Featured Home

Quadrant Homes has certified every house it has built since the inception of the Built Green program in 2001, including this recently-certified 2500-square-foot home. This home promotes healthier indoor air with natural ventilation assisted by operable windows, exhaust fans in kitchen, bath and laundry rooms vented to outside, and a whole house fan. In addition, Green Label carpeting was installed without glue, and formaldehyde-free insulation, composites, low-odor paints, sealers and adhesives were used to reduce or eliminate toxics in the home.

Quadrant promotes low-waste building methods by participating in King County’s Construction Works program and recycling such materials as cardboard, wood and pallets, drywall and land-clearing waste. During construction, dimensional lumber, construction fences, forms and other materials are reused, and subcontractors are required to participate in waste reduction efforts.

Quadrant also goes beyond the state energy code by documenting envelope improvements, and using an airtight drywall approach as well as wrapping the house with exterior air infiltration barrier. Quadrant has additionally certified two entire communities as Built Green: Redmond Ridge and Snoqualmie Ridge.

New Members

Arboretum Design & Development, LLC - Spec builders specializing in urban redevelopment.

Cahan European Window Company, Bellevue – Aluminum/wood tilt, turn windows and doors, phone 206.498.4708

Cascade Products, Kirkland – Manufacturers representative

Contract Furnishings Mart, Redmond, Seattle, Fife - Floor Covering Suppliers to the Construction Industry

Estate Homes, Mill Creek - Remodels, New Homes, Additions, Architecture, Interior Design, Cabinets

Fibres International, Seattle - Recycling services for paper, glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, other ferrous metals, plastics and other emerging recyclable materials

In Harmony Services, Bothell - Organic-based landscaping, lawn, tree and shrub health care and design

McIntyre Construction Services, Vashon – Custom builder and remodeler

Polygon Northwest Company, Bellevue - Value homebuilder of affordable family homes in the Pacific Northwest

Reid Pacific Company, Fife – Manufacturers’ representatives of building products

Shoreline Industries LLC, Sedro Wooley - Wood/plastic composite decking

Solatube Skylights/NW Natural Lighting, Lynnwood - Solatube skylights, aluminum & glass railings, Milgard windows, solar powered attic fans

Steve Kunkel Master Builders, Bellevue – Remodeler

Tiger Mountain Innovations Inc., Issaquah - Unique line of "stone" slabs for countertops, custom tabletops, or shelving.

Valley Floor Company, Kent - Floor coverings, phone 253.852.7008

VELUX-America – Skylights and roof windows

Wyngale Homes Inc., Seattle - Builders of fine, view-oriented homes located in Seattle's most desirable neighborhoods.

Yarrow Bay Development, Kirkland - Real estate development and land acquisition

View our current members.

Events

Built Green Idea Home
The Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home will be open on Saturdays and Sundays until April 11.

Directions to the Built Green Idea Home.

Construct Seattle
Washington State Convention & Trade Center April 7 & 8. The theme is on sustainability with keynote speaker David Gottfried, founder of the US Green Building Council. More than 20 educational seminars and 100 exhibits showcase the latest products and services for the construction and interior design industry, including the session "The Dollars and Sense of Green Building" with the Built Green director.

Please call 1.877.739.2112 x 228 or visit its website for further information.

Solar Energy International is offering three renewable energy seminars in April at the Guemes Island Community Center on Guemes Island, Washington: Grid-Tied Solar-Electric (PV) Design and Installation, Homebuilt Wind Generators and an Introduction to Renewable Energy. For general course information click here. To register via email. For local information, logistics, and lodging, contact Ian Woofenden, SEI NW Workshops Coordinator at 360.293.7448 (home) or via email.

From the Director

The National Green Building Conference was held in Austin, Texas, last month. It is the only national conference targeted to "green building" for the mainstream residential building industry and is sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

One of the main items on the agenda for many of the green home building program directors and other interested parties was a look at the first draft of national green home building guidelines. "Home builders nationwide have been building 'green' for more than 30 years, but never before have those practices evolved into a single, written set of criteria for what actually is green building. Through NAHB’s leadership, the guidelines will ensure that all builders are following the same path to building green," said Ray Tonjes, NAHB Green Building Subcommittee chair and home builder from Austin.

More than 60 green building industry leaders convened to review the guidelines - a group consisting of large and small home builders, manufacturers, architects, environmentalists, government agencies, suppliers and other groups with significant expertise in green building issues. These guidelines will not replace or diminish standards or guidelines of existing programs. While implementation issues are far from settled, these new guidelines should complement, augment, become part of, or otherwise work with existing programs, or could be used as stand-alone guidelines in areas where no programs exist.

Robin Rogers, Program Director

This is the final article in a series outlining the county’s three innovative LID/Built Green ordinance projects.

Shamrock

• Existing: Approximately 30 acres containing one single family home, a commercial nursery and two wetland areas.
• Development: A total of 118 detached single-family homes, enhanced wetland areas and a one-acre neighborhood park containing a rain garden.

Developer: CamWest
Architect: Dahlin Group
LID Engineer: Triad and Associates

The Shamrock Housing Project is located primarily in unincorporated King County along the eastern edge of the City of Renton. Developer CamWest plans a Built Green Community that will achieve the challenging and comprehensive "Low Impact Development" Built Green Action Item for approximately half of the site. The LID approach uses a combination of innovative engineering, pollution prevention, and integrated stormwater management practices mimicking natural drainage that control volume, recharge groundwater, and protect stream resources and water quality. Shamrock can achieve these benefits thanks to the flexibility provided by King County’s green building demonstration ordinance that allows modifications and waivers to some existing codes to enhance environmental benefits.

An LID engineer was brought on board to develop a sophisticated hybrid stormwater conveyance system that integrates underground pipes with open swales, detention ponds and existing natural wetland systems. Swales will be located in separate tracts behind private properties, eliminating the need to pipe stormwater under driveways and allowing homes to face traditional-looking streetscapes.

A one-acre neighborhood park will contain a rain garden irrigated entirely by rainfall and water from upstream bioswales. The rain garden will be planted with native species adapted to dry summer and saturated winter conditions. CamWest will further reduce runoff and improve infiltration throughout the development by using compost amended soil in all of the home landscapes and vegetated areas. Extensive monitoring after construction will quantify the benefits of using the LID approach on this site.

As active supporters of renewable energy, PSE is currently offering a rebate to residential, electric customers who install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their home. The rebate incentive amount depends on the level of capacity and in which county the solar PV system is installed. An incentive payment per the table below for each kilowatt or fractional kilowatt of capacity installed will be paid after completing, signing and submitting the appropriate paperwork, and upon inspection of the installation.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• All residential Puget Sound Energy electric customers are eligible
• Solar PV System installed in PSE electric service territory
• Funding availability is subject to annual program budgets

To request additional information, please email or call 1.800.562.1482.

Product Spotlight

James Hardie siding products have endured the harsh Pacific Northwest climate for over 15 years. Nothing will cause them to rot, warp or crack and because they’re dimensionally stable, they hold paint longer than cedar and engineered-wood products. Unlike vinyl, they’re non-combustible and impact resistant. Achieve the charm of lap and shingle-style siding and protect the entire home with Harditrim trim boards. Visit www.jameshardie.com for more information.

For information on how to list your "green" products* in this space, please contact Pam Worner by phone at 425.451.7920 or via email.

*Products must be able to meet at least one Built Green credit (see the four Built Green checklists on our website) to qualify, and the company must be a member-in-good-standing of Built Green.

New Certified Projects

Congratulations to our builders who have certified Built Green homes this month! Family Pryde certified a four-duplex multifamily building in the New Holly development in Seattle. Martha Rose Construction certified two new homes on 11th Avenue NE in Seattle and a multifamily building on 15th Street NW in Seattle. Quadrant Homes certified 101 new homes this month!

More Available Built Green Homes.

Green Builder of Year

The city of Issaquah has awarded its first ever 2003 Green Builder of the Year Awards to The Dwelling Company and DR Horton. Both builders achieved overall Built Green point scores in the 250 point range, which is well above the minimum required to achieve a 3-star level.

The Dwelling Company, developer of Crofton Springs in Issaquah Highlands, includes energy-efficient hydronic heating, coupled with tankless hot water heaters, in its homes. Crofton Springs consists of walk-to cottages, carriage houses, and community greens – all of which will reduce the use of cars and add to a sense of community.

DR Horton, another Issaquah Highlands builder, aggressively pursued construction recycling as a member of King County’s Construction Works program, recycling more than 60 percent of construction waste. It incorporates recycled-content materials into its homes, and improves indoor air quality with low VOC paints and adhesives.

The first ever Green Builder of the Year Award is but one part of a larger city of Issaquah sustainable building program that provides sustainable building consulting and financial incentives. For further information, contact Brad Liljequist, the Issaquah Sustainable Building Advisor, at 425.837.3448 or via email.

Green Reading

Cascadia Scorecard was just released by Northwest Environment Watch. It gauges regional progress that monitors seven key trends in the area: economy, population, energy, sprawl, forests, health, and pollution.

"Easy on the eyes and the environment" from the Christian Science Monitor provides a look at green homes across the country.

Letter by a Home Appraiser asserts higher value of Energy Star homes. Built Green offers credit for certifying to Energy Star, a US government program that promotes additional energy savings.

Sustainability through the Market A free download from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development offers seven keys to success -- innovate, practice eco-efficiency, move from stakeholder dialogues to partnerships for progress, provide and inform consumer choice, improve market framework conditions, establish the worth of the earth, make the market work for everyone - illustrated in 30 case studies.

Breaking Down the Barriers: Challenges and Solutions to Code Approval of Green Building From the link, scroll down to Building Codes Survey: Breaking Down the Barriers. The Development Center for Appropriate Technology, a non-profit organization in Tucson, led an effort to research issues related to building regulatory challenges for green building through an Internet-based survey, administered from July 1 to August 31, 2001. The results revealed that building codes frequently present barriers, both technical and non-technical, to the approval of green building alternatives. The most significant factor in gaining code approval was to provide supporting information for alternatives, accompanying plans.

EcoBuilding Guild

The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, a Built Green member organization, offers monthly education seminars on green building. Free to members and $5 to non-members, the classes are held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the basement of the Brick building (located behind the Phinney Neighborhood Association at 6532 Phinney Ave N).

The Guild is a non-profit association of builders, designers, homeowners, tradespeople, manufacturers, suppliers and others interested in ecologically sustainable building. The Guild publishes a directory of environmentally friendly services and products for the residential and light commercial building industry called The Green Pages. Many Built Green members are also members of the Guild and vice versa. The next class is a Green Roof Workshop, Saturday, April 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register by calling 206.783.2244.

Survey Results

A few weeks ago we sent an online survey to our readers requesting input on preferred topics for classes. Number One choice: cost/benefit analysis of green building. Number Two as a close second: green materials and supplies. Following, in almost equal numbers, were Built Green orientation, case studies, consumer feedback, healthy home techniques, advanced heating/cooling technologies, landscaping, surface water management and green codes. We’ll do our best to scale courses to meet your needs. If you have other suggestions, please contact us via email.

Office Energy Tips

Save Office Energy Tips from Wastebusters

• Energy efficient light bulbs last six times as long as conventional types and cost one-tenth to run
• Reducing the temperature of your office by one degree will reduce your fuel bill by 10 percent
• If you do not service your boiler for one year its efficiency can drop by 10 percent
• A photocopier left switched on overnight uses enough energy to make 5,300 A4 copies
• A PC monitor uses 80 percent of a PC's energy; if you are away from you desk for more than 30 minutes it is more cost effective to switch your PC monitor off. A monitor left switched on overnight uses enough energy to laser print 800 A4 pages
• Lighting an empty office overnight uses enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of coffee. Even if you are only leaving your office for 5 or 10 minutes it is still more cost effective to switch off your lights

EPA Green Products

EPA provides a list of designated products with accompanying recycled-content recommendations, grouped into eight categories:

• Construction Products
• Landscaping Products
• Nonpaper Office Products
• Paper and Paper Products
• Park and Recreation Products
• Transportation Products
• Vehicular Products
• Miscellaneous Products

EPA’s Supplier Database provides manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers for each item in the products list. Construction products include: building insulation, carpet, carpet cushion, cement and concrete containing, latex paint, floor tiles, flowable fill, laminated paperboard, patio blocks and structural fiberboard.

MBA University

Built Green Orientation provides an overview of the entire program on Friday, May 21 from 8-10 am at the MBA. The course is free and open to anyone. Register by calling 425.451.7920 or via email. This course (or equivalent) is required for certifying a Built Green project.

Full catalogue of MBA University courses

Many other courses are available through the MBA University. Contact Kelly Lykken for information and to register at 425.451.7920 or via email.

Snohomish County has two demonstration ordinances designed to encourage innovation in development. A description of both along with eligibility requirements can be found online in the County’s Unified Development Code, Subtitle 30.1. The Urban Centers Demonstration Program, Chapter 30.34A, promotes mixed-use, higher density development within or adjacent to urban centers. The Reduced Drainage Discharge Demonstration Program, Chapter 30.34B, promotes design and development techniques, such as low impact development, that significantly reduce drainage discharge.

If you’re interested in sustainable development in Snohomish County, you might want to consider joining the Sustainable Development Task Force. For further info, contact Deanna Seaman at Snohomish County Solid Waste via email.

Email Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County.

Contact Built Green

MBA Calendar of Events

Master Builders Association
335 – 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Directions
P: 425.451.7920
P: 800.522.2209
F: 425.646.5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com