And Batt + Lear didn’t just stop at the rooftops — in addition to the main SolTerra Systems-designed green roof, there's also three minor ones — in the sustainable, neighbor-pleasing landscaping department. A concrete living wall, thought to be largest residential living wall in the Northwest, was erected in the front of the home adjacent to the sidewalk while rain gardens, planter boxes, and a robust rainwater catchment system help the home achieve 100 percent rainwater infiltration. 

And then there’s the not-so-insignificant matter of energy efficiency. Thanks to new insulation, a solar water heating system, a 4.6 kW solar PV array (the panels were manufactured by Silicon Energy in Washington), and other energy-saving upgrades, the newly remodeled home is modeled to perform at a rate that’s 63 percent more efficient than the new construction energy code. What’s more, the deconstruction-happy project placed an overall emphasis on the recycling/reuse of existing building materials. Materials that were not salvaged from the existing home and reused — the cabinets in one bathroom, for example, are constructed from salvaged wood beams in the home’s basement — were sourced from local manufacturers.