Architecture, Multi-Family & Residential,

Silver Rock Residence

Bainbridge Island, WA

How can a modest family home embrace regenerative design to create a timeless sanctuary that nurtures well-being and connection to nature?

Nestled in a tranquil forest glade on Bainbridge Island—just a short ferry ride from Seattle—the Silver Rock Residence is a quietly refined, modest, sustainable, family residence, and net-zero-ready home designed by McLennan Design for a family of four seeking peace, privacy, and an enduring connection to nature. Modest in scale yet rich in intention, the home reflects core values of simplicity, sustainability, and rootedness in place.

Strategically sited in the property’s northeastern corner to optimize solar gain while preserving mature Douglas fir and madrone trees, the three-bedroom residence is thoughtfully oriented around two distinct courtyards: a vehicle courtyard to the north and a serene garden courtyard to the south. These outdoor rooms anchor the home in natural light, seasonal movement, and offer seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

A singular east-west corridor—affectionately called the “Hallway of Life” during design—organizes all living spaces and centers the home’s material and emotional heart: a massive two-foot-thick Sirewall rammed earth wall. Crafted from soils gathered on-site and nearby quarries, this insulated, steel-reinforced wall embodies the project’s fusion of beauty, high performance, and lasting permanence.

Complementing the rammed earth are responsibly sourced woods—salvaged and FSC-certified—including cedar milled from trees removed on-site and large repurposed structural timbers. The exterior uses charred Shou Sugi Ban cedar siding, offering durability without chemical treatments and creating a timeless, tactile material palette that harmonizes with the landscape.

Every primary room features floor-to-ceiling glazing on three sides, ensuring abundant natural light, panoramic views, and a deep biophilic connection. The home’s humble form, combined with regenerative materials and a localist construction approach, significantly reduces embodied carbon.

Silver Rock is more than a residence—it is a model for regenerative, resilient architecture that proves meaningful design can be efficient, lasting, and soulful, setting a new standard for thoughtful, high-performance homes in the Pacific Northwest.

Private

Architecture

Full Living Building Challenge

Bainbridge Island, WA

3,200 sf

2016

Pacific Northwest

Residential

McLennan Design | Architecture

Photo Credit: Emily Hagopian

An Invitation Rooted in Craft and Care

At Silver Rock, the entry sequence speaks softly—but with intention. A sheltered timber porch welcomes visitors beneath a canopy of firs, framed by the quiet strength of rammed earth walls and the textured beauty of charred Shou Sugi Ban cedar. This is a threshold shaped not by ornament, but by material honesty and human scale—a place where earth, wood, and light meet in balance. The architecture doesn’t shout; it invites—offering warmth, durability, and a deep sense of belonging. Here, welcome is not just a gesture, but a way of building a modest and sustainable family residence.

Photo Credit: Emily Hagopian

Several trees removed during site clearing were thoughtfully repurposed—milled on-site and transformed into the home’s exterior cedar siding and interior Douglas fir finishes.