Bellingham Residence & Retirement Care

Location: Bellingham, WA

Size/cost: 3,981sf / $463,000 est. (design completed 2008, on hold until other real estate sells)
He is a meteorite hunter, she a construction foreman. I met them in the deepest of south on ‘the Ice’ [Antarctica] and our discussions in the field melded into a 4,000sf house and retirement home for two of their close friends a few years down the road. They currently care for her fully-dependent Mother of 92 years and periodically leave for months at a time with their polar work.

Plan

• Careful attention paid to Universal design for the elderly and physically challenged.

Existing Site

Site Plan

• The structure is broken-down to different, yet integrated elements that provide privacy and independence while sharing common living and dining areas. The south-western mass can be decommissioned/winterized if occupancy decreases.

Section through common spaces

Section through ancillary spaces

• Stack ventilation, evaporative cooling from the wetland to the south, passive solar and radiant heating using a geothermal heat pump beneath the driveway help achieve thermal comfort while optimizing energy efficiency and indoor air quality.