Weak economy delaying Felida green home project

The soft economy is delaying the construction of a hyper-green home in Felida.

Yet, despite uncertain financing due to the national mortgage meltdown, advocates of the home say they are determined to build a house that generates as much energy as it consumes, that captures and re-uses all of its own water, and that provides as much value to wildlife as it does to its human inhabitants.

In fact, they said, the delay provides more time to get the design right.

“The Felida living house project is still moving forward,” builder John Fazzolari wrote in an e-mail last week. “I expect that the current financial and mortgage markets will have an impact on if and when we are able to obtain financing, but we are still moving forward with no plans to stop.”

Fazzolari and Brandon Tauscher, director of the nonprofit group Project Green Build, hatched the idea for the home a year ago.

Working with an ad hoc team of experts, most of whom volunteer their time, the group continues to meet regularly to hash out the details of a home that meets the greenest of green certification standards: The Living Building Challenge.

Overseen by the nonprofit Cascadia Region Green Building Council, the challenge calls on builders to meet 16 prerequisites under six broad categories of sustainability: site design; energy; materials; water; indoor environment; and beauty and inspiration.

As with any prototype, achieving a set of cutting-edge goals won’t be cheap.

Because designers envision using the latest in technology — solar panels alone will cost upwards of $80,000 — the 1,780-square-foot house will be expensive. Though organizers are trying to offset some of the costs with government or foundation grants, a lender ultimately must be convinced that Fazzolari can find a buyer willing to pay top dollar for a house with a composting toilet.

It’s a tough time to ask for money, in light of a national credit freeze and local housing glut.

“Projects are being frozen or put on hold,” said Timothy Buckley, a Vancouver architect working with the project. “It’s that cascading effect, and this project is no exception.”

On the plus side, the project earlier this month won a waiver from Clark County planners who will allow on-site gray water treatment as long as it has an emergency or overflow connection to the public sewer system. On-site wastewater treatment is unique on such a small lot within Vancouver’s urban growth boundary.

Organizers are continuing to fine-tune design details, shooting for construction to begin next spring.

“I don’t think this project is, in any way, shape or form, going to stop the green building movement,” Tauscher said. “But, in order for it to be something people are comfortable with, you don’t want a project that utterly fails from an economic sense.”

Erik Robinson: 360-735-4551, or erik.robinson@columbian.com.