Harvest House

 

 

The Harvest House owners are living their dream to create “low carbon local produce” organic farm incorporating aquaculture and seasonal aquaponics in ponds, aquaponics in greenhouses, market gardens, select fruits and edible landscaping, as well as fowl production. The Mt. Baker scenic view house includes an agri-tourism focused guesthouse, a large deck overlooking a patio, a separate canning kitchen, a cold storage pantry and wine cellar in the full basement, as well as a media room and a solarium.

Harvest House is the United State’s most northerly Net-Zero Energy residence certified by the International Living Future Institute. The house takes full advantage of natural lighting and prevailing winds, allowing winter sun to penetrate deep inside but providing cool shade for summer. A hidden bank of Phase Change Material soaks up heat from the solarium and makes the in-floor radiant heat unnecessary much of the winter, while also cooling the house in summer. This highly energy-efficient construction includes an 18kWh solar array designed by EcoTech Solar that provides all power used on the farm. 

This modern farmhouse is also the first “Koch-Zero” certified house (no fossil fuel/heavily polluting Koch brothers-owned construction materials were used in the build). Multi-generational, multi-use (commercial and residential), and aging-in-place design obviate need for remodeling to fit many different types of residency and use. The solar array, farm-integrated edible landscaping, open floor plan, high-vaulted ceilings, and abundant natural lighting and air circulation contribute to a design that “harvests” wind, water, sunlight and soil, giving Harvest House its name. 

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

Design

Passive & Active solar (solarium, 18kWh PV array, wide eaves on north, east and west with southern eaves optimized for light in winter but shade in summer, polished concrete floors

natural lighting (deep penetration of sun in winter, high shading in summer, heavy windowing to east and south, and limited northern exposure) 

stack-effect ventilation in summer, heat-recovery ventilation in winter 

Waste wood used for hugelculture, or salvaged for re-use around the farm 

“Spoil” (soil removed for basement and ponds) kept on-site and all top-soil removed and used to supplement garden soils 

Multi-generational, multi-use, and aging-in-place provide many use options without need for wasteful future remodeling

Integrated commercial space (canning kitchen, cold storage, agr-itourism ADU, farm-event sized patio)

Designed for earthquake resiliency 

Location

low tech, low production, high carbon cattle field replaced with high tech, intensely farmed, low carbon produce field close to urban markets, as well as a scenic ADU 

Site

Edible landscaping, native plants, hedgerows, pollinator and bird friendly, organic and certified naturally grown protocols for garden sites, composting 

Permeable surfaces 

Surface water integrated into aquaculture ponds and farm irrigation, rain gardens, rainwater capture 

High-efficiency aquaponics (closed loop) greenhouse (under construction), seasonal aquaponics in ponds, fish-waste fueled “rain garden” attached to pond to filter fish waste while using the waste as fertilizer for vegetables (ponds partially constructed—to be finished this summer) 

Modern farmhouse design, both art & media room and landscaping & picture windowing designed to provide ideal four-season color/light and views

Artwork throughout with spaces designed for display of particular pieces

Water Efficiency

Rainwater capture, stormwater system integrated into production system 

Low-flow, dual-flush toilets 

Glendon septic system purifies waste water 

Energy & Atmosphere

Living Building Challenge Net-Zero certification, Koch-Zero certification 

Daikin high-efficiency air-water heat exchangers power hydronic in-floor heat system and contribute 95 degree water to high efficiency water heater for bath and kitchen 

BIBS (blown in blanket system) and closed-cell foam insulation (R-60 ceiling, R-30 walls), air sealing 

Andersen 100 windows (low-e, heat-lock coatings N, E, and W windows, high solar-heat gain, heat-lock windows south facing) 

Optimal orientation of windows to shed prevailing northern winds and capture prevailing southern summer winds 

LED and natural lighting 

Energy Star appliances 

18kWh solar array provides all power used on site 

High-mass, polished concrete floors for passive solar 

Phase Change Material in south-facing ceilings soaks up heat above 73 degrees F, releases heat when ambient temperature falls below 73 degrees F

Materials & Resources

Low VOC materials throughout 

Sustainable products (Somerset hardwood flooring in ADU, LP Smartside siding, all waste wood retained and reused on site), No Koch products (no Georgia-Pacific products for example)

All cardboard and builder’s board recycled, Towards Zero Waste 

Indoor Air Quality

HRV, low-VOC paints and materials 

Certifications & Education

All Energy Star appliances, Built Green, Living Building Challenge Net-Zero Energy (See https://living-future.org/lbc/case-studies/five-elements-harvest-house/ ), Koch-Zero 

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