The Mclennan Family would like to welcome you to this site which is dedicated to sharing with you the inspiration and ideas that led to the creation of Heron Hall, our Living Building home on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
On this site the background history of the site, design ideas and philosophy related to the architecture of Heron Hall are provided to help share the knowledge and experience of this unique and leading edge green project.
Welcome,
The McLennan Clan
HERON HALL NEWS
2016 End of Year Preview of Heron Hall
Radiant System and Concrete Floor Built!!
Heron Hall reached another important milestone last week as the radiant heating system was installed in the house and the concrete floor placed inside! We look forward to the winter warmth of this system - and know that our dogs will love lying on those warm...
read more
Smallwood Construction – Building a Living Building
SMALLWOOD CONSTRUCTION Located here on Bainbridge Island is a wonderful home builder called Smallwood Construction - founded by Rob Smallwood - and now joined by his sons Ryan and Shad together with a great crew of people building our wonderful living building home -...
read more
Ready for Roofing!
Heron Hall construction continues, as Smallwood puts the finishing framing on the ground level in and begins erecting the beautiful custom trusses inside the space. In the meantime, the project is finally ready for its final roofing assembly materials. The energy...
read more
Heron Hall Weathered In!!! Shout Out to Prosoco!
Another major milestone reached as finally Heron Hall framing is complete and the house is now generally weathered in! Just in time for the rains to stop! A big shout out to Prosoco! For their incredible Water proof products!!! And the amazing story developed from...
read more
Roof Framing Well Underway
Its an exciting time at Heron Hall as Smallwood pushes hard to build rafters and get the house weathered in. As soon as rafters are finished plywood is next. The main ‘barn-like’ space is really taking shape and looking great. Equally exciting is the beautiful stair...
read more
2nd Floor Framing Nears Completion
2nd Floor framing for Heron Hall nears completion and roof framing set to begin this week! The project continues to face lots of rain! But progress continues to be made by...
read more
Next Stage of Construction – Framing!
The next stage of construction at Heron Hall has been proceeding well in the first month of 2016! Framing is well underway and as each new wall is installed we excitedly are seeing the eventual form of Heron Hall taking shape! All the framing is using FSC Certified...
read more
Shout out to Associated Engineering for work at Heron Hall!
Heron Hall and McLennan Design would like to do a big shout out of appreciation to our innovative and talented structural engineering team at Associated Engineers in Vancouver, BC. Mark Porter; Jermyn Wong; Keenan Ngo - have worked incredibly hard to help engineer...
read more
McLennan Design unveils the World’s Smallest Registered Living Building Project
Chicken Hall which will be built this summer as part of Heron Hall, is a newly registered project with the Living Building Challenge and currently the smallest project registered in the world! The coop will be built this summer as Heron Hall itself is completed. ...
read more
Framing Underway
As 2015 drew to a close framing was well underway at Heron Hall. Smallwood Construction has been busy with beginning framing for kitchen and stair walls with FSC wood and three dimensional shape of the home is now being revealed! All framed walls are double walls,...
read more
Bond Beam Complete – Time to Frame!
An important milestone was reached today as the last of the forms for the concrete bond beam were removed - helping to tie all the rammed earth walls together structurally. The bond beam proved very challenging - and time consuming! The great news is that this now...
read more
Architectural Photographer Emily Hagopian Visits Heron Hall
EMILY HAGOPIAN VISITS HERON HALL Emily Hagopian, a talented architectural photographer, who collaborated with Jason on the 2005 publication, Green Dollhouse, visited Heron Hall and took many beautiful photographs documenting the current progress of the project. For...
read more
Rammed Earth Is Complete
Huge Milestone reached as Sirewall USA has completed the rammed earth walls at Heron Hall! Big thanks to the whole team who put in countless hours building these gorgeous walls. Work moves now to the bond beam that holds it all together and installation of the wood...
read more
Sponsor Thank You
We want to say a BIG thank you to our wood package sponsor - Sustainable Northwest Wood! Our first big FSC wood package arrived at the house and our first section of framing is now underway.
read more
The first SIP Panels for floor are installed in Heron Hall – a new milestone reached!
We’ve reached a new milestone in the construction of Heron Hall. The First SIP panels for our floors are now installed in Heron Hall. The FSC SIP panels have virtually no thermal bridging and approaching R-50 insulation!! Installation is continuing and pretty soon...
read more
Heron Hall Living Building Tour
For the first time, guided, public tours of the construction of Heron Hall - the first Living Building Challenge house to be built in Washington State, are being made available on a first to rsvp basis. Tours will be conducted by Jason F. Mclennan - founder of the...
read more
Rammed Earth Walls Near Completion at Heron Hall
The beautiful rammed earth walls are nearly done at Heron Hall! They are incredible and feel so permanent and spiritual. This week our first floors get built and a new phase of the project begins. Stay tuned for dates for public tours!
read more
Stair Tower Revealed
The beautiful rammed earth stair tower is now complete and work on the main ‘barn’ rammed earth walls begin next week as soon as the concrete stem walls are done! Public tours will begin soon too!
read more
Mark Smith from Neil Kelly Visits Heron Hall
Neil Kelly is a great partner on the project - producing the world’s greenest cabinet line - all FSC and Declare product! Check out the McLennan Series of cabinets designed and hand made in the USA in collaboration with Neil Kelly at:...
read more
Knauf Insulation at Heron Hall
Rick Blumenthal of Knauf Insulation shows our team the benefits of their amazing Declare listed product - and thanks to Knauf all insulation within the rammed earth walls are now free of any petrochemical products! This is the first time this insulation has been used...
read more