Walsh Hollon is our "Umbrella House" prototype exemplified: large overhangs with oversized operable windows to capture natural light and provide natural ventilation; a six-panel fold slide door that opens to remove the center wall of the main floor and connect the interiors to the deck and the backyard; a glass canopy over the deck protects the door and extends the outdoor living season; integrally colored cement board rain screen siding creates a durable, low-maintenance exterior shell; a green roof over the garage to improve storm water retention and reduce impervious surfaces.
This project won the AIA NW Home of the Month award in May 2013 and is one of our greenest projects to date. We incorporated super-insulation, high-performance windows, a solar photovoltaic power system, heat recovery ventilation, and geothermal heat pumps that use the earth as its heat exchanger — every watt of energy used to run the heat pump extracts four watts of heat energy from the earth.