With energy prices at all-time highs, we feel there’s never been a better time for energy-efficient, in-city new homes. At the same time foreclosures are hitting the suburbs, Seattle remains almost uniquely positioned in the US as a city with consistently firm values in real estate. And with all the news about a downturn in the real estate market, there’s still no shortage of data to show that people prefer new construction within easy walking distance of public transportation.

We believe that the planning and investment made in our neighborhood by Sound Transit , along with an emerging public awareness of the real costs of energy and resource use, will mean continued strong demand for our projects. You don’t have to be an economist to realize that neighborhoods like Columbia City represent the best of what Seattle has to offer.

So while many builders (and their banks) have been cutting back, we’re expanding. We’ve been very fortunate to find private equity partners who see things the way we do, which allows us to solidify and expand our range of developments.



In addition to our South Mead project, we’ll be starting five more new homes within the next six months. These include two homes at the Columbia City Green Development and three at the South Bennett Development. We should have them all completed in late 2009.

Our three design goals have been; 1) Simplify, 2) Heal the site, and 3) Create a Dialogue with the Surroundings.



As we learn more, our homes get smarter in their consumption of energy and resources, and we get closer to our goal of zero-net energy use for each project. All of our homes will substantially exceed current Building Code standards of energy efficiency (sometimes called “worst allowable by law”), and each home makes an effort toward regenerative design.