Project Description
Cascade Built has completed its second Passive House project and Seattle’s first Passive House-constructed townhomes. Designed by award-winning b9 Architects, 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.
Homes built to Passive House standards consume 80-90% less heating energy than traditionally built homes. This is achieved with an air-tight, super-insulated building envelope and the capture of solar heat gains through high-performance south facing windows. “It’s about building homes that I would live in with my own family,” continued Ritchie. Ritchie did just that with View Haus 5, his second Passive House project. The first, Park Passive, he lives in with his family.
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.
“We know that buildings are the number one consumer of energy in the world, and we know how to change that, but that’s not even what is so amazing about Passive House construction,” continued Ritchie. “For me and my family, it’s an overall improvement in our health and happiness – living comfortably and being mindful of how comfortable it is to sit in front of windows in the middle of winter and not feel an ounce of cold, drafty air.”
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.