A Brand New Home Designed to Give Back
Net Positive Custom Home
With a sustainably-minded and future-thinking design, this home was built to last for generations.
This custom home was born out of a desire for sustainable living. Though residing in a large Craftsman home full of character, these homeowners knew they didn’t want to age in place there, and were seeking a new home they could invest their futures in.
To make the most of their vision, these homeowners opted to start fresh on a bare lot in Yakima, Washington, building a brand-new home they could customize down to the last detail. As part of their vision, they hoped to create a space to accommodate them as they aged while generating minimal environmental impact to last for generations to come. Close collaboration across a large project team and key input and feedback from the homeowners were essential to creating a high-performance home that can transition into the future.
Using passive solar design, an ample solar panel array, and geothermal heating and cooling, the home’s heating and cooling are not only efficient but designed to give back to the grid. The indoor temperature stays comfortable year-round with minimal energy consumption. In fact, these homeowners have yet to pay an energy bill since the home was completed.
The Power of Sunlight
Positioned to harvest natural light, this custom home maintains comfortable temperatures all year long through passive solar design and utilizes a solar array (just visible on the roof) to power their heating and cooling systems. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
The Power of Sunlight
Positioned to harvest natural light, this custom home maintains comfortable temperatures all year long through passive solar design and utilizes a solar array (just visible on the roof) to power their heating and cooling systems. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Building Up Walls
The home’s exterior features three different materials — corrugated metal, natural lime stucco, and cement board lap siding — to create texture and moments of interest. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Building Up Walls
The home’s exterior features three different materials — corrugated metal, natural lime stucco, and cement board lap siding — to create texture and moments of interest. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
This home proves designing for sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty. Reclaimed wood from a local deconstructed apple shed adds character and interest in key locations. Corrugated metal panels originally intended for the roof were repurposed to create accent siding along the exterior. Their juxtaposition with the lime stucco and cement-board lap siding provides a range of eye-catching textures.
Although chosen primarily for their resiliency and non-toxicity, the home feels cozy and inviting because of, not despite, the colors and textures the sustainable finishes provide. Cork flooring — a mainstay sustainable material — adds a warm softness underfoot in the kitchen and dining areas. And the showers feel sleek and luxurious with smooth, porcelain, which resists chipping, scuffs, and cracks for long-lasting beauty.
Built to Last
Nestled into the hillside, the home appears to grow out of the land — an homage to the environmental and sustainabily goals of the homeowners. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Built to Last
Nestled into the hillside, the home appears to grow out of the land — an homage to the environmental and sustainabily goals of the homeowners. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Putting Down Roots
The ample outdoor spaces are a gardener’s dream, with room for both decorative and productive plantings, along with multiple areas to entertain guests. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Putting Down Roots
The ample outdoor spaces are a gardener’s dream, with room for both decorative and productive plantings, along with multiple areas to entertain guests. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Have a Slice
A wood-burning outdoor pizza oven is a fitting (and delicious) addition to this sustainable home, requiring no electricity and little maintenance to prepare a satisfying meal. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Have a Slice
A wood-burning outdoor pizza oven is a fitting (and delicious) addition to this sustainable home, requiring no electricity and little maintenance to prepare a satisfying meal. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
A Relaxing Retreat
Perched high on a hill, the outdor spaces offer stunning views from a quiet and serene garden. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
A Relaxing Retreat
Perched high on a hill, the outdor spaces offer stunning views from a quiet and serene garden. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Net Positive Custom Home
Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Clay plaster walls and stained concrete floors create a clean, contemporary look while helping to keep the house temperate in warmer seasons.
Multipurpose Materials
Repurposed wood from a local, deconstructed apple shed and soft cork flooring add a natural warmth to the large, central kitchen. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Multipurpose Materials
Repurposed wood from a local, deconstructed apple shed and soft cork flooring add a natural warmth to the large, central kitchen. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Making a House a Home
Careful measures were taken to ensure the home’s interior was not only interesting (check out the raised library) but functional for all, with handrails and other details to support aging in place. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Making a House a Home
Careful measures were taken to ensure the home’s interior was not only interesting (check out the raised library) but functional for all, with handrails and other details to support aging in place. Net Positive Custom Home | Photo from project archive.
Along with the extensive sustainability measures incorporated, integrating elements to allow these homeowners to age in place was key to a successful design. The main level of the home is completely wheelchair accessible, and preparations were made for the future installation of an elevator if needed. Special touches like these truly make the home a long-term investment by providing the homeowners with solutions to accommodate life’s many changes. Thanks to close collaboration between design teams and creative clients, this custom home is sure to keep guests comfortable and cozy for generations to come.
Notes & Credits
This project was built by Leading Force Contracting.
Photography from project archive.
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Our design services encompass architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture, with teams specializing in projects across the spectrum, from single-family homes to multifamily and mixed-use buildings, and from boutique commercial spaces to civic spaces, like parks. We love designing the integrated fabric of structures, spaces, and places that create vibrant neighborhoods.
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