In the course of a project, we often draw upon people with special expertise. We feel one of the hallmarks of an excellent architectural firm is knowing when and how to ask the right questions and get appropriate, timely and expert answers. The following is a list of the people we might call upon during the course of a project, along with their specialties.
structural engineering
Carissa Farkas Structural Engineering
Carissa Farkas
Seattle, WA
Member, Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
I met Carissa through Passive House Northwest. She is the local expert on structural engineering for Passive House projects. Her first project with us was the Bonaparte Passivhaus Cabin in 2010. Since then she has done the engineering for the Sunset Hill Second Story Addition, preliminary structural consultation on Lakeridge Haus, engineering on a complicated facade renovation on North Capitol Hill, the Multigenerational Passivhaus, and Maple Valley Passivhaus + Permaculture.
Sliderule Engineering Works
Andy Herrick
Auburn, WA
Andy provided structural engineering services on virtually all of our projects from 2003 through 2010 – including the Barbat-Harrison Green Roof Garage, the Harding Home, and the McBride-Prozzo Renovation and many others. Andy has taken the initiative in helping us push the structural envelope (as it were), resulting in the most resource-efficient implementations of structure in our projects possible.
mechanical systems, energy analysis, alternative energy systems
SOLARC Energy Group, LLC
Mike Hatten, PE
Eugene, OR
Mike Hatten is a mechanical engineer I work with on projects that require more sophisticated engineering that I can bring to bear. Mike developed the mechanical systems for the Passivhaus + Permaculture House + Cottage in Maple Valley.
Ecotope, Inc.
Jonathan Heller
Seattle, WA
Ecotope Inc. is a consulting firm specializing in the design and evaluation of energy and resource conservation in the built environment. Active in this field since 1975, Ecotope has worked on literally thousands of projects around the country. They are nationally recognized for their design expertise and their strong commitment to high-quality technical analysis. Ecotope developed the WattSun program currently approved by the state of Washington to evaluate the effects of solar insolation and various building components on energy use and operating costs. We’ve worked with Ecotope in major ways on our feasibility study for an eco-resort at Monte Cristo, the Patterson Home in Sharingwood Co-housing, Lavender Farm, the Williams Home and the Sproull-Radke Green Roof Garage/Workshop.
civil engineering, greywater systems, composting toilets, living machines, bioremediation
2020 Engineering
Mark Buhrer, PE
Bellingham, WA
Mark Buhrer (along with Chris Webb) founded 2020 Engineering in 1995. They were then, and still are, on the cutting edge of sustainable civil engineering in the Pacific Northwest. I most recently worked with Mark on the Passivhaus & Permaculture House + Cottage, on a complicated 15-acre site with wetlands, a stream, steep slopes, and designated forestry acreage.
Herrera Environmental Consultants
Chris Webb, PE
Seattle, WA
Chris Webb is a professional engineer and a LEED™ Accredited Professional who is passionate about providing civil engineering designs that demonstrate the highest degree of sustainability and are based on ecological principles. Chris is a frequent speaker on the technical aspects of sustainability as it is applied in civil engineering. He was part of the design team on Islandwood, the first LEED™ Gold project in Washington State, and Chris has served as a member of the technical advisory group for the US Green Building Council’s LEED™ Rating System (Version 2.0). Chris and I have worked together on a feasibility study for a theater and eco-resort in the town of Monte Cristo, WA (it wasn’t feasible), and two projects with particularly challenging civil engineering, Lavender Farm and both sites of the Multigenerational Passivhaus.
materials and detailing, community design
Archemy Consulting, Ltd.
David Rousseau
Cortez Island, B.C.
Author of Healthy By Design, Environmental by Design, and Your Home, Your Health and Well-being, David Rousseau is arguably the most knowledgeable person in the Northwest when it comes to “green” materials and their specific uses. He is also an accomplished educator and community designer. Beyond the technical, he has an umatched depth of understanding of the spiritual aspects of building. I consider him my mentor and a dear friend. We first met in 1993 when I wrote a review of Environmental By Design for the EcoBuilding Times. David and I collaborated on the design of Medina Courtyard Addition and the Brand Solutions Office. David consults, both officially and unofficially, on almost every project we do. And on a personal note, David officiated at my wedding in 2002.
audio visual and acoustical engineering
MBF Audio/Visual
John Hardwick
Lake Stevens, WA
As a young architect and musician in New York City I spent a fair amount of time inside recording studios, so I have a passing familiarity with what makes rooms for listening and viewing work well, but if your project involves unusually complex acoustic requirements, I will call John. On our Multigenerational Passivhaus project for example he modeled the acoustic characteristics of the double height Great Hall, and recommended materials that would allow conversations to be comfortably heard while it was raining. Designing a sophisticated media room or rehearsal studio would also fall within his purview.