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PROJECT AT A GLANCE Matthei Place
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Project Type: New Construction
Kulshan Community Land Trust
Ownership/Rental: Home Ownership
Project Completion Date: Dec. 2007
Size:
14 homes
13,412 total sq. ft.
<1 acre; 14 units/acre
Affordability:
All 14 units are affordable based on
household earnings as a percentage
of area median income (AMI):
- 13 units 51-80% AMI
- 1 unit 31-50% AMI
Project Team:
Developer: Kulshan Community Land
Trust
Architect: Zervas Group Architects
Contractor: Wellman & Zuck
Green Consultant: O’Brien & Co.
Engineering: Wilson Engineering, plus
Chris Webb, P.E.
Landscape Design: Common Ground
Environmental
Development Cost:
Land cost : $155,000
Hard costs: $2,468,000
Soft costs: $911,000 Developed by the Kulshan Community Land Trust (CLT), Matthei Place is
Total: $3,534,000 comprised of 14 single-family homes on less than one acre in the City of
Cost/(Savings) of Greening: Bellingham, Washington. Named to commemorate a long-time leader in
Total Cost of Greening: $240,400 community development and permanently affordable homes (Chuck Matthei),
Rebates and Grants: $6,400 the project is a successful example of an urban infill project with compact,
Net Cost of Greening: $234,000 energy efficient, affordable homes in synch with its thriving neighborhood.
Matthei Place provides two and three bedroom homes ranging from 860 to
Standards Used: 1210 square feet for first-time homebuyers, in close proximity to the full
LEED for Homes Pilot project (Silver range of urban amenities, including schools, parks, shopping, and public
rating expected) transportation. Matthei Place serves as a pilot project for the “LEED for
Homes” program, and all homes comply with LEED standards. Following the
Key Green Features:
community land trust strategy, a 99-year renewable ground lease ensures
• Urban infill site with high density of
Matthei Place homes will remain affordable without additional community
compact homes in close proximity
equity or subsidy. One-time community investment through mortgage gap
to public transportation and all
financing bridged the gap between the cost of building the project and the
urban amenities
prices set for what low-income homebuyers could afford. When a home is
• Homes are “built tight” and are 15-
resold, the CLT’s shared equity strategy provides the homeseller with a
20% more efficient than code, with
reasonable rate of return, while retaining the home’s long-term affordability.
efficient fresh air ventilation
• Low-flow fixtures meet or exceed Greening Goals
Energy Star standards
Kulshan CLT’s goals for Matthei Place were three-fold: (1) to utilize the
• Landscaping with drought-tolerant
community land trust strategy in a smart-site location to create as many
native species
units of high quality, energy efficient, permanently affordable homes as
• Pervious concrete parking and site
appropriate for the site; (2) to utilize the City of Bellingham’s Demonstration
landscape design reduce runoff
Program for Innovative Permanently Affordable Homeownership Projects to
• Low VOC adhesives, caulking and
show that dense urban infill can be achieved in a positive, sustainable and
paints; certified carpet
affordable way; and (3) to become a successful pilot project for the LEED for
• Shared 28-bike storage facility
Homes rating system.
Matthei Place| 1
Green Features
Integrated Design Process
Kulshan CLT’s integrated design process included a two-part charrette with all
key team members – an initial goal setting meeting, followed a month later by
the charrette itself – to agree on a set of green project goals and integrate
sustainable design principles into Matthei Place. Supported by a grant from
Green Communities, the team reviewed the requirements of the Green
Communities and LEED for Homes programs, reviewed greening strategies in
relation to project goals, completed a rough assessment of how proposed
strategies would score under the two programs, and developed a set of
priorities for the design team based on the LEED for Homes Pilot Project.
Site Design/Landscape Planning
The homes at Matthei Place were designed to maximize common space shared GREEN HIGHLIGHTS
by residents and minimize environmental intrusion. Intensive landscaping,
• Compact site with small homes,
utilizing more than 4,700 native-bred, drought resistant plants aimed to
from 860 to 1,210 square feet
restore native flora and fauna to the site. Homes are generally oriented to
take advantage of passive solar heating and cooling. Parking is kept to the • Excellent access to local and
perimeter of the site and utilizes pervious pavement that drains to an regional public transportation
underground detention vault, and a rain garden in the interior of the graveled • Integrated design process that
common walkways promotes drainage and infiltration. prioritized green attributes based
Location and Linkages on LEED for Homes Pilot Project
Kulshan CLT considers Matthei Place’s location as perhaps its most significant • Advanced framing techniques and
green characteristic. Not only is the project on an urban infill site with direct local engineered trusses used
links to the full range of existing utility infrastructure, Matthei Place is within • Well insulated envelope with low-
one mile of several public schools, an historic commercial district with jobs, toxicity insulation
shops, services, a farmers market, a public library, a fire station, city parks, a
• Tight buildings with good moisture
performance arts center, and places of worship. Three city bus lines offer a
control and ventilation through
combined five buses each hour, and within one mile are national bus, Amtrak
trickle vent intakes and continually
train, and ferry service to Alaska. Also, a timber–framed shared bike barn was
operating exhaust fans
constructed on the site by volunteers from a local company, which encourages
residents to take advantage of Matthei Place’s accessible location. • Energy Star appliances and
lighting fixtures
Building Design Greening
• Low-flow water fixtures
Energy: In addition to the orientating the buildings to maximize passive solar
• Native landscaping reduces need
energy, Kulshan CLT engaged the Building Performance Center of a local
for irrigation
community action center to analyze the options for energy efficient heating
systems from a life-cycle perspective. A zoned, programmable electric • Rain garden and underground
resistance heating system was recommended and installed as more efficient, rainwater storage promote
less expensive and superior environmentally to natural gas for these small, infiltration and minimize runoff
well-insulated homes. Low-toxicity insulation was used throughout Matthei • Reused or recycled 90% of
Place. Walls have both rigid bats and blown-in insulation with R values of 19- construction waste
26.5. Ceilings are R-38. Air leakage was minimized by tightly sealing all
penetrations between interior spaces and foundation, and exterior envelope. • Used fiber-cement board siding
Windows are double-paned argon filled with a .32 U value rating. Interior light reduce raw material use and
fixtures are Energy Star rated and use fluorescent bulbs; exterior lights use enhance durability
daylight sensors. • Commissioning by third party as
Indoor Air Quality: Heat is ductless electric and kitchen appliances are all part of LEED certification, including
electric. Kitchen range vents and bathroom exhaust fans vent to the out of Energy Star modeling and building
doors. To provide ventilation and for moisture control, fresh air is drawn envelope testing
through window or wall trickle vents and exhausted through quiet-running • Homeowners trained and provided
fans in the upstairs bathrooms, which are pre-programmed for continual written manuals to maximize
operation. No-VOC interior paint and low-VOC exterior paint, adhesives and function, environmental benefits,
caulking are used throughout, as are low-emitting carpets. and sustainability of their homes
continued on page 3
Matthei Place| 2
Green Features cont. Project Financing
Resource Conservation: The overall design of Matthei Place with small, Predevelopment and construction
durable homes contributes to resource conservation. Advanced framing financing comprised loans from
techniques were employed and locally engineered and fabricated wood roof Impact Capital, Federal Home Loan
trusses were used throughout. Materials used with recycled content include Bank of Seattle, Washington
used roof decking for the timber-framed bike barn, insulation with 20% Mutual, City of Bellingham HOME
recycled content, and carpet (which is also recyclable). Kulshan CLT and the funds, Peoples Bank, and Kulshan
contractor developed a waste management plan to reuse or recycle up to CLT donors and members.
85% of construction waste. Actually diverting 90% from landfill, the project Homeowners’ mortgages covered
achieved a 60% waste reduction from the national average, with just over just over $2 million of the cost of
one pound of waste per square foot of conditioned space (7.39 tons from the permanent financing. In addition,
14,412 total square feet of Matthei Place homes) disposed in a landfill. more than $1 million in “mortgage
Contributing to this was that excess building materials were donated to the gap financing” was received from
local REStore organization that sells used and recycled building materials. the Washington State Housing Trust
Water Conservation: All water fixtures are low-flow and meet or exceed Fund, the State’s Housing Finance
Energy Star standards of 1.5 gallons per minute for faucets and showerheads Commission’s HouseKey Plus CLT
and 1.5 gallons per flush for toilets. Energy Star washing machines and mortgage assistance program, the
dishwashers were also utilized to reduce water use and sewage outflow. City of Bellingham’s federal HOME
Landscaping at Matthei Place is with native, drought resistant plants that do funds, the Federal Home Loan Bank
not require irrigation. Also, all parking areas have pervious pavement, and of Seattle, and others. Some of the
between the buildings gravel walkways and a rain garden promote infiltration. costs of greening Matthei Place
were covered by a small rebate
Commissioning: As part of the process for LEED certification, commissioning from Puget Sound Energy through
was performed for Matthei Place homes, including Energy Star modeling and the Energy Star Advanced Lighting
building envelope testing. A third party certifier conducted a blower Program and a grant from
pressurization test to verify the homes’ leakage rate, which tested at .235 air Enterprise Community Partners’
changes per hour or better, roughly 33% better than a code-built home. The Green Communities Initiative, to
project’s waste reduction achievements were also third-party certified. defray the cost of design and
planning to comply with LEED.
Resident Education: Prior to moving in, prospective homeowners were
invited to three site tours where experts gave talks about the homes’ energy Cost of Greening Project
efficient features, landscaping scheme, and other amenities to acquaint future Incorporating the green elements at
homeowners with the systems at Matthei Place. After purchasing their homes, Matthei Place (e.g., the stormwater
homeowners were given an Operations and Maintenance Manual that includes detention vault, pervious pavement)
information on best practices for maintaining their green home, warranties on cost an estimated $240,000 or 7%
appliances and mechanical systems, water and energy conservation tips, and of total project costs.
information on non-toxic cleaners and pesticides. Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCA)
No formal LCA was performed, but
Occupant Satisfaction the project’s experienced team
“Housing prices have created conditions where a large segment of our considered durability and energy
community can’t enter the housing market at any level. Kulshan CLT efficiency in material and equipment
addresses this fact and offers an enlightened path to maintaining a healthy selection. The evaluation of heating
and diverse community. Living in Matthei Place will help me build friendships system options, for example,
with other homeowners, and also contribute to the neighborhood.” considered both initial and long-
— Matthei Place Resident term costs, and estimated at least
15% energy savings compared to
code-built homes.
MEASURABLE BENEFITS
• Energy Efficiency: Estimated to save at least 15% of energy use (and costs) compared to code-built homes.
• Waste Minimization: 90% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill, sending just over one pound of
waste per square foot (7.39 tons from the project’s 14,412 total square feet) to landfills.
• Financing: Raised over $1 million in mortgage gap financing, which will allow Matthei Place homes to remain
affordable for future generations without the infusion of further subsidy.
Matthei Place| 3
“For a young organization, Looking Ahead
Kulshan CLT has completed an
impressive project with Matthei Challenges
Place. The experienced design Kulshan CLT faced the common challenge of trying to build high-quality
team showed real creativity in green homes while keeping them affordable for homebuyers below 80% of
working with the City to the area median income. The Trust was able to create “mortgage gap
maximize the number of homes financing” with four layers of community equity plus below-market rate
on the site. The combination of mortgages that kept purchase prices affordable. Permitting also presented a
small homes in a dense central significant challenge, as the process in Bellingham is not designed to
location, and the development encourage affordable small homes on small lots. Kulshan CLT worked
team’s comprehensive attention creatively with City government and the neighborhood to maximize the
to many greening details, makes number of homes on the site, but permitting took three years from the date
Matthei Place an exemplary of land acquisition. The lengthy permitting process added costs to the project
project. That this was achieved and, in order to maintain affordability, certain sustainability goals (e.g.,
by a community land trust and super-high efficiency heating and appliances) were not met. Finally, the Trust
the homes will remain found the various green standards contradictory.
affordable in perpetuity, makes
the project all the more Partnerships
impressive.” As with its other projects, Kulshan CLT established numerous partnerships in
successfully planning and developing Matthei Place. The Trust purchased the
- Member, Awards Advisory site from the City of Bellingham in 2004, and began working closely with
Committee neighbors and the City to design a project for sustainable homes that fit well
in the neighborhood. The project team itself was also a partnership, involving
close coordination among all the key firms in the integrated design process
Contacts and throughout construction, including the architect, general contractor, civil
engineer, green building expert and LEED certifier, and landscape architect.
Kulshan Community Land Trust Kulshan CLT’s strong working relationships with funders, including Enterprise
Community Partners, local banks, and state agencies was critical.
Paul Schissler
Executive Director Policy/Practice Implications
(360) 671-5600
info@kclt.org In successfully completing Matthei Place, Kulshan CLT pursued several
innovate strategies to maximize the number of homes on the site under the
current building code, while minimizing neighborhood impacts. First, the
project engineer gained space by designing an underground stormwater
detention vault to replace the detention pond for the adjacent City fire
station. Second, Bellingham created a Demonstration Program for Innovative
Permanently Affordable Homeownership Projects, which allowed Matthei
place to earn a density bonus and waive certain development standards. And
third, the City vacated an adjacent street, which increased the size of the
site.
City of Bellingham
Tim Stewart
Director
Department of Planning & Community
Development
(360) 778-8300
cd@cob.org
Matthei Place| 4
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