The 1960s-era Loom House has been extensively renovated. This sustainable, highly modern design pays homage to the home’s decades-old roots.
The project was designed by the Miller Hull Partnership, a Seattle-based firm that has made a reputation for itself through green building achievement and sustainable design. Showing off the firm’s sustainability skills, this is the first renovated home in the world to achieve Living Building Challenge Certification.
Related: This backyard cottage in Seattle is only 800 square feet
The house sits on a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound. It’s 3,200 square feet in size with a detached carport. The property features Japanese maples, rhododendrons, flowering trees, edible berries and many other plants. An entry bridge into the house is flanked by tall evergreens that lead right into the open great room. A staircase leads to the primary suite.
The windows are triple-glazed, and there are skylights throughout the house. Net positive energy and water were integrated into the design. The city of Bainbridge even changed the city code to allow gray and black water to be treated on-site.
The property now has a cistern and a restored garden with on-site water treatment. All gray and black water is treated and reused for non-potable demands. Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in the enormous 10,000-gallon cistern. This water is treated in the mechanical room and distributed to the main house.
A photovoltaic array provides power, generating 105% of the power usage for the site. There’s also a backup battery system in the event of power failure. The building was renovated to improve the entire building envelope while maintaining the original architecture of the structure. The interiors were all updated while staying true to the original design.
Loom House can serve as a prototype to other designers and homeowners, providing a model for how renovation and retrofitting can be used to convert buildings into new, sustainable residences.
Photography by Rafael Soldi
