March 11, 2015

Land trust wins award for Bellingham houses

Photo courtesy of Douglas Landsem Architect [enlarge]

The houses have a two-bedroom unit upstairs and a one-bedroom unit downstairs.

Kulshan Community Land Trust developed two houses on Indiana Street in North Bellingham, which it sold at below market rate to people with low incomes.

The houses at 2784 and 2788 West Indiana Street each have a two-bedroom unit upstairs and a one-bedroom unit downstairs that is accessible to disabled people and that the homeowner may rent for extra income.

Douglas Landsem Architect worked with younger architects and interns who are members of the Northwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architect to design the houses on a small budget. They all provided services for free.

The project won a Citation Award in the 2015 design awards of the Northwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. For all the winners, see today's Architecture & Engineering section.

The houses are on small sites in the Eldridge neighborhood. They were constructed to Built Green standards, with Energy Star appliances and heating systems.

All the units have private entrances, and there are also covered porches, large windows, storage and parking underneath.

The buildings have solar panels and the front porches are engineered to accommodate green roofs in the future. Landsem said wood fencing and soft landscaping help them blend into the neighborhood.

The land trust is a member-based Bellingham nonprofit that partners with residents, community groups and local government to provide affordable housing in Whatcom County.

It sold the Kulshan Indiana Street Homes to people making at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Kulshan retained ownership of the land. When the homeowners want to sell, the trust will help them find new owners in a similar income bracket. The trust and the owners will share in the appreciation.

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