Master Builders Association
Built Green

Electronic Newsletter for Green Residential Building
June 2009

Sponsors

King CountySnohomish CountyMBAPuget Sound EnergyWhirlpoolEnergy Star

 

Mission

Our mission
is to promote ecologically
friendly home
building
methods and practices,
and to
enhance our
communities 
through
leadership in
sustainable
development.

 

Non-Profit

Built Green
is a
non-profit
501(c)3
organization
accepting
donations
to promote
green
building
and
education
programs

 

Statistics

Total homes certified since 2000
14,426

Total homes certified 2009
755

Total BG member companies
702

 

Resources

Construction
Works

EnergyStar

Checklists

Northwest EnergyStar

Featured Project

Featured Project
View the case study here.

Bennett Homes
Project: 315 NE Eagle Way, Issaquah, WA.

This month's featured project is a 5-Star single family home in the West Highlands Park community of Issaquah Highlands. With a particular focus on indoor air quality, this home is one of the only homes in Washington to achieve the American Lung Association (ALA) Health House designation. It was also certified by Energy Star Homes Northwest. In addition to the indoor air quality measures, the home was also designed to perform at least 30% better than Washington State Energy Code. This combination of indoor air and energy measures was achieved through a tight envelope with less than 0.25 ACH, sealed ducts, a combination of blown in cellulose and spray foam insulations, and 75% compact fluorescent fixtures among numerous other green building strategies. The builder also added zero impervious surfaces outside the home's footprint and used landscaping that would not require watering to ensure that the site would perform as well as the home.

Vital Stats
Location: Issaquah
Star Level: 5-Star
Checklist: Single Family
Size: 2,486 square feet, 4br
Section Points
Site and Water 130
Energy Efficiency 144
Indoor Air Quality 129
Material Efficiency 104
Size Multiplier 1.00
Project Total Score 517

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

  • Home located in Built Green certified community
  • Constructed no impervious surfaces outside of the home footprint
  • Installed landscaping that will require no irrigation
  • Use of low-toxic outdoor materials for landscaping
  • Limited turf grass to less than 25% of landscaped area
  • Selected lower flow bathroom and kitchen faucets
  • Home includes a usable front porch
  • Home built within 1⁄4 mile of a public transit stop

Energy Efficiency

  • Home designed to be 30% more energy efficient than Washington energy code
  • Blower door test demonstrated air leakage of less than 0.25 ACH
  • Used blown in cellulose for wall insulation, and spray foam insulation for attic
  • Home certified through Energy Star Homes Northwest
  • Duct blaster test showed less than 6% loss for sealed ducts
  • Installed hard wired fluorescent fixtures for 75% of homes lighting needs
  • Used a water heater with .90 efficiency rating
  • Energy Star front loading washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and heating equipment

Indoor Air Quality

  • Home achieved ALA Health House designation
  • Used heat recovery ventilator and jump ducts to ensure clean, efficient air flow
  • Garage air sealed from house
  • Low-VOC/low-toxic paints used for all interior surfaces
  • Air sealed all ducts and tested performance with duct blaster test
  • Built to have positive indoor air pressure using controlled ventilation
  • Installed metal flashing at all windows and door heads
  • Ventilated home after each new wet finish application
  • Trained subcontractors on healthy jobsite plan and workplace safety

Material Use

  • Achieved 85 percent overall construction waste diversion rate by separating waste on site
  • Source separated recycling for drywall and clean scrap wood
  • Used finger jointed studs for framing
  • Installed natural linoleum resilient flooring
  • Used a 50-year recycled content siding product
  • Provided built-in recycling center for home

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

Picture courtesy of Bennett Homes.

 

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!

As You Like It Catering
(206) 523-9570 in Seattle

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Executive
(425) 455-5913 in Bellevue

Blue Sky Outfitters
(206) 938-4030 in Seattle

Carbonic Heat
(425) 214-1064 in Bellevue

Cozy Heating Inc.
(360) 435-4904 in Arlington

Crescent Contracting, Inc.
(206) 459-3822 in Seattle

EcoWise Windows and Doors
(206) 779-5500 in Kenmore

Green Electronics
(425) 445-2000 in Kirkland

Health Home, Inc.
(541) 767-3836 in Cottage Grove

Inside & Out Renovation
(206) 697-2369 in Bothell

J & K Builders LLC
(253) 876-5228 in Maple Valley

Karen Andersen, Coldwell Banker Bain
(206) 708-3708 in Issaquah

LSA Engineering, Inc.
(425) 775-1591 in Lynnwood

The Redman Co.
(206) 232-3022 in Mercer Island

RW Anderson Homes
(206) 383-8084 in Seattle

Seattle Remodeling
(425) 742-2484 in Lynnwood

Seco Development
(206) 454-7380 in Renton

Stargazer Properties LLC
(425) 246-6208 in Snoqualmie Pass

StrucSure Home Warranty
(877) 806-8777 in Redondo Beach

Union Bay Builders
(206) 595-5567 in Seattle

Wayside Landscaping LLC
(206) 755-7787 in Lake Stevens

 

New Certifications

Congratulations to Bennett Homes for certifying the new construction home on NE Eagle Way at West Highlands Park in Issaquah Highlands as 5-Star Built Green; Collaborative for certifying a single-family home on 106th Place SE in Bellevue as 4-Star Built Green; DB2 for certifying a the four unit townhome project on 14th Ave. W in Seattle as 3-Star Built Green; Dean Homes for certifying two new construction homes on 64th St. in Bellevue and SE 83rd Ct. in Newcastle as 4-Star Built Green; Model Remodel for certifying the remodel project on 27th Ave. W in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green; NW Independent Builders LLC for certifying the Prestonwood Community in Lynnwood as 2-star Built Green and the 16 single-family new construction homes at the Prestonwood Community in Lynnwood as 3-Star Built Green; R. Thoreson Homes for certifying the four unit townhome project on SW Admiral Way in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green; and Turnkey Builders, Inc. for certifying a new construction single-family home on NW 61st St. in Seattle as 3-Star Built Green.

 

Contact Built Green

Built GreenMaster 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

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

 

Feature

West Highlands Park Green Home Showcase
June 26-27, 315 NE Eagle Way,
Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah

Come join us on June 26th and 27th for an open house and tour of Bennett Homes’ 5-Star Built Green, Northwest Energy Star and American Lung Association Health House. Learn about the latest energy efficiency strategies, building for good indoor air quality and raising the bar for environmental stewardship in building a green certified home. The home will be open for tours starting at Noon on Friday, June 26 and will finish at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 27. Speakers will go into more depth on understanding green building practices on the following topics:

  • Green Interior Design, Friday, June 26 from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • How to Maintain a Home for Good Indoor Air Quality, Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to Noon
  • Detailed Project Description and Green Building Discussion, Saturday, June 27 from 1 to 2 p.m.
  • Energy and Indoor Air Quality Benefits of Northwest Energy Star, Saturday, June 27 from 3 to 4 p.m.

For a complete description of the project’s green features, please see this month’s Built Green Featured project and case study.

This will be a great opportunity to see an exceptional green home in person and to become fully educated on the latest green strategies and a showcase of green certification programs. For more information on the event feel free to contact the Built Green program via email.

 

Awards

Green Washington Awards
Deadline for entries: Friday, June 5, 2009
Seattle Business magazine is looking for groundbreakers whose initiatives and actions demonstrate leadership, innovation and a commitment to sustaining the environment and clean technology in Washington State.

We will honor these outstanding companies, nonprofits and government agencies at an awards dinner on September 23 and feature them in the October issue of Seattle Business magazine.

  • Open to all companies of any size, nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Washington state.
  • No cost to participate. It is free!
  • A distinguished panel of judges will select the winners.

CATEGORIES: Government, Green Building, Health Care, Manufacturing, Natural Resources/ Agriculture/Fisheries, Nonprofits, Retail, Services, Other.

To enter, submit your entry online.

 

Design Competitions

Future Shack: Housing the 21st Century 2009
Call for Projects

Key Dates
May 7: Call for Projects Opens
June 5: Registration and Early-Bird Pricing Deadline
June 23: Call for Projects Deadline
September 13: Projects published in Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine
September 13: Future Shack Live Event at the Seattle Center

What is Future Shack?
A new residential architecture program for our times, Future Shack celebrates progressive solutions for urban living across a wide range of building types, budgets, constraints and social agendas. Projects will be selected separately by two juries - one comprised of outspoken members of the public and another comprised of design professionals. Future Shack is developed in partnership with the Seattle Times, which will publish the recognized projects in the September 13 issue of Pacific Northwest Magazine. That evening, a public discussion of the recognized projects engaging the two juries and the audience will be moderated by KUOW's Weekday host Steve Scher at Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion.

For more information and submit a project visit the website.

 

Events

Powerful Business Conference: Energy Opportunities in a Changing Economy
Wednesday, June 17, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue
Practical strategies to improve business energy performance in four tracks:

  • Making the case for energy-efficiency
  • Building optimization
  • Proven technologies for buildings
  • Building design and construction

Session titles and descriptions for all 16 sessions are available in the registration brochure.

For more information or to register, contact the Electric League online, or at (425) 646-4727. Registration fee is only $125 and includes: sessions, utility program overviews and resource booths, tabletop exhibits, professional development letter, breakfast, plated lunch and plenary and afternoon exhibit reception.

Northwest Windpower Small Wind and Solar Training Conference
Friday through Sunday, June 19 to 21, Seattle
From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Place: Best Western, Executive Inn, 200 Taylor Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
Register online.
Get your Company and employees up to speed and certified to install the latest technology in small wind turbines, high efficient solar heat "evacuated tubes," solar power, bio heat and other energy saving rools and rechnology. Attend our Renewable Energy Certificate Program in Seattle and become a Certified Installer or Registered Dealer.

 

Classes

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

Are you ready for a "Green" remodel?
Built Green® Remodeling—Why Now is a Great Time for a Green Remodel!
Wednesday, June 3 Snohomish County PUD, Everett

Snohomish County PUD – 2320 California Avenue, Everett
11:30 a.m. (networking and lunch begins); 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
RSVP - Terri Hooper by email or phone (425) 783-8275

Construction season is upon us, and if, like so many Americans, you're thinking about remodeling instead of moving, you might also be thinking about a green remodel. Homeowners interested in upgrading their homes to maximize energy efficiency, don't have to sacrifice style, affordability or indoor air quality.

Get off to a great start by learning from professional green builders/remodelers on how to green-up any remodel project using the new Built Green Remodel Checklist.

For more information, please see the Sustainable Development Task Force website.

Introduction to Built Green®
Tuesday, June 9, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at the MBA Housing Center, 335 116th Ave. SE in Bellevue. Learn how to certify a project and use the checklist, how to join, how the program works and other resources. The seminar presents examples of projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation has a cost of $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. To register, contact the MBA University registrar at education@mbaks.com or go online.

BPI Building Analyst Training and Certification for Residential Energy Auditors and Weatherization Professionals
June 8 to 26, 2009, EOS Alliance, Seattle
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
EOS Alliance - 650 S. Orcas Street, Suite 220, Seattle, Washington 98108
This course is intended to provide the knowledge and experience necessary to prepare professionals conducting home weatherization energy audits to pass the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst exams, and become a certified Building Analyst. The course material is specifically tailored for energy efficiency professionals working within utility-funded programs and other programs funded through U.S. Department of Energy. It is based on the "Core Competencies for the Weatherization Assistance Program" developed by the Weatherization Trainers Consortium. The course includes ten days of classroom training, five days of field training, and both BPI written and field exams. Both weatherization and energy auditor professionals will benefit from the training and certification.

Registration: $1,995 for the three-week class, classroom and field exams, and BPI Building Analyst certification (passing both exams is required for certification). Course ID: BPW-404.

For more information visit the website.

To register, click here, or call EOS Alliance at (206)762-2553. *Alternative training options available (see registration page online).

Green Advantage Training and Certification with David Johnston
Tuesday, June 23, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
Renowned green building consultant and teacher David Johnston will present the Green Advantage® Training and Certification. This workshop features state-of-the-art instruction on proven residential and commercial green building techniques and approaches. It provides real world, practical construction and marketing instruction in the areas of site selection, energy conservation as it applies to framing, insulation, windows, water heating, appliances, heating and cooling, resource conservation and indoor air quality. It also addresses marketing these green advantages.

For more information on and to register, click here.

 

Snohomish County

Snohomish County SDTFLow Impact Development Brownbag: Clearwater Commons - Project Description, Stream Restoration, and Walking Tours
Wednesday, June 24, Clearwater Commons, Bothell
Clearwater Commons, 1510 – 196th Street SE, Park in Clearwater School parking lot 11:30 a.m. (networking and lunch begins); Project Presentation from 12:00 to 12:45 p.m.; Tours from 12:50 to 1:30 p.m. R.S.V.P. Terri Hooper by e-mail or phone (425) 783-8275

Low Impact Development is coming to Bothell. Developer Tom Campbell has secured preliminary approval for this unique project that has been three years in the making and which represents a high quality green project. All LID permitting hurdles have been cleared. The Clearwater Commons has been designed to use comprehensive low impact development methods, intentional community values, innovative green building techniques and environmental improvements based on the restoration of North Creek, an important endangered salmon habitat.

Clearwater Commons will be implementing multiple green strategies in support of:

  • Growth management through denser communities in urban areas.
  • Climate change through reduced carbon emissions and native plantings.
  • Salmon through the cooperative restoration of a ¼ mile of North Creek.
  • Education by engaging the community in cooperative learning by providing a model of how new communities can develop.

For more information, please see the Sustainable Development Task Force website.

 

Built Green | Phone (425) 460-8238 | BuiltGreen, 335 116th Avenue SE, Bellevue WA 98004
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