As mountain guides, Scott Schell and Margaret Wheeler are used to the upper reaches of the Cascades. Their site in the foothills above Snoqualmie is not far from work. The house, designed by Johnston Architects PLLC and built by Tall Tree Construction, accommodates both professional and practical demands, but it also fulfills a deep desire to do what is right. The Schell Wheeler house will soon receive a LEED Silver certification. Blow-down trees from storms provided the logs that were milled into siding, fascias and trim. A ground source heat pump, supplemented by solar water preheating supplies energy to the house. Other strategies are implemented throughout the house, but the overall character of the two buildings complete the goal of sustainability: the complex is extremely livable within its environment. Even on a grey and rainy day this forest retreat is filled with light.
