Luxury Log Living Logs LEED Love

Can a custom log house be both luxurious and green? An Oregon couple with a love of mountain sports (and, clearly some disposable income) decided to find out in the course of building their third home, a custom log house at the base of Mt. Hood. The result went on to become what its builders believe to be the first log home in the nation to take LEED for Homes Platinum certification.

Mountain Architects drew up the plans, and PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes made it happen, utilizing the the usual laundry list of green features on this 3,603-square-foot, two-story “mountain retreat” home necessary to earned the U.S. Green Building Council‘s highest green rating: low-flow faucets and fixtures, low- or no-VOC paints and adhesives, energy efficient lighting, recycled content materials, and Energy-Star-rated appliances.

A high-efficiency furnace helps to keep the home toasty during those cold winter months, with a little help from radiant, in-floor heat and an energy heat recovery system. The depth of the home’s eaves, which shade and protect the home during the summer months, and the height of the exterior wood from the home’s foundation, were also key factors in its energy efficient profile.

image via PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes

All of which the architects and builders did their best to integrate seamlessly into the luxury home profile. “You can’t always see the sustainable features of a LEED home, and most may never suspect that Mark and Crystal’s beautiful log home is one of the Greenest [sic] ever built,” said PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes, on their website.

The home makes use of an open layout on the first floor, “the perfect atmosphere for entertaining friends and family,” an extra garage for winter toys and snow equipment, a basement sauna and built-in media room, and additional amenities such as an elevator, which allows Crystal to easily transport groceries from the car in the basement directly to the kitchen.

We wonder, though, is PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes aware of this LEED Platinum certified log home in Michigan, from way back in 2009?