Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in the Register-Guard on January 22, 2009 as we were finishing the WaterShed. It is no longer available online, so we’ve shared it here.
Watershed: A critical point that marks a division or a change of course; a turning point. That is one definition of the word "watershed." Fittingly, Jeff and Victoria Wilson-Charles named their residential and commercial development in downtown Eugene the WaterShed building-and one turning point they hope the structure represents is toward greener, cleaner ways of designing, building and operating homes.
The recently completed building, at the corner of Third Avenue and Mill Street just south of Ferry Street Bridge, is perhaps the city's high-profile showcase of green materials and technologies melded together in a multi-family residential setting.
The development includes five residential units and two ground-level commercial spaces, arranged around a courtyard highlighted by custom metalwork, unique lighting and a central fountain. Inside and out, the owners opted for earth-friendly, efficient and long-lasting materials and designs.
"It's not 'Respect the environment unless it costs too much," Jeff Wilson-Charles told The Register-Guard when the project broke ground in the summer of 2006. "You have to run your business, your life and your development with the values you're trying to instill in your kids."
Now finished, the building has a very "now" appearance with its Northwest contemporary design marked by expanses of corrugated galvanized steel, large windows and bright, earth-colored stucco walls.
But it's inside those walls-and up on the stainless-steel roof, and in two silo-like canisters that hold rainwater run-off, and in 300 feet of underground pipes that capture warmth from the earth-where the building reflects the latest ways to conserve water and energy.
Sustained by rain and sun
One of the most visible green features of the WaterShed building-and the true inspiration for its name-is the rainwater catchment system that directs runoff from the 5,400 square feet of roofing into two lined cisterns with a combined 16,000 gallon capacity.
The stored water will be used to sustain the property's landscape through an automatic drip-irrigation system. Also, after traveling through a charcoal filter and UV filter, the rainwater will be used for toilet flushing and clothes washing throughout the building.
With an estimated 285,000 gallons that should come off the roof in a typical rain year, the owners hope that the system will provide enough water that it should rarely switch over to city water as the backup source, which it is plumbed to do automatically.
"From everything we've seen by using low-flow toilets and low-water-usage washing machines, we should be able to make it through the year without any other input," Jeff Wilson-Charles says.
Similarly, solar systems will provide a clean source of heat and electricity for many of the building's functions.
Coiled rooftop pipes comprise a thermal water-heating system that should meet typical hot-water demands of the residents. "The computations say that any time of the year, even if it's been cloudy for a week, you should be able to get all of your hot water out of this system," Wilson-Charles explains. "If the temperature that's being called for isn't enough, the instant (natural gas-powered) hot water heater will take whatever's coming out of the solar thermal and bump it up to the right temperature."
Meanwhile, a 4 1/2-kilowatt photovoltaic installation on one of the roof's other peaks generates enough electricity to power the building's exterior lighting and concealed mechanical systems.
These systems include ground-source heat pumps that circulate water through 300 feet of underground pipes to absorb the consistent warmth of the earth's crust, then through radiant floor-heating coils to warm the building.
Also, heat recover ventilators (HRVs) provide fresh air for each residential and commercial space without indoor heat loss. The HRVs extract warmth from indoor air before it is vented to the outdoors.
"If you move in and are an energy and water hog, we can't do anything about that," Wilson-Charles says. "But if the building just sits here empty, it can run on its own with as little extra input as possible."
A conservative approach
Wilson-Charles says the WaterShed building is green enough to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, but the certification would have added about $50,000 to the project costs. He opted instead to spend the money on further improvements such as ultra-efficient appliances.
There are low-flow and energy-efficient ASKO dishwashers, washing machines and driers from Sweden; Danish Vestfrost refrigerators, which are made entirely of recyclable components and lack the energy-consuming "frost-free" feature; Electrolux ovens and magnetic induction range tops; and dual-flush Caroma toilets from Australia.
Other energy- and resource-conserving features permeate the structure:
Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks comprise the walls; the lightweight, foot-thick pieces form the structure and provide insulation that far surpasses traditional stick-built walls. Builders simply stuccoed the outside and plastered the inside, and left most of the plumbing exposed on the inside walls to preserve the blocks' insulative qualities.
Triple-paned windows proved another layer of insulation, reducing both heat loss and the amount of street noise that enters the building.
The developers used man y sustainable building materials, including salvaged hazard and windfall fir lumber from the McKenzie River area for windows, doors, balustrades and more. Also, they used wheatboard, a natural, formaldehyde-free plywood alternative, and surplus wood from other building projects.
Concrete counters and the 125-year guaranteed stainless-steel roof are enduring material choices that reflect the owners' desire to build "as bomb-proof as possible" for a long-lasting building.
Most light fixtures use electricity-saving compact fluorescent bulbs.
Permeable pavers form the courtyard surface, allowing rainwater to reach the soil underneath. This reduces the runoff of pollutants into the city stormwater system, and therefore, local rivers.
Landscapers used drought-tolerant and native plant species throughout the courtyard and balcony planter boxes.
A separate, locking bike room for residents makes it easier for them to choose a cleaner mode of transportation.
The building makes efficient use of a small urban lot. An example of the type of "infill" development that city planners promote, the WaterShed's living spaces feature two- and three-level configurations that stretch the possibilities of the structure's 7,000-square-foot footprint. Each floor plan is unique; sizes range from 1,300 to 2,000 square feet.
In all, Jeff Wilson-Charles hopes his project is the start of a new era when resource conservation is less a challenge, and more a seamless part of living. " want to make it easy to make the right choices."