The A1 vision for your home

Like a great bike, your favorite hiking boots or your best friend, the best home holds you up, not back. It is simple, smart, performance-driven and ridiculously durable. Built for and of its place, it does as much as possible with as little as possible, exploiting nothing and no one in the process. Right fit, size and purpose rule its development. The house both simplifies and enhances your experience, with the kind of elegance that arises from simplicity, utility and thoughtful assimilation. Best of all, your home is a source of joy and comfort and freedom that connects you with nature and your people, inspiring you to take more care with both.

Explore below to learn more about the ways we’re working to make the vision real. 

What goes in to A1 homes

Thoughtful design
The value of your home is firmly attached to the quality of its design. Aesthetics and style are part of design but not the whole story. Good, thoughtful design is all about context and right relationships — neighborhood, site, spatial, material, mechanical, historic and human factors interacting in harmony. (All in the context of regulatory, physical and budgetary constraints.) The more coherent the relationships, the happier you’ll be with how the house looks, feels and functions — and the longer it will last as a result.

We lead a deeply collaborative process that relies on research, expertise, 3D visualization and frequent communication with you to make sure we arrive at the most appropriate design for your situation.

Trusted, vetted expertise
It takes close collaboration with an amazing number of experts and artisans to build better homes. Relationships – and logistics – matter more than just about anything else. We look for exceptional skills, pride and passion for the work, along with a commitment to advancing community and environmental benefits.

Beautiful, durable, renewable materials
There are loads of great products and materials to build with that don’t harm people or the planet; we’re committed to using them whenever possible, whether in framing or insulation (e.g. FSC wood or cellulose insulation) or finish materials like floors and countertops (wood, bamboo, marmoleum, paperstone). We support whatever choices you make. Just know that we will always offer design-appropriate and responsible, healthful options for your consideration.

5x the industry-standard warranty
Most contractors offer a one-year warranty from the date you sign your agreement. A1’s covers our workmanship for five years from the time we leave your project. We follow up with you annually, and encourage frank reporting about any problems you might experience.

Your house is a system; we keep everything running smoothly by working together. If there’s an issue with our work, we’ll fix it. If there’s an issue with the work/product of our subs or suppliers, we need to know about it— to help facilitate a solution if possible, and to integrate what we’ve learned for future projects.

And what doesn't

Water and wind
The old saying “there’s no bad weather, just bad gear” could just as well apply to a house as to a wet and windy day of hiking in the Chuckanuts. When it comes to your home, nothing will cost more than to fix a problem with the building envelope; nowhere will your dollars be more wisely invested than by using advanced building science methods and materials that lead to high performance.

We view your home as a system, developing, testing and implementing building shell, heating and ventilation solutions that protect your investment, ensure energy efficiency and promote comfort.

Extraneous material or space 
We’re a “design and build with less” company, aiming for maximum efficiency. Let no space go unused, keep new-material use as low as feasible, and seek a right-sized footprint — as small as possible while meeting the goals and needs of the project.

High-maintenance anything
We see maintenance in two categories: elements you want to interact with rarely if ever (heating systems, structure, building envelope) and those you want to enjoy interacting with daily (fixtures, appliances, floors, interior finishes). We help you make decisions that balance simple, minimal maintenance with comfort, health and beauty.

Noxious materials or finishes
Here’s the holy grail: products that are easy and safe to be around that don’t hurt humans or the environment — not during production, while it’s in your home or after its useful life.

We’ve made a good start: A1’s showroom presents a selection of products and materials, evaluated for low toxicity, recycled content, fair working environment and end-of-life recyclability. We can always do more, and we’re eager to help you go as far as possible on the road to restorative choices.