EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR 2012 BUILT GREEN® CONFERENCE ENDS SEPT. 7!
This year's Built Green Conference will be held on Sept. 27 at Mukilteo's Rosehill Community Center in Snohomish County. Rosehill Community Center is a gorgeous building that sits above the Mukilteo Lighthouse and ferry and offers sweeping scenic views of the Puget Sound. The conference includes the unbelievable scenery and a full day of networking and learning about the latest green-building trends and technologies. We are proud to have Denis Hayes from Bullitt Foundation as our keynote speaker. For more details on educational sessions and schedule, please visit www.BuiltGreenConference.com.

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING?
If you're interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference, please contact Marketing Manager Julie Applegate by email or at (425) 278-0227 for more information. Commit early and take advantage of special early-bird pricing for exhibitors!

Featured Project

View the case study here.

Model Remodel
Project: Eastside Harvest House
East King County, WA

Model Remodel's 5-Star single-family home in East King County is an outstanding example of the direction green homes should be headed and sets a new bar for single-family homes. With 886 points, it is the highest scoring project that Built Green has certified. An old house on a one acre lot (that was previously a meadow) was deconstructed at a recycling rate of 98 percent , leaving a fresh site for the new home and its planned expansive gardens.

The new home has a HERS index of -7, and will produce most of its own power. The home is also the first potable rain water system permitted in King County and uses UV and multiple filtration to treat rainwater, which is stored in several large cisterns. Harvested water will be filtered to municipal standards for potable use. The 3750-square-foot residence includes a separate mother-in-law suite for elderly parents.

The house is designed to allow the homeowners to age in place. All the primary rooms are located on the main floor and on the same level as the auto court to allow wheelchair access. Bathrooms have curbless showers, comfort-height toilets, and mother-in-law shower includes grab bars. Exterior and interior materials were especially chosen to require minimal to no maintenance.

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

• Permitted potable rain water system – the first in King County
• A large, permaculture designed garden with extensive edible and functional landscaping, including fruit and nut orchard, berry bushes, bee fountain and terraced vegetable beds
• Exterior, impervious surfaces that connect storm water drains to large rain gardens
• Harvested rain water stored in four cisterns, diverting water for landscape irrigation and domestic house needs
• Protected and redistributed excavated soil during construction for the sloping, one-acre lot for final grading
• Planted drought-tolerant landscaping
• Installed dual-flush toilets

Energy Efficiency

• Installed photovoltaic system should produce the majority of power the home requires
• Automated sunshades installed that deflect unwanted summer heat
• Triple-glazed, argon-filled windows installed for highest efficiency
• Electric water-heating tank installed with solar pre-heating system
• Insulation used to achieve R-20 to R-50 levels
• Energy Star appliances installed
• Average window U-value of 0.30
• Green factor score of .87
• Installed 100-percent LED and CFL light fixtures

Indoor Air Quality

• No carpet installed to improve indoor air quality
• Used low-VOC paints and finishes and low-toxic water-based sealants and adhesives
• Heat recovery ventilator acts as whole house fan with MERV 12 filter
• Formaldehyde-free cabinetry, trim and cellulose insulation installed
• ABS, rather than PVC, used for plumbing
• Drain plane installed for walls between siding, trim and building paper for moisture control
• Constructed roof overhangs of at least 24"
• Ductless heat pump installed
• Completed multiple window leak testing to ensure no water infiltration to inside of house

Material Use

• Materials chosen for durability, ease of upkeep and high-recycled-content
• Materials and finishes include using 100-percent FSC lumber
• Used low or no toxicity materials and finishes
• Minimum PVC used
• Products with high recycled content used, including recycled content nails used in construction, recycled content counter tops and materials
• Waste management deconstruction plan recycled over 98 percent of previous onsite structure
• Utilized advanced framing techniques to reduce waste
• Post-consumer recycled glass cullet floor was used under slab as a capillary break
• Used blown-in cellulose for insulation containing 85 percent post-consumer waste
• Durable metal roofing with recycled content installed that has a 40-year warranty

Photos courtesy of velocipede architects.

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

Call for Submissions

Decon '13
The annual conference of the Building Materials Reuse Association will be held in Seattle next year! Decon '13 will be held in April 2013 at Seattle Center and will provide an informative conference on the latest in deconstruction technology and materials re-use applications.

King County is putting together walking tours for the conference and is soliciting for example projects that feature deconstruction, salvage or reuse. Projects that will be in deconstruction or construction during April would be great to highlight on the tour.

Ideal projects would be located a reasonable distance for either walking or bus stops. The tours will consist of half-days from Seattle Center (roughly Seattle, north and south a bit, near edge of Lake Washington).

Please Contact Wayne with any projects you can think of.

Member News

Own or Manage a Large Apartment or Condo Building in Seattle?
Report Energy Use by Oct. 1!
With the reporting deadline just a few weeks away, owners and managers of multifamily properties that are 50,000 square feet or greater should take advantage of benchmarking support now.

Free workshops: Sept. 6 and Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. to noon on the University of Washington campus. Visit the link to preregister.

A full year of 2011 energy use must be reported to the city to be in compliance. Failure to report will result in fines.

How to Check Your Compliance: We've recently updated Step 4 with more details on what to check to ensure that your data is accurate and properly reporting to the City.

Dwell Development makes progress in community, is featured on King 5 News
Anthony Maschmedt from Dwell Development and Tadashi Shiga from Evergreen Certified join King 5's New Day to talk about the BEYOND initiative by BASF for energy efficient homes.

New Certifications

Congratulations to:

Isola Homes for certifying their new single-family townhomes at 4717, 4719, 4721 and 4723 Phinney Ave. N. in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green.

Howson's Contract Specialties for certifying their new single-family home at 507 34th Ave. in Seattle as 5-Star Built Green.

Steven D Smith Construction LLC for certifying their new single-family homes at 3850 134th Ave. NE in Bellevue and 8448 Midland Road in Medina as 3-Star Built Green.

Model Remodel for certifying their remodeled home at 5032 Ivanhoe Place NE in Seattle as 3-Star Built Green and also for a new single-family home in Kirkland as 5-Star Built Green.

Events

10X10X10 Green Building Slam
Sept 15, Seattle
The 10X10X10 GREEN BUILDING SLAM celebrates the Northwest's most innovative usage of green sustainable building concepts. Come watch 10 of your favorite architects and builders showcase their deep green construction projects, as they quickly show you behind the scenes accounts of their successes, lessons and surprises with each 10-minute, 10-slide presentation.

Bullitt Center Living Building Construction Tour
Oct. 11, Seattle
Tour is from 4 to 6 p.m. R.S.V.P. to Dave Woolley-Wilson at dkww09@gmail.com.

Classes

Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.

Introduction to Built Green®
Oct. 9, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This class will provide an introduction to the Built Green program. Learn how to certify a project, use the checklist, join, navigate the program and take advantage of our other resources. It also presents examples of Built Green projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation costs $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. Register here.

Energy Benchmarking using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
Sept. 6 and 20, Seattle
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's (NEEA) BetterBricks Initiative and the city of Seattle offer this free workshop for building owners, property managers and service providers to support compliance with the city of Seattle's building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance. This hands-on session will teach you how to benchmark your building's energy performance using the free on-line tool ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager. Participants will also learn about the ordinance reporting requirements and new services available for automated benchmarking from Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Steam.

Energy Audits in the Home 101
Sept. 13, Seattle
In this course you'll learn how to conduct a basic home energy audit. With a simple but diligent walkthrough, you can quickly identify energy hogs that typically require small upgrades and are easy to retrofit. These upgrades, which include lighting, shading, temperature and small appliance control, can help reduce utility bills by 50 percent, while enhancing ambiance and adding convenience. To R.S.V.P., please contact Caitlin Helterline at chelterline@lutron.com or (206) 707-3477.

Solar Photovoltaics in Washington State
Sept. 20, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
Homeowners and business owners have become increasingly interested in the environment and taking control of their energy bills through solar photovoltaics (PV). Gary Shaver, president of Silicon Energy, will discuss how solar PV works in Washington state and show how progressive designers and builders are integrating solar PVs into window awnings, shelters and electric vehicle charging stations, in addition to traditional rooftop installations. There are progressive local, state and federal incentives and rebate programs that help make solar PV an excellent option for residences and business owners who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Solar works in Washington!

This breakfast session will provide an introductory look at solar PVs in Washington and will include opportunities to discuss solar PV concepts for your future projects.

Take Control of Your Home Energy Costs!
Sept. 22, Brier
Worried about rising energy costs? Confused about what you can do to keep them down besides lowering the thermostat? Energy efficiency expert Pam Worner will educate attendees with a lively discussion about what's really driving up energy bills and will provide simple, low-cost steps that can be taken immediately to save money!

Four Program Takeaways:

• An understanding of the hidden issues that could be driving up your energy bills
• A look inside the walls of an energy-efficient home
• New ways you can tell how much energy a home will use before you buy
• A list of low-cost steps you can use now to cut your energy costs

Innovations in Green Construction Operations: Introducing Contractor BMPs
Sept. 25, AGC Office, Fife
This course will introduce a suite of green contractor best management practices (BMPs) that are proven to bring increased operational efficiency, improved worker safety and added financial and environmental value to the construction process.

Stormwater BMPs for Construction (CESCL) and Recertification Course
Sept. 25 and 26, AGC Office, Fife
These training courses teach contractors current techniques for successfully managing erosion and sediment on construction sites. In addition, the newest information on complying with federal, state and local regulatory requirements for stormwater is presented in an easy to understand format. Participants completing this class will receive certification or recertification as erosion and sediment control leads for the Washington State Department of Ecology. Register here.

Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training
Oct. 16 and 178, Issaquah
This course examines the most up-to-date techniques in the management of sediment and construction sites. Students who attend will receive recertification of their Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training Certification (CESCL) status from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Participants will also benefit from a dynamic interaction between traditional lectures and hands-on exercises. The course covers the essentials of being a certified lead and includes information on how new regulations will impact CESCL job functions. Upon completion, students will know how to simply and confidently comply with federal, state and local regulatory requirements of stormwater management.

King County

2012 Construction Recycling Directory!
King County's Green Tools program released the 2012 Construction Recycling Directory (CRD) with some interesting new additions this year. The 2012 CRD has QR codes scattered throughout the directory, so users can access more detailed information where necessary. Web search keyword suggestions are also provided for those who cannot use the QR codes. Another new feature is, "How Do I Recycle C&D the Right Way?" which covers everything someone needs to know to setup a successful jobsite recycling program. For more information on the Green Tools program visit the website.

Third Annual Premiere Screening Watershed Report 2011 Update
Wednesday, September 12, 6:00 PM
Experience the powerful voice of the next generation. And eat great food, too! Smoked salmon and the best dessert tables you ever saw.

Twenty-two high school students from seven different school districts, plus the private school network, will preview a short series of videos tracking positive sustainability policy trends in the 28 cities, two counties and 13 school districts of our watershed, the greater Cedar River - Lake Washington Basin.

This is a hugely inspirational annual event. Help us roll out the Watershed Report update to your local city council, school board, chamber of commerce, Rotary and other civic leadership groups. We track policy. We showcase best practices. Put the Watershed Report to work in service to your own sustainability action agenda. Puget Sound Starts Here!

Cargo Camping Container now available for overnight reservations in Tolt-MacDonald Park

King County Parks has finished a new, comfortable and ecologically sound camping structure that was created from a 24-foot-long used cargo container and now sits alongside the Snoqualmie River at Tolt-MacDonald Park.

The camping container features an adaptable floor plan with full-sized bunk bed, plus a table and multi-purpose cabinet made from deconstructed kitchens and reclaimed materials that can be moved outside for more floor space inside. Other re-claimed materials include old soccer goals that were converted into a green wall and an old door that is now the kitchen table.

King County Parks is committed to innovation, sustainability and prosperity, and is upping the ante with this new, ecologically sustainable camping container that offers parks visitors a unique overnight experience. King County Parks staff adapted the award winning schematic designs submitted by Joel Egan of HyBrid Architecture, a Seattle-based design firm. "Re-Tain" is the result of King County Parks' Little Footprint/Big Forest design contest in 2011 that drew numerous entrants from area architecture firms and sustainability supporters..

New Members

Are you a Built Green member and a member of the Master Builders Association? Then your company is designated with a small green tree on the Master Builders Association website as a Built Green member. Your company is also listed on the Built Green website.

Welcome to our newest member companies!

There are four levels of sponsorship available to support the Built Green program, all tax deductible. To find out more about becoming a sponsor of Built Green, please see the sponsorship overview and the individual sponsorship plans. If your company is interested in becoming a sponsor, please email the Program Director or call (425) 460-8230 for further information.

 
Our Program Director Aaron Adelstein is also on Twitter now @aadelstein.

Master Builders Association
335 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P: (425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net

Master Builders Association Calendar of Events
If you have news items for this newsletter, please send us an email. Click here for Directions to the Master Builders Association.