Birch Bay View

Birch Bay View

by | Jan 26, 2026

Birch Bay View

 

As the name suggests, Birch Bay View sits right across the street from Birch Bay with epic views of the water and easy access to the beach.  Since the lot is within a tsunami zone, appropriate future-proofing was necessary. In this case, the zoning required that the house be raised 4’ off the ground. Fortunately, this just added more visibility of the scenery. The permitting process, which is always done in-house, took a full year in order to obtain the major variance.

While this home sits high above the water, the clients shared that while demolishing the run-down homemade cabin that used to reside on the lot, they discovered that their cabin, like many cabins on the road, was built on tree stumps instead of a proper foundation. Having such a large foundation on the new house isn’t ideal for the home’s carbon footprint, but at least this one will stand the test of time better than the stumps that came before it.

Lovingly nicknamed the trailer house, the lot size required that the house be long and skinny to fit on the infill lot, mimicking the client’s previous vacation trailer home a few lots over where they spent many years visiting while growing up. Birch Bay View was also designed to house the client’s children, grandchildren and friends for years to come. Although the first floor isn’t currently built to accommodate aging-in-place due to the front steps, the first floor is otherwise designed to be accessible when the clients are older. The home was designed to be able to easily install a ramp over the stairs in the future to make it fully accessible.

 

 

Specs

  • Overview:
    • 3000sf SFR
    • 7 bedroom, 7 bathroom
    • Net zero energy
    • Passive solar heating/cooling design
    • Insulation: R-29 walls & R-45 ceiling
    • Air Sealing: 0.59ACH
    • HERS Index: -4
    • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 5-star certified
  • Mechanical:
    • Ventilation: Fantech Hero 250 with built in HEPA filter. Built-in humidity, temperature, and CO2
    • Heating/Cooling: Chilltrix CX-34; hydronic radiant floor heating downstairs and 2 fan coil unit
    • PV: 10.32kW solar array with Tesla Powerwall 3 backup battery
  • Selections:
    • Hardie lap, panel and shingle siding
    • T&G cedar soffits
    • Taylor Metal Easylock aluminum roofing with Alumiguard coating in Zinc Gray
    • Hemlock trim & doors
    • VOC and formaldehyde-free hickory flooring — Vintage Natural Hickory Northern Solid Sawn
    • Locally made custom cherry shaker cabinets
    • Quartzite countertops — MSI Calcatta Abezzo
    • LED lighting
    • WaterSense plumbing fixtures
    • ENERGY STAR appliances and induction range
    • Balanced range hood
    • No/Low-VOC finishes
    • Triple pane, Low-E coated, argon-filled locally manufactured vinyl windows
The Gravel Pit

The Gravel Pit

by | Sep 24, 2025

The Gravel Pit

Sitting in an old quarry gravel pit turned gated community, this home was built to be a couple’s forest hide-away. Designed to mimic the Fox Net Zero Home, it features an aging-in-place first floor and clearstory second floor. Due to the CC&Rs in this community, the owners were required to build a home at least 2,500sf big but did not need all that space. The solution was to create a second floor loft that was designed to be converted into several bedrooms by future homeowners, should it be needed.

The build was completed beautifully by our field crew, with love and attention put into every detail.

 

 

Specs

  • Overview:
    • 2500sf SFR with 624sf garage
    • 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom
    • Net Zero Energy
    • Passive solar heating/cooling design
    • Insulation: R-29 walls & R-49 ceiling
    • Air Sealing: 0.37ACH
    • HERS Index: -28
    • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 5-star certified
  • Mechanical:
    • Ventilation: Fantech Hero 250 with built in HEPA filter. Built-in humidity, temperature, and CO2
    • Heating/Cooling: Chilltrix CX-34; hydronic radiant floor heating downstairs and 2 fan coil units
    • PV: 13.02kW solar array
  • Selections:
    • Hardie lap siding
    • T&G cedar siding and soffits at entry
    • Taylor Metal Easylock steel roofing in Cool Roof certified white
    • Rotary birch doors & hemlock trim
    • Acid stained concrete at first floor
    • GreenGuard Gold Bamboo Flooring – EcoForest Mocha Locking Stranded Bamboo
    • Custom Plyboo cabinets
    • Custom stainless-steel countertops in kitchen
    • LED lighting
    • WaterSense plumbing fixtures
    • ENERGY STAR appliances
    • Balanced range hood
    • No/Low-VOC finishes
    • Triple pane, Low-E coated, argon-filled vinyl windows
Lynden Powerhouse

Lynden Powerhouse

by | Nov 15, 2023

Lynden Powerhouse

Lynden Powerhouse is a highly efficient, net-positive home with an additional ADU and stick-framed garage/shop. This home will receive the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, ENERGY STAR, EPA Indoor airPLUS certifications, and Built Green 5-star certification.

Lynden Powerhouse will provide full-time and temporary housing for up to four separate family groups. This level of complexity required a greater attention to climate and ventilation zoning, which necessitated the installation of three separate Fantech Hero 250 HRV units and one extra-large Chiltrix CX50 heat pump. These devices allowed the home to be compartmentalized into three separately conditioned spaces – the main living space downstairs, living space upstairs, and ADU. Breaking up the air spaces ensures that the fresh air circulation can independently adapt to the measured CO2 levels and temperatures of each air volume. Given that hazardous airborne viruses are a normal part of life for the foreseeable future, having three separated air spaces allows those infected to quarantine without infecting others. Further measures to make the home as energy efficient as possible with the best indoor air quality included hydronic radiant floor heating, HRVs with integrated HEPA filtration, all ENERGY STAR rated appliances, LED lighting, triple pane windows, and Aerobarrier air sealing.

One of the owners, who works in the tech industry, used his knowledge to create innovative automation systems for the ventilation and hot water circulation systems using motion detectors and CO2 sensors to minimize wasted energy, water, and time. Each air space has a motion sensor that will stop the HRV unit if no motion is detected for 24hrs to conserve energy. Additional automation uses custom algorithms to vary the HRV air velocity to balance CO2 extraction with ventilation-induced heat energy loss. Motion sensors placed near each plumbing fixture trigger the hot water circulators only when need is anticipated. By the time the person turns on the fixture, hot water is available, minimizing both water, time, and energy waste.

Lynden Powerhouse features a 17.01 kW solar array with six 48v 100AH LFP batteries for backup storage. The system was designed to be oversized, knowing that the combination of PV with storage allows for disaster resiliency and for the house to operate completely off-grid for weeks if needed. It also supports three EV charging ports, two for occupants and one outside for guests. Moreover, having an oversized solar array on an already super-efficient house, means the owner can eliminate the entire energy bill which makes retirement budgeting more predictable and effectively making the cost of living cheaper in the future. By over-sizing the system, the house can fully power the AC units of four less efficient homes in the cul-de-sac, thereby minimizing peak energy loads for the entire block. The reduction in peak-energy loads helps reduce the stress on the grid caused by extreme weather events. And is the key to eliminating petroleum powered peaker plants, thereby reducing CO2 production for the entire street.

 

 

Specs

Overview:

  • 1549sf SFR &  842sf ADU
  • 1123sf unconditioned garage & shop
  • 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath SFR &  1 bedroom, 1 bath ADU
  • Net Zero Energy
  • 1st floor aging-in-place
  • Passive solar heating/cooling design
  • Insulation: R-29 walls & R-45 ceiling
  • Air Sealing: 0.45ACH
  • HERS Index: -24
  • Annual Energy Cost Savings: $3,717
  • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 5-star certified

 

Mechanical:

  • Ventilation: (3) Fantech Hero 250 with built in HEPA filter. Built-in humidity, temperature, and CO2
  • Heating/Cooling: Chilltrix CX-50; hydronic radiant floor heating downstairs and (3) fan coil units
  • PV: 17.01kW solar array with whole home battery back-up

 

Selections:

  • Timber framed entry
  • Metal roof
  • Locally made walnut and maple cabinets
  • Bamboo Floor Score certified flooring
  • Vanair vented interior doors
  • Locally made solid fir front door
  • Silestone and Corian countertops
  • ENERGYSTAR appliances
  • LED lighting
  • WaterSense plumbing fixtures
  • No/Low-VOC finishes
  • Triple pane, Low-E coated, argon-filled vinyl windows
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    Samish Solar

    Samish Solar

    by | Jul 25, 2023

    Samish Solar

    Sitting on a stunning 5-acre lot nestled into the woods and surrounded by wildflowers and berries, Samish Solar Home is an oasis for a growing family of mountain bikers and nature enthusiasts.

    Along with this home’s solar array making it net-zero, it has an added level of resiliency with its 28,000-gallon rainwater cistern that supplies the house and its fire suppression system with water. The rainwater is filtered through a sediment filter, activated carbon filter, and UV filter to ensure it is fit for domestic use.

    Built using TC Legend’s tried-and-true methods, Samish Solar Home exemplifies what our construction strategies can produce. Just look at these stats!

    Specs

    • Overview:
      • 2345 sqft heated living space & 234 sqft unheated sunroom
      • 1600 sqft barn with 895 sqft loft
      • 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom
      • Net Zero Energy
      • 1st floor aging-in-place
      • Passive solar heating/cooling design
      • Insulation: R-29 walls & R-59 ceiling
      • Air Sealing: 0.27ACH
      • HERS Index: -20
      • Annual Energy Cost Savings: $2432
      • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 5-star certified
      • Winner of Housing Innovations Award!
    • Mechanical:
      • Ventiliation: Fantech Hero 250 with built in HEPA filter. Built-in humidity, temperature, and CO2
      • Heating/Cooling: Chilltrix CX-34; hydronic radiant floor heating downstairs and a fan coil unit upstairs
      • PV: 10.8kW solar array with Enphase microinverters and battery ready
    • Selections:
      • Timber framed entry
      • Locally made cherry cabinets
      • Certified metal cool roof
      • Greenguard Gold Maple flooring
      • No/Low-VOC finishes
      • Fir doors and trim
      • Triple pane, Low-E coated, argon-filled vinyl windows
    Tree-View House

    Tree-View House

    by | Jul 12, 2022

    Sitting nestled in the trees with beautiful green views out of every window, this house really lives up to its name—Tree-View House. Both clients and designer Jake did a superb job ensuring the color of the forest framed the main living spaces through the thoughtfully placed windows and use of neutral-colored finishes, making you really feel at one with the surrounding ecosystem. 

    As a family of 5 with a need for both play and work, Tree-View was designed separating the children’s space from the parent’s space with 3 bedrooms and a wet bar on the lower floor and a master suite plus office on the main living floor. The lower floor suite and wet bar were also designed with dual purpose, as they can be turned into a mother-in-law suite in the future. The front entrance also features a large wooden deck at street level, allowing the main floor to be aging-in-place accessible. Additionally, the deck is a great way for the family to engage with the community and can double as a play area along with the spacious driveway. In total, the house is 2,116 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. 

    Tree-View is built using our tried-and-true envelope and mechanical systems: 6.5” structural insulated panels (SIPs) walls, 10.25” SIPs roof, 4” R20 foam under the slab, R24 insulated concrete forms (ICF’s), Chilltrix CX34 heatpump with (1) fancoil unit, Fantech HERO 250H HRV with comfopost heat/ cool delivery, Vinyltek triple pane windows and Thermatru front door.

    Obtaining a 0.56 air changes per hour envelop seal, this house exceeds the Passivehaus standard. Tree-View is also expected to receive a 5 Star Built Green rating, along with Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home rating, Energy Star certification and EPA’s Indoor AirPLUS certification.

    As always, indoor air quality (IAQ) is of utmost importance for TC Legend and our clients and Tree-View is no exception. With a top-quality heat recovery ventilator (HRV), humidity & CO2 sensors, HEPA filters, Awair IAQ monitor, and GreenGuard Gold cork flooring this house was built for clean air. Unfortunately, after about 2 months post-move-in, the surrounding cottonwood trees took an unexpected toll on the house. The massive amount of cottonwood fluff clogged the HRV intake and started cutting off the houses supply of fresh air. Thankfully, the Awair IAQ monitor immediately alerted the clients of the decreasing IAQ, allowing them to reach out to our team who swiftly acted and resolved the issue. Now all parties know to clean the intake regularly during peak cottonwood season! 

    The clients also opted for upgraded Kasa Smart light switches which connect to their phones and can be voice commanded by use of the central smart home device. According to their feedback, this has been a huge success and is incredibly helpful. Thus, further proving this smart home is truly the way of the future!