The BLOCK Project invites community into the task of ending homelessness by placing a BLOCK Home in the backyard of one single-family lot on every residentially zoned block within the City of Seattle. Each 125 s.f. home is beautifully designed to be off-grid, self-sufficient, and amenity rich. The BLOCK Project represents an innovative leap forward on the issues of homelessness, cross-class integration, social inclusion, and architectural design.
For nearly 3 years Herrera has been providing pro bono engineering support for the development and permitting of a net zero water design for the BLOCK Project. The potable rainwater system design was just approved by Seattle-King County Public Health on 10/9/2019. By the end of October,the 9th Block House will be installed into the backyard of a willing homeowner but this time with the potable rainwater system and the composting toilet not found in previous installations. Herrera is also supporting the on-going development of a greywater irrigation/infiltration system for future homes.
Each BLOCK Home strives to meet the stringent standards of the Living Building Challenge through the use of non-toxic and locally sourced materials, onsite renewable energy generation and storage, as well as onsite water and wastewater systems.
