Why FSC Was Important to This Project
This project used FSC-certified products because of their decision to make the house as “green” as possible. As a spec project, part of the challenge was finding a way to point out to potential home-buyers all of the sustainable aspects of the house, including many things (like the FSC-certified lumber) that were not actually visible when the house was on the market.
In the end the project was a success because the demographic that was interested in the house (the owners that bought it, along with others) said it stood out from other projects because of the extent of green-ness incorporated into its design and construction. Builders in the Seattle area often market their homes as “green” because they have 1 or 2 sustainable “features,” but the Phinney House is sustainable throughout, and the FSC-certified wood used in it was an important part of that.
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Project Name: Phinney Ridge House
Location: Seattle, WA
Building Type: Single-Family House
Square Footage: 2,800
Owner: Raja and Lipika Mukerji
Architect: Jim Burton, BLIP design
Use of FSC-certified Wood
This project made use of FSC-certified framing lumber and plywood, provided by Dunn Lumber in Seattle, WA. When the project began, the FSC-certified framing lumber was only available in 2x6 or smaller sizes. But the time the project was completed, and a market had been established for the product, the supplier carried up to 2x12 pieces.
In additional, all cabinets are constructed of Columbia Forest Products’ EcoColors, and FSC-certified particleboard core with a zero-emission UV cured acrylic finish. Cabinet doors and drawer fronts are FSC-certified Europly, as are all the interior slab panel doors.
In total, FSC-certified products comprised 40% of all wood used on the project.
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