Project Scope

Located on a 12,500 square foot vacant lot in Northeast Portland’s Russell Neighborhood, the Water House will highlight water and energy efficient site design and construction. The home will have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (2,119 sq ft) and attached garage (436 sq ft). A 600 square foot guest house (Accessory Dwelling Unit) will be a part of the property, and will include 1 bedroom and bath. The project will also include water efficient and nature-friendly landscaping.

The Water House shall exceed requirements to Earth Advantage Homes Platinum and Energy Star Certification whereby exceeding the 2008 Energy Code efficiency by at least 30%. The project will also achieve WaterSense certification, which is a new EPA sponsored labeling system. It will be among the first to receive an Energy Performance Score (EPS) through the Energy Trust of Oregon that assesses the carbon impact and functions like a mile-per-gallon rating for the home.

This innovative project will generate construction in the Portland area that will:

1. Provide the public and the development industry with hands on information about the building and landscape methods necessary to build energy efficient and nature friendly landscaped homes.
2. Showcase those products, services and materials available for energy efficient and nature-friendly landscaped homes.
3. This home will be Earth Advantage^® Platinum certified and Energy Star^® certified. Efficiency improvements will also be quantified in an Energy Performance Score that assesses utility costs and carbon impacts and functions like a miles-per-gallon rating for the home.
4. The Portland Water Bureau will sell an unneeded property, while supporting green building and water conservation practices in the process.
5. Sell one more energy efficient and nature friendly landscaped home.

The Water House will also be a demonstration in the power of partnerships, and will showcase some of the best talents and products in the region:

• The custom plan has been designed by Alan Mascord Design Associates at cost.
• Earth Advantage Institute and Energy Trust of Oregon are contributing in-kind services along with the costs of certifications for this home.
• MIG was selected to design the landscape plan. Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods program was consulted on the landscape plan, including a rain garden. Nature-friendly development practices help protect water quality and keep local streams and rivers healthy for people, fish and wildlife.

Background

This particular piece of surplus property was obtained when the bureau annexed the Richland Water District in 1990 and had two wells. The wells had never been used by the Portland Water Bureau to supply water, and were deemed unnecessary to the supply system. The two wells were decommissioned in the summer of 2008. The vacant lot is located in the Russell Neighborhood and surrounded by existing homes. The Portland Water Bureau could have sold the property as-is, but decided against selling to a developer. It made more sense to contract with a green builder, in order to leverage a higher sale price, rather than sell the property at a low price in a down real estate market. Since promoting good neighborhood infill design is a goal of the City of Portland, the responsible option was to partner on this innovative and sustainable project with the development community and neighbors.