Those who design high-end custom homes often dream of bringing their skills to a wider audience. For Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, this notion is no longer a fantasy. The Seattle-based firm has signed on to design the homes for Horizon at Semiahmoo, a second-home community in Semiahmoo, Wash. “The scale and diversity of this is new to us,” says partner Scott Allen, AIA.
The firm has designed nine different model homes (two are shown below), each with sustainable elements such as green roofs, rain gardens, and passive solar orientation. Seventy-four homesites are currently for sale, with a second phase slated to enter the market later this year. Along with the single-family residences, Horizon will eventually include retail space, condominiums, and townhouses.
Allen calls the community's architecture “Pacific Contemporary” and says the goal is to have every house attain the equivalent of either LEED Silver or the area's Built Green status. “To us, the attraction was the chance to do something consistent and with a high level of control,” he explains. “We also wanted to see how far we could push sustainable strategies.”
