River Sol sectional exemplifies furniture that’s good for people and the planet
The level of design, craftsmanship, quality, and natural and organic elements incorporated into a sectional made for Scott and Lisa May is befitting of its placement in River Sol, itself a portrait of quality construction at the highest environmental standards.
The sectional was made by Ecobalanza, a furniture maker located just south of downtown Seattle. Its furniture is custom made with organic materials that include merino wool, organic cotton, organic latex, jute, linen, and kapok; leather that is bio husbandry certified, vegetable tanned and has plant-based and semi-aniline dyes; sustainably grown and harvested, knot-free solid beech wood; zero-VOC stains and wood glues that are free of volatile organic compounds; and RDS certified down from a longtime European company that ensures the following of the five principles of animal welfare, which include no live plucking and well-cared-for animals.
River Sol’s greywater irrigation approval comes with caveats
Scott and Lisa May received state approval in mid-December 2022 to irrigate a portion of River Sol’s landscaping with greywater during the growing season.
It resolved an outstanding issue over River Sol’s use of greywater for irrigation given the home’s location above the Deschutes River.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is permitting greywater from the bathroom sinks, showers, and laundry room to be used to irrigate seven apple trees and other vegetation within about an 850-square-foot area from April through September. Wastewater from the dishwasher is considered blackwater and must be sent to the municipal sewer year-round, per DEQ requirements; and wastewater from the kitchen sink must be sent to the sewer year-round, per city of Bend requirements.
River Sol Takes Shape with Completion of Framing
River Sol reached a symbolic milestone in July with the conclusion of wood framing and siding as the home’s design evolved from architectural concept to three-dimensional reality.
Its roof angles, window spaces, and curving patio overlooking the frothy Deschutes River demonstrate River Sol’s oneness with its surroundings. Standing inside and outside the home, one immediately experiences how the design brings natural light, sight, and sound to and within River Sol.
Wastewater Challenges Surface, Pause Groundbreaking
River Sol hit a speed bump over the summer for its planned greywater irrigation system, causing a delay in starting construction until the issue could be resolved.
Owners Scott and Lisa May intended to treat River Sol’s greywater, which is water from household sinks and drains, then use it for subsurface irrigation of the many plants and trees planned around their home.
The greywater system doesn’t require discharge into the City of Bend’s wastewater system. The same is true for River Sol’s blackwater, which is water from toilets, that a separate system will treat onsite while converting solid waste to organic compost.
COVID elevates building costs and reaffirms aspirations
River Sol owners Scott and Lisa May are paying about 60 percent more to construct their Living Building Challenge home than they anticipated.
They’re caught in the turbulent wake of a pandemic that has constrained supply lines for building materials and wildly escalated prices nationwide for products like lumber; enticed more city-dwellers to move to Bend to work remotely, which has squeezed housing stock and caused home prices to soar; and put a premium on contractors’ time, meaning labor is increasingly in demand and expensive. It’s the perfect storm of costly circumstances out of their control, but the Mays are not deterred.
Continue readingA Dip Into History
Taking a dip into history around River Sol
As River Sol attempts to shape history for greener, healthier home construction, its location is connected to notable components that contributed to Bend’s development, including wood products and tourism/recreation.
For wood products, Henry Linster operated a planing mill at today’s River Sol site in the early 1900s. River Sol’s street, NW Linster Place just north of Pioneer Park, is named after the German immigrant, who came to Bend by way of Wisconsin. He bought a separate riverside mill from Henry Reed and John Steidl in 1905, but that burned in 1908 and he rebuilt with the planing mill sometime before 1912, the date on a map by Bend’s city engineer showing the mill. He also built the Linster Opera House and Social Hall in Bend in 1910, which burned in 1912 and wasn’t rebuilt, according to Vanessa Ivey, Deschutes County Historical Society museum manager, who researched River Sol area history as part of its Living Building Challenge biophilic design.
Continue readingBiophilic Connections Run Deep
River Sol’s design taps into myriad biophilic design elements to connect humans to nature, with the Deschutes River serving as a central connection. The river’s water nourishes life and River Sol nourishes harmony with its surroundings.
River Sol’s biophilic design framework is illustrated in a series of expanding circles: River Sol at the core, surrounded next by water, then trees, then habitat — all interlinked by sensory experiences like the smell of pine and sound of water, and emotions including inspiration and feeling grounded.
The framework emerged from several spring 2020 Zoom discussions among River Sol owners Scott and Lisa May, professionals advising on Living Building Challenge requirements for River Sol, and biophilic design consultants.
Continue readingThe Essence of Place
River Sol’s design captures the essence of place
The Deschutes River calls visually and audibly to all who visit River Sol as nearby whitewater cascades over rocks on its journey north to the Columbia River.
Architect Al Tozer Jr. made sure his design of River Sol answered that sensory calling.
“I think the connection to place and the connection to that river is going to be the signature element for River Sol,” said Tozer, principal of Tozer Design LLC in Bend.
He used photos and other design input from River Sol owners Scott and Lisa May to dream with them about its eventual look, weaving Living Building Challenge (LBC) design elements into the plan every step of the way.
Continue reading
The River Sol Project
Taking a dip into history around River Sol As River Sol attempts to shape history for greener, healthier home construction, its location is connected to notable components that contributed to Bend’s development, including wood products and tourism/recreation.