Zhome
CHANGING COMMUNITIES: At the heart of zHome is a south-facing courtyard that provides a common space to all of the residents. Landscaping, garden plots and a shared resource center are sited in such a way as to encourage interaction among all of the occupants. Homeowners will be given multiple opportunities to experience and participate in a more sustainable lifestyle. Automobile access is limited to the perimeter of the site in order to reinforce the pedestrian-oriented nature of the project, and to keep petroleum-related pollution away from the heart of the community. Finally, connections are made to the existing pedestrian and transportation infrastructure.
CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES: zHome dwellings will be constructed with an ultra-high performance envelope. Wall and roof components will be factory built using FSC wood framing members infilled with precision-cut foam insulation. Windows and doors will be fiberglass-framed and will be fitted with highperformance glazing. To compensate for the necessarily airtight construction, all units will be provided with heat recovery ventilation for year-round air exchange. The dwellings will be heated with a hydronic heat delivery system using ground-source heat pumps that are linked to multiple onsite geothermal wells. Power will be generated on site via roof-mounted PV panels and power converters. An energy tracking system will be provided in every home so that owners can carefully monitor their resource use and generation. The dwelling units will be cooled in the summer using stack ventilation. Finally, zHome will accommodate future technologies by providing electric auto charging stations within the units and along High Street.
CHANGING ECONOMICS: zHome is designed to meet an annualized zero-energy benchmark. Also, municipally supplied water will be drastically reduced through efficiency and rainwater harvesting measures. Occupants will be effectively insulated against rapidly rising future energy and utility costs. This project aims to provide highly sustainable, appropriately sized homes at a reasonable cost. Units range from 799sf one-bedroom dwellings to 1,572sf three bedroom dwellings and are targeted to sell at no more than 20% above market rate for similarly-sized homes.
LASTING SOLUTIONS: zHome makes flexibility a top priority. Spaces within the dwellings are designed to function in multiple and evolving roles. Loft-like spaces provide volume and connection between floors. Movable closets act as room dividers, allowing a single, larger area or multiple smaller areas. Exterior spaces (decks, patios and the shared courtyard) extend the usable zone of the interior spaces. By combining compact spaces with maximum flexibility, zHome offers dwellings that can be easily transformed over time.
Townhouse Community Issaquah Highlands 17,500 sf lot / 10 units / 13,162 gross sf