Featured Project

View the case study here.

Sockeye Homes - Auburn, WA
Project: 5-Star Demonstration Home

This 5-Star demonstration home by Sockeye Homes was completed and certified in January. The five-acre site provided plenty of opportunity for infiltration, but the real water innovation came with the 1,500-gallon cistern and bathtub drainage gray-water irrigation system. The home's modeled energy performance shows a 40 percent improvement over the current Washington State Energy Code and achieved a HERS score of 55. The exceptionally tight 0.2 ACH envelope is heated hydronically by a Daikin Altherma boiler and lit by compact fluorescent and LED lighting. To improve air quality, the home is exclusively heated by the radiant system, used no wood products with urea formaldehyde and uses a set of alternating fans, including one wired to the garage door to ensure the right air balance. Finally, in materials, the home achieved a 90 percent recycling rate for construction waste. For walls, they used insulated concrete forms for below grade walls, advanced framing for the walls above grade and structural insulated panels for the roof. Both the Caesarstone countertops and hard surface tile are recycled content, and finger-jointed wood was used for both window frames and trim.

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

• 1,500-gallon cistern provided for irrigation needs
• Gray water system for irrigation
• Exclusively landscaped with drought tolerant and plants
• More than 30 percent of trees on site retained, with deciduous trees on south side of home
• Topsoil protected on-site for re-use and amended to 10-12 inches
• Pervious materials used for at least one-third of all hardscape areas
• Dual flush toilets installed in all units
• Low-flow showerheads and kitchen and bathroom faucets used to reduce water and energy use

Energy Efficiency

• Homes modeled to achieve 40 percent improvement over 2009 Washington State Energy Code
• Scored a HERS rating of 55
• Insulated concrete forms used for below grade walls
• Structural insulated panels used for roof
• Advanced framing for above grade walls with Blow in Blanket System (BIBS) insulation
• Blower door test showed leakage of only 0.2 ACH
• Daikin Altherma radiant system used for home heating
• 100 percent of lighting is either compact fluorescent or LED
• Installed Energy Star refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machine in all homes
• Electrical conduits for future photovoltaic use installed
• Home also certified by Energy Star Homes Northwest

Indoor Air Quality

• Installed whole-home radiant system
• No wood products with added urea-formaldehyde used
• Used low-VOC paint for all interior surface areas
• Used low-VOC, low-toxic water-based sealants and adhesives for flooring, tile and grout
• Installed fan timed to garage door opener to reduce fumes in home
• Used PEX plumbing rather than PVC
• Installed a central vacuum system exhausted to the outside
• Installed sloped sill pans with end dams and back dams for all windows
• Installed sill protection at windows and doors

Material Use

• Achieved overall recycling rate of 90 percent
• Installed locally produced lumber, siding and windows
• Used finger-jointed wood for trim and window frames
• Used Advanced Framing on 24" centers for walls and SIP roof
• Install recycled glass Caesarstone countertops and hard surface tile
• Concrete was amended by at least 25 percent fly ash
• Installed a metal roof
• Built-in recycling center provided in utility room

Photos courtesy of Tod Sakai.

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

MBA & BG News

Looking To Hire?
Master Builders Career Connection can help. Association members can now make jobs visible to targeted candidates in their area by listing employment opportunities for free on their new-and-improved website, MyCareerConnection.org, which is designed to connect students, educators and people within the construction industry with potential employers, scholarship opportunities, grant opportunities, resources, classes and skills training. So take advantage of this great resource. Visit the site and click "Jobs" to set up your free account.

Member News

Northwest EcoBuilding Guild - 2012 Green Home Tour - Call for Sites & Sponsors
The 2012 Green Home Tour hosted by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild (NWEBG) is underway. People want to do the right thing when it comes to remodels, retrofits and new construction but often times need to see "green" in action and how the benefits to people, planet and profit unite in everyday practice. To that end, the inaugural 2011 Green Home Tour hosted 28 sites and over 1,250 visitors with great success! This year we're planning to build on that success and make it bigger and better! There are four ways to participate:
1. Showcase Your Project (early bird deadline Jan 16, 2012)
2. Showcase Your Services/Products through Sponsorship
3. Volunteer Your Heart Out
4. Attend and Tell Your Friends to Attend
Contact Cate O'dahl, Event Lead (Seattle Chapter) at (425) 670-1342 or by email for more information.

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!

Duane Brooks
(510) 292-6047 in Kirkland

Revolution Custom Builders
(206) 779-1414 in Seattle

Kate Rice
(425) 825-8725 in Kirkland

New Certifications

Congratulations to:

Stanbrooke Custom Homes for certifying their new single-family house at 1642 24th Ave. NE in Issaquah as 3-Star Built Green.

Green Canopy Homes for certifying their remodel projects at 4602 NE 103rd St. in Seattle as 3-Star Built Green.

Dan Thonn for certifying their new single-family house at 12033 NE 75th St. in Kirkland as 5-Star Built Green.

Design Guild Homes for certifying their new single-family house at 7069 270th Place SE in Issaquah as 3-Star Built Green.

Trends & Numbers

Monthly green-certified home sales statistics have been provided by Ben Kaufman of GreenWorks Realty from his ECert Report. The data covers King County and Seattle and compares homes with an environmental certification to those without based on sales price, square footage and time-on-market differences for homes built in 2007 and later. The environmental certifications include Built Green, Northwest Energy Star Homes and LEED for Homes. The predominate certification in the region and in the report is Built Green.

Historical data shows certified homes in King County and Seattle sell at a higher price, are smaller in size and, in some instances, sell in shorter market time. The data represents a clear snapshot of the metropolitan green-home marketplace and has been referred to in studies and reports across the country and internationally.

GreenWorks Realty broker Ben Kaufman compiles the ECert Report based on Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) sales data. Visit the ECert Report for more information.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Events

Seattle Greendrinks
Feb 14, Seattle
Founded in 2003, Seattle Greendrinks' main event remains a monthly informal social-networking gathering. This gathering remains the core of Seattle Greendrinks' work, and all are welcome to join us the second Tuesday of every month starting around 5:30 p.m. The goal of our group is pretty simple: to create a space that fosters connections and good times shared among people working in (or interested in) environmental and sustainability issues.

Seattle Home Show
Feb 18 to 26, Seattle
Over 500 exhibits will draw visitors to the 68th annual Seattle Home Show, co-sponsored by the Master Builders Association, featuring many contractors and suppliers that are known for green building and design. This year's show will also include "Meet the Experts" seminars, a new Products Pavilion area, a Made in America feature and much more. Be sure to stop by the Built Green® booth for the latest information on products and techniques!

Seattle Remodeling Show
March 23 to 25, Seattle
This comprehensive and expansive home show brings together homeowners and many of the most knowledgeable and experienced remodeling and building experts. Every aspect of the home can be explored, from the smallest design detail to the largest house addition. Professionals will be on hand to share their valuable knowledge to bring your ideas to life or inspire you with new ones.

2012 South Sound Green Tour!
April 21 and 22, Seattle and South Sound
The tour will feature LEED-Certified buildings, green-built new homes, multifamily homes, remodels, cottages, energy retrofits and more. Learn how easy and affordable green living and green building can be. See examples of sustainable design construction, water-wise landscaping, energy-efficiency upgrades, sustainable lifestyles and more. Experience demonstrations and workshops about green products and features. Enjoy kid-friendly activities, and learn while you play to win. Visit the Green Tour Resource Center to get info, meet suppliers and contractors, test-drive an electric car and get Green Tour information.

Classes

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

Introduction to Built Green®
Feb 14, 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.

Certified Energy Auditor Preparatory Training Program Online Seminar
Feb 1, online
Become a Certified Energy Auditor (CEA). The online CEA Preparatory Training Program covers all aspects of energy auditing, including pre-audit work, data collection procedures, equipment familiarization and utility analysis. End-use equipment and systems are discussed in detail with the primary focus being on identifying energy conservation opportunities and project prioritization using economic analyses. Water conservation and auditing methods are also addressed. This course covers the full scope of subjects that are addressed on the CEA examination and will give you the technical knowledge you need to perform a comprehensive energy and water audit.

Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Re-Certification Training
Feb 14, 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.

Energy Benchmarking using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
Feb 22, 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.

Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training
March 6 and 7, Tacoma
This exciting course examines the most up-to-date techniques in the management of sediment and construction sites. Students who complete the course will receive a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) card, good for three years. CESCL certification is required in the state of Washington by the Washington State Department of Ecology for personnel responsible for construction stormwater inspections and sampling at construction sites. This 2-day course is a dynamic interaction between the traditional classroom style and hands-on exercises that will take place throughout. These exercises allow each student to practice choosing and correctly installing mats, blankets, check dams, bonded fiber matrix, straw, and other erosion control techniques for various site locations. Upon completion students will know how to simply and confidently comply with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements of stormwater management..

High Performance Home Workshop - From Theory to Practice
Mar 28, Bellevue
Are you ready to go beyond the typical green- and building-science "tech-talk," and begin solving your company's greatest hurdles to putting high performance strategies into practice?

Built Green® Professional Series for Realtors
May 8, 15, 22, Mount Vernon
Six sessions make up this fast-paced, entertaining and informative series designed to help real estate professionals, appraisers, developers, builders and homeowners easily enter the green building industry. The program covers topics such as green building materials, energy efficient design and retrofits, healthy buildings, indoor air quality, marketing and more. Sponsored by North Puget Sound Association of Realtors (NPSAR), Skagit and Island County Building Association, Skagit County PUD, Skagit County PSE, NW Clean Air Agency and Panasonic. Contact NPSAR to register for all six sessions, two each on Tuesdays, May 8t, 15 and 22, 2012, in Mount Vernon from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call (360) 416-4902 or e-mail mary@NPSAR.com to register.

Built Green is now on Twitter! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @built_green. It's a great way to network and keep up to date on Built Green, local events and the green building industry!

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
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