can achieve 3-, 4-, 5-, and Emerald Star certifications, with all levels requiring third party verification. To date, more than 23,000 housing units have been certified to the program, which focuses on energy efficiency, water conservation, and careful use of material resources.
Seattle Live/Work offers two mixed-use sustainable homes designed with progressive systems that provide extreme energy efficiency
Much of the project’s design appeal comes from the firm’s renowned affinity for reclaimed materials—what Dwell Development’s founder, Anthony Maschmedt, calls “the secret sauce.” In line with other Dwell homes, reclaimed materials were integrated wherever possible.
His wife, Abbey Maschmedt, heads the firm’s interior design division and works with a team that specializes in scouting old barns and farmhouses that have outlived code regulations or their maintenance value and are facing demolition.