Our sustainable practice portfolio projects.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
A Sustainable Full-Build with Recycled & Reclaimed Materials

Handcrafted In La Conner

A new, owner-built “forever home” designed and constructed with sustainable practices and materials for a low-maintenance, long-lasting residence.

Crescent Creek House – Board & Vellum
Building Green to Age in Place

Crescent Creek House

An architect’s own remodel sets an example for energy and food resilience, as well as co-housing and aging-in-place.

Roy Farms Field Office – Board & Vellum
Adaptive Reuse for a Sustainably-Focused Farm

Roy Farms Field Office

The sustainable, adaptive reuse of an existing farm building to convert it into a field office for a century-old Washington farm.

England Comes to Redmond – Board & Vellum
New Construction Sustainable Living

England Comes to Redmond

This sustainable home in Redmond features a rainwater catchment system, super-insulated 12" thick walls, passive solar design, ground-source heating, and reclaimed materials.

Our First Bale House – Straw Bale Construction – Board & Vellum
A New Home Built with Straw Bale Construction

Our First Bale House

Affectionately dubbed, “The First Straw,” this straw bale home is the product of Terry Phelan’s first straw bale construction workshop.

Our sustainable practice posts.

News, Sustainable Practice

Living Shelter Architects and Board & Vellum Join Forces

We’ve been keeping a secret, but it’s for a good reason, and we’re pleased to finally get to share! We’ve always been dedicated to bringing our clients the best we have to offer in our services, approach, and design philosophy. Now with Living Shelter Architects joining the team, we’re excited to be able to provide even more to our community.

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Sustainable Practice

The Basics of Building & Material Reuse

You may be familiar with the idea of building reuse in design, but did you know “reuse” actually covers a wide range of project types and approaches? While each type is unique, and some might lend themselves better to certain project types, each kind is integral to sustainable building and design practices.

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Custom Residential, Sustainable Practice

Going the Extra Mile for an Unusual Addition

Living in a log cabin just might be one of the more sustainable things you can do. If you’re a city-dweller, you might never get the chance to do so unless you’re like one of our scrappy clients who saved a log cabin by attaching it to their home as an addition.

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Interior Design, Sustainable Practice

Sustainable Bedding Options for Your Home

Many of us are making an effort to live our lives with a critical eye on our environmental impact. Building homes following sustainable practices is incredibly important, but don’t forget to also give that attention to the materials and products you put inside it. This primer on sustainable bedding options can get you started.

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Custom Residential, Sustainable Practice

Designing a Sustainable Remodel

Designing a high-performance new home is straight-forward and time-tested. Designing a high-performance remodel can be a bit more complex and nuanced. Here are areas in which to focus your efforts so you can maximize the sustainable impact of your project, remodeling your space into a beautiful and high-performing home.

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Sustainable Practice

Questions To Ask About Sustainability

Board & Vellum’s first employee is starting off on a new adventure. As a farewell blog post, he asked people around the office about something really important to him: what questions they ask themselves — and think others should ask — about sustainability in terms of homes, landscapes, and workplaces.

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Our Story

Board & Vellum is vibrant design firm built on the idea that an informed and engaged team leads to better design and happy clients. We wouldn’t be where we are today without passion and hard work, and those same two things keep us going strong today.

Our Process

Bringing your project from “idea” to fruition is a little different at Board & Vellum. We give personal care to each of our projects, and you’ll be in the loop every step the way. The bonus: we are an integrated firm, so each project has access to plenty of great knowledge — and that leads to better design.

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