Point Whitehorn Net Zero

Point Whitehorn Net Zero

by | Nov 15, 2023

Point Whitehorn Net Zero

Point Whitehorn Net Zero home is a modern, space-efficient, and economical home for the couple to spend quality family time in with their kids and eventually grow old in. The entire first floor is accessible for aging-in-place, leaving the second floor for family to stay over.

The stacked design and minimal undulations in the envelope helped make the most use out of every inch and get the best cost per square foot.

On the North side of the property is a wetland mitigation area that has been smartly sectioned off and adds an extra beautifully landscaped view with native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

 

Specs

  • Overview:

    • 1802sf SFR &  300sf carport
    • 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath SFR
    • Net Zero Energy
    • 1st floor aging-in-place
    • Passive solar heating/cooling design
    • Insulation: R-29 walls & R-59 ceiling
    • Air Sealing: 0.31ACH
    • HERS Index: -2
    • Annual Energy Cost Savings: $2,141
    • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 5-star certified

     

    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 fan coil unit
    • PV: 7.2kW solar array with Enphase microinverters and battery ready

     

    Selections:

    • Thermatru exterior doors
    • Lifetime warrantied asphalt roofing
    • Birch doors and hemlock trim
    • Floor Score certified laminate flooring
    • Quartz countertops
    • LED lighting
    • WaterSense plumbing fixtures
    • ENERGY STAR appliances
    • 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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          South Hill

          South Hill

          by | Jul 25, 2023

          South Hill Forest Hideaway

          South Hill Forest Hideaway is placed on a one-of-a-kind lot in the heart of town yet privately tucked away in the woods with beautiful views. The forgotten lot was purchased by a couple who envisioned an accessible, aging-in-place hideaway to grow old in together, with a big emphasis on accessible. In order to achieve this dream, the home’s design and final finishes had to be carefully considered. The 1525 square foot home is all one level so that every room can remain usable and without worry about falling on stairs. In order to further fall-proof the house, the drywall and countertop corners are rounded, the flooring is made of a softer material, there is a walk-in shower with grab bars to hold on to and the washer and dryer are elevated higher off the ground. The houses most accessible bathroom was also designed to make accessing it with a wheelchair or walker a lot easier as it is 6’ wide and instead of a standard vanity, has a pedestal sink. All of the doors are 3’ wide and have lever handles which are easier to open than knobs.

          Due to the lot’s topography, South Hill Forest Hideaway was built on a steep slope and required half of the house to be stilted while the other half has a slab-on-grade foundation.  For some contractors, stilt houses can be tricky to build, but TC Legend Homes has plenty of experience and expertise in this kind of build.

          When it came time to tackle the tree retention plan, the homeowner joined in and got their hands dirty planting the 22 Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar and Grand Fir saplings with love and care.

          This home is a truly special hideaway!

          Specs

          • Overview:
            • 1525 sqft
            • 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom
            • Half stilted and half slab-on-grade
            • Aging-in-place
            • Air Sealing: 0.64 ACH
            • HERS Index: 35
            • Certifications: DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified, anticipated Built Green 4-star certified
          • Mechanical:
            • Ventilation: Fantech Hero 250H-EC with HEPA filtration. Built-in humidity, temperature, and CO2
            • Heating/Cooling: Chiltrix CX34 + comfopost ducted heat & cool + fan-coil heater/chiller
          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
          Shepard-Nguyen DADU

          Shepard-Nguyen DADU

          by | Jul 25, 2023

          Shepard-Nguyen DADU

          Built to house grandma on a multi-generational property, Shepard-Nguyen DADU is an accessible 484 square foot home with an additional 176 square foot loft. The DADU was designed to be light, airy and open in order to create a welcoming and safe environment for the grandkids to play in and grandma to hide away to when needed. The clients have an excellent eye for interior design, so the home was completed to a sleek and modern finish.

          Since the main occupant is grandma, the home was designed for aging-in-place with wide doorways, a curbless shower with handrails, lever style door handles, extra grabs for the pocket doors, and a seat at the entry.

          Specs

          • 484 square feet
          • 176 square foot loft
          • 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
          • Net Zero Energy
          • 4kW solar array with Enphase micro-inverters
          • HERS Index: -10
          • DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certified, ENERGY STAR certified, EPA Indoor airPLUS certified
          • Fujitsu mini-split
          • HEPA filtration
          • ENERGY STAR 50-gallon domestic hot water tank