Construction is underway on our second Passive House project, View Haus 5. The townhomes are designed by Bradley Khouri of b9 Architects to meet Passive House Institute US standards, which radically decreases energy consumption for heating and cooling the homes, improved thermal comfort, and superior indoor air quality.

A beautiful compliment to the Passive House design is the upcycled natural salvaged cedar and softwoods that we will use for View Haus 5’s exterior cladding. Integrating this type of finish adds to the dramatic nature of the project’s modern design, and allows the aesthetic to take center stage. It also carries the bonus of natural resource preservation and reduces the project’s carbon footprint.

The product that we chose, NatureAged Weathered Timber from Green Home Solutions, is sourced from logs that have been damaged by forest fire or other forces of nature. Some of the wood is also obtained from sawmill, logging or wood processing plants.

Our application will incorporate two finishes, a burnt wood effect called Shou Sugi Ban and a naturally weathered patina. Gaining in popularity, Shou Sugi Ban is an ancient Japanese method that involves torching the wood and sealing it with oil. This process renders the wood nearly maintenance free and makes it resistant to fire, rot and pests. The expected lifespan of Shou Sugi Ban wood is more than 80 years – far more than any other type of siding product.

Check out an example of the Shou Sugi Ban burning process via Houzz.com:

What do you think about using salvaged wood product?

For more information about View Haus 5 or the products that we use, contact us at info@cascadebuilt.com.