It’s fair to say that most of the easy-to-build lots in Bellingham have been built on. Hillsides, steep sites, and cliff edges are notoriously difficult to build on. Chuckanut Builders loves a challenge – so we take a different approach. Namely, we bring in the experts to ensure that it’s safe, and then we start brainstorming.
Our friends at Earthbound Homes recently visited to tour the Madrona House – a stunning, high-performance home designed by Graham Baba Architects. Perched on a cliff between Chuckanut Drive and the Teddy Bear Cove, this home is surrounded by trees with sweeping bay views. Initially, the lot was nearly unwalkable! It’s fair to say that it hasn’t been an easy build. By working with the land instead of against it, geological engineers identified solid sandstone beneath the site, unlocking a cost-effective foundation design. And, to avoid a massive concrete retaining wall, we utilized a geo-grid for a more natural solution to the slope – saving the homeowner hundreds of thousands of dollars and significantly reducing the project’s carbon footprint.
To learn more about the build, check out the videos on the Earthbound Homes YouTube channel — including an in-depth look at the site design story and a deep dive into the foundation solution that made it all possible.
(Photo credit: BJ Cassell, Confluence Building)