Site specific, environmentally conscious homes, designed to walk lightly on the land.
We are now offering certified blower door testing for all residential and small commercial construction projects in the Methow Valley.
Intrinsic Design is dedicated to providing clients with high quality blower door testing to ensure Energy Code Compliance and to help you meet your high efficiency goals.
Give us a call or contact us through or contact page for more information.
Rates: $400 for first test $250 for second test
Room One is a multifaceted social services nonprofit organization located in the heart of Twisp. Room One is a community voice, powerfully advocating for the health and well-being of all people living in the Methow Valley. They play the leading role in bringing valuable social services to those in need on our community. With the fast rise in population in the valley, Room One’s services have been in great demand and that has led to a need for an expansion of their facilities. Thus, the Room One Client Services Building.
So, Intrinsic Design began working with Room One’s Building Committee in the fall of 2020 to develop a plan for a new campus. Two Client Services Buildings plus an Infants Resource Exchange Building make up the built portion of the campus. Additionally, a landscaped courtyard with privacy spaces will join the buildings together.
Once completed, the new campus will have ample space for meeting clients, teaching classes, hosting meetings and throwing the occasional celebration for the community. Indoor and outdoor spaces will flow easily through large sliding doors, shady covered porches and beautifully landscaped spaces.
Blackcap Builders Collective is moving fast through construction as we move out of winter and towards spring of 2023. Excitement to get the second Client Services Building design finished up is starting to grow. Intrinsic Design is excited to sit down with Room One’s Building Committee again to set out a plan. More to come soon!
Being a part of the existing neighborhood was a driving force behind the design of the exterior of the Room One Client Services Building. The new building sits on the same lot as the existing building on 2nd and Lincoln Streets in Twisp, Wa.. Architectural style, materials, siding colors and roofing have all been selected to be in harmony with the largely residential neighborhood in which it resides. Fitting in and fostering a sense of community was a priority from the beginning.
Methow Trails is the keystone provider of winter recreation in the Methow Valley maintaining over 120 miles of groomed Nordic Ski trails every year. Founded in 1977, their influence on the culture of the valley has been profound. Intrinsic Design was deeply honored to be picked to design the Methow Trails Campus.
Maintenance and Events Facilities, Equipment Storage and a new Administration Building (unbuilt as of 2023) are all included in the layout of the new campus. Durability, beauty and energy efficiency are the motivation behind each design choice. A solar array designed for the roof of the Equipment Shed will one day provide the operational energy to help Net Zero the campus energy needs.
The exterior aesthetics of the Methow Trails Campus honors the agricultural heritage of the Methow. To that end, we used dark rough sawn board and batten siding and traditional gable roof shapes. Details like gable look outs, steel wainscoting and post and beam elements reinforce the look.
The Administration Building is still in the line up to be built. This structure will provide the administration staff with a comfortable home to keep the operations running smoothly and a place to continue to plan great all seasonal events. Passive House inspired building assemblies will ensure the highest level of energy efficiency and the least use of resources. Creating the smallest foot print on resources possible is a primary goal for the Methow Trails Campus.
Intrinsic Design welcomes inquiries for other non profit based and commercial design work. We really enjoy working with a group of people with a vision and will do our best to help you meet all of your goals!
Methow Valley Home Design always start with several visits to the site in order to find the essence of the land and identify its most prized traits. Each piece of property in the Methow has invaluable characteristics that need to be worked into the siting and design of the house. Large scale views, intimate spaces, the ability to gather solar energy or tuck in out of the wind all come in to play when assessing a site. Finding a balance of the sites attributes and the practical needs of the client gets our design underway.
Once the landscape is assessed, it’s time to sit with the clients and find what their needs are for the new building. I like to start with an interview where we go through questions that help build a written model of what the home should accommodate and what dreams are hoped for. Is this home design intended to be a get away space for a couple and friends or is it a full time home for a family raising kids? Are we looking for a home that is pushing sculptural boundaries or are we looking to stay with traditional forms.
Setting a reasonable budget for the project is also invaluable from the beginning. It is very important to me that we design a home that meets your budget and allows you to realize your dreams. If we budget carefully, you should be able to fit some special additions into your design.
Environmental house design is one of the most important elements that I can bring to you the client and to us as a culture. The buildings that we live, work and shop in consume 30% of our energy and 70% of our electricity. The more our projects help to bring those numbers down the more positive for the environment and our planet.
I hope to work as many energy saving strategies into my designs as I can. We can start with a robust insulation package to help conserve every bit of energy that we put into the home. Adding elements of passive solar energy collection and storage bolster the buildings energy effectiveness. Creating high tech building envelopes, using ingenious framing techniques and looking to creative solutions for heat and cold management all play a part in reducing a buildings carbon footprint.
We can design in active solar energy production working with local solar designers and installers. Be it to stand alone from the grid or to tie in and feed your excess electricity back to the grid. We can do it. Would you like to be able to capture rain to water your zeri scape plantings? We can do that too.
I am here to help you build a home that sits lightly on the land. It’s my passion and I would love to help make your home meet your environmental goals.
