Canopy House
A small, 4-unit housing development located in Bellingham’s Sehome neighborhood, Canopy House addresses the challenge of “missing middle” housing in a densifying area with an expressive design solution.
The design is driven by orientation to sunlight, with skylights and storefront walls bringing in daylight and the unique roof geometry orienting solar arrays toward the sun. The homes retain individual expression through subtle variety of form and color while gently adding density to a predominantly single-family home neighborhood.
Canopy House expresses the idea of a canopy by draping the “raincoat” roof structure over the living spaces, and by inverting the program to locate the open communal spaces on the top floor, adjacent to the canopy of the surrounding trees.
The ground floor houses a 2-car garage, small entry area, significant storage space, and a mechanical room that collocates HVAC, water heater, laundry, and electrical. The second floor is the most private, with both bedrooms and primary bathrooms. The primary suite includes a bathroom, walk-in closet, and small balcony. The top floor is an open plan, with kitchen, built-in dining nook, generous living room, and half-bathroom.