Photovoltaics | TC Legend Homes

Columbia City

by Senna | Apr 16, 2020

These two 2,250-square-foot, three-story family houses were built adjacent to each other, without garages, on a single lot in Columbia City, Seattle. The design preserved enough space for two spacious gardens.

This perfect urban lot has great southern exposure for passive and active solar gain. The small 25′ by 30′ footprints raised a surprising amount of internal space, but achieving net-zero performance, even with super-insulated SIPs panels, necessitated an enlarged south roof to house the required solar panels. We designed huge, cranked south roofs. This was a first for TC Legend, but they are now standard, architecturally a truly modem aesthetic response to the climate crisis.

The five-bedroom houses are planned to maximize common spaces and contain one un-programmed loft/rec-room space on each floor: space for a drum kit, a wine bar, a sewing room, or another TV room. Additionally the first floor has a big mud room to house bikes and camping gear and function as the storage space that a suburban house would normally have in the garage, which we eliminated in favor of gardens and uncovered off-street parking.

Specifications

Department of Energy Net-Zero certified
Chilltrix CX30 air-to-water heat pump
100% storm-water infiltrated on site via two infiltration pits
12.4 kW solar panels installed
6.5” R-29 SIPs walls
10.25” R-59 SIPs roof
4” R-20 foam under 4” concrete slab-on-grade for thermal mass
5.5” foam (total) R-23.8 insulated concrete forms (ICF) perimeter stem walls
Plygem triple-pane windows (U values between 0.21 and 0.24)

Larson

by Senna | Apr 16, 2020

This 2,020 square-foot two-story, five-bedroom family house was built in rural King County. It has an additional 280 square-foot integrated single-car garage within the SIPs shell. The garage can be re-purposed into a flex space, such as a kids’ TV room, playroom, workshop, etc. The home was built in 2018 in western Washington.

The major challenge with this undeveloped site was to dig the potable water line 1,000 feet through a boulder field. The client miraculously located the well stub within the forest, and the TC Legend team dodged and weaved the waterline through.

Additionally, we carved the driveway 500’ through the second-growth forest, located the house for optimum solar exposure, and laid the power line in the middle of the driveway, with septic adjacent under what will likely become a forest lawn. A truly stunning site with stag deer, bear, cougars, and more.

The wrap-around porch with concrete walkway mediates between the inside and outside, with a front mudroom to contain kids’ messes and offer an airlock to prevent large temperature drops when the front door is opened in winter.

The house was prevented from becoming overly large and expensive by sizing the kids’ bedrooms at kids’ scale: on the small side of things. However, the vaulted SIPs ceiling at the second floor, which is a standard feature of SIPs construction, presents a very spacious overhead feel. Additionally, multiple windows in many bedrooms ensures that the kids rooms don’t feel boxy.

Specifications

U.S. Department of Energy Net-Zero certified
Fujistu 18RLXFG heat pump with multiple fan coil heads
12.4 kW of solar panels installed
6.5” R-29 SIPs walls
10.25” R49 SIPs roof
4” R-20 foam under 4” concrete slab-on-grade for thermal mass
5.5” foam (total) R-23.8 insulated concrete forms perimeter stem walls
Euroline triple-pane windows (U values from 0.14 to 0.18)
1:1.6 aspect ratio floor plan, with long side facing south
Minimal east and west glazing

Purchase Plans-Set HERE!

Chappell

by Senna | Apr 16, 2020

This 1,950 square-foot, two-story, 3-bedroom family house was completed in Seattle in 2018. It has a two-wall carport adjacent to the back door.

The project presented a challenging permit process for the TC Legend office and a complex dig: The undeveloped lot was located atop a known landslide area, requiring deep pin piles and extensive geotech involvement. A heavily protected 6-foot-diameter seqouia tree stands beside the only site entrance and was successfully cared for during the extensive dig, with drain lines threaded through the roots, dug by hand.

With the main hilltop vista facing west, the challenge was to have the house embrace the view without overheating in the afternoon sun. Retaining the deciduous western tree cover was essential, as was ordering the western windows with low solar-gain coatings.

The storm-water system was not allowed to point-discharge onto the steep slope. The extensive use of permeable pavement ensured the trees and shrubs remain watered, stabilizing the slide-prone slopes.

Specifications

U.S. Department of Energy Net-Zero certified
Chilltrix CX34 air-to-water heat pump
Zehnder 350 HRV
10.8 kW of solar panels installed
6.5” R-29 SIPs walls
10.25” R-49 SIPs roof
4” R-20 foam under 4” concrete slab-on-grade for thermal mass
5.5” foam (total) R-23.8 insulated concrete forms perimeter stem-walls
Euroclime triple-pane windows (U values between 0.14 and 0.18)
100% rainwater-permeable driveways and walks

Massey

by Senna | Apr 16, 2020

This 1,200 square-foot two-bedroom clerestory riverside home was built in 2020 in Ferry County, WA. TC Legend designed and permitted the home, and it was built by a Ferry County contractor.

The greater temperature swings associated with the continental climate led us to do a cost-efficiency study to choose the best SIPs panel thicknesses. Walls were bumped to 8 inches, yet the roof remained 10.25 inches. The exposed concrete stem wall footing stands high above the finished grade to keep the snow away from the panel toe, assisted by generous eaves and covered walks & porches, which also provide necessary shade during the hot summers.

An entry mudroom/utility room airlocks the house to minimize the entry of smoke during the fire season. Fresh, filtered air is delivered throughout the house via heat recovery ventilator (HRV), scavenging the heat from the waste air and imparting that heat into the incoming fresh air.

The circular windows are very easy to cut into SIPs panels; the trim-out is a bit more tricky.

Specifications

Fujitsu 9RL heat pump
Zehnder 220 HRV
Ground-mounted solar array for easy snow removal
8.25” R-38 SIPs walls
10.25” R-49 SIPs roof
4” R-20 foam under 4” concrete slab-on-grade for thermal mass
5.5” foam (total) R-23.8 insulated concrete forms perimeter stem walls
Vinylek Boreal series triple-pane windows (U values between 0.14 and 0.16)

Victory Heights Net-Zero Home

by Senna | Apr 12, 2020

This Built Green 5-Star zero-energy home defines the Seattle eco-lifestyle. It features an open floor plan, heated hardwood floors, 9-foot ceilings, and exposed beams. On the roof, a 9.5kW net-metered solar array provides all the home’s power needs, and an electric car charging station is built into the garage. Triple-pane windows and SIPs construction offer plenty of insulation, and a whole-house filtration system keeps the air pure. Designer touches include Hinkley lighting, custom cabinetry, Carrara marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, an induction cooktop, and a 9-foot kitchen island.

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