 Feature |
2009 Built Green® Incentive
The King County/Seattle Built Green Incentive will be available for the 2009 round of applications. The 2009 round of applications will open on July 15 and close September 18, 2009. The Built Green Incentive provides funding for single-family residential, townhome, community, multifamily development and now remodel projects to certify at the program's higher 4-Star and 5-Star levels. The funding is intended to help offset the cost of certifying and designing innovative projects that meet green building standards. Eligible projects may receive between $2,500 and $20,000 depending on the project type and level of green design and building elements employed.
The King County/Seattle Built Green Incentive was established to encourage developers, builders and residents building new homes to use green building standards while attempting to address barriers such as higher upfront costs for projects. Grant award projects will serve as demonstrations of high performance, replicable, green housing for the region.
The Built Green Incentive application period opens on July 15, and will close on Sept. 18 at midnight (Pacific Time). For incentive details and information on applying, please the website.
| Call for Submissions |
10x10x10: Ten Builders, Ten Slides, Ten Minutes
Application Period Now Open
Friday, September 25, Seattle Public Library Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle
Hosted by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Mark, the 10x10x10 is an annual green building event you won't want to miss. This event is a high-energy introduction to ten cutting-edge sustainable building projects in and around Seattle. The annual green building "slam" features fast-paced presentations by the region's leading green builders and delicious food and drink. Submissions are now being accepted and ticket sales start soon.
For guidelines and submissions, visit the website.
| Events |
West Coast Green 2009 – Built Green Discount
October 1-3, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco CA
Built Green is proud to partner with West Coast Green – the largest interactive conference on green innovation for the built environment.
With this alliance, your Built Green membership allows you a 20% DISCOUNT OFF OF A FULL CONFERENCE PASS to West Coast Green 2009! Register now with your discount by clicking here!
Your pass includes access to all Keynotes, Leadership Summits, Education and Networking Sessions and the Tradeshow Floor.
Join the community of 14,000 international innovators and entrepreneurs at West Coast Green, returning to San Francisco at the Fort Mason Center October 1-3, 2009, and collaborate to turn passion into action and transform the built environment.
The West Coast Green experience is a feast of innovations, ideas and opportunities designed to expand your business, widen your vision, and stimulate your thinking with the latest best practices and key players in building, business and design:
- Interactive sessions and summits on topics including Smart Systems, Clean Tech Innovations, The New Energy Economy, Social Innovations and more!
- Design Charrettes and Conversation Salons facilitated by industry experts that tackle real-world issues and create valuable connections
- Top speakers who share their technical knowledge, on-the-ground expertise, and visionary wisdom while inspiring action and change
- Expo floor featuring over 300 companies showcasing the most current products and technologies; innovations so new that they have yet to hit the market
Discover what inspires you to create change.
Register now with your discount by clicking here!
Environmental Initiatives for 2009 and Beyond:
A look at recent and emerging environmental regulations and their impact
Friday, September 11, Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Seattle
Join leading attorneys, consultants and government representatives for these topics: 2009 Legislative Session Wrap-up & What's Ahead for 2010 Energy Efficiency Measures Current Status of Cap and Trade Stormwater Permits Carbon Reporting. This seminar includes a special rate for government employees and non-profits. This seminar will be of great value to municipal, state, and federal employees, and there is a $100 discount. Government employees can attend this seminar for $395.
For more information and to register, click here.
| Classes |
Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.
Introduction to Built Green®
Tuesday, August 11, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11 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.
Air Barriers Solutions 2009
Wednesday & Thursday, August 12 & 13, Seattle Marriot, Seattle
Run by Air Barrier Solutions 2009 will provide design-build contractors with a better understanding of air barrier requirements. Industry leading experts will demonstrate how to successfully implement an effective, airtight barrier into current construction projects. Attendees will learn how to identify major pitfalls that lead to a failed building enclosure and understand the components required for building pressure testing on a large structure. Additionally, a representative from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Construction Engineering Laboratories (CERL) will be in attendance to instruct on the Air Barrier Performance Requirement and its inclusion in contract requirements. Costs are $585 for the two day seminar.
For more information and to register, click here.
Do It Yourself Home Weatherization Workshop
Saturday, August 22, Fertile Ground Community Center, Olympia
Hosted by the Fertile Ground Community Center, during this free workshop you will participate in discussions on energy audits of historic homes, low-cost, DIY solutions, energy & cost savings analysis, available incentives and rebates, hardware upgrades, weatherizing windows and doors, insulation options, and green plumbing. The workshops run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information and to register, click here or call (360) 352-2428.
Green Building for Professionals
Tuesday & Wedesday, September 22 & 23, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
Learn how green homes provide buyers with lower energy costs and higher value. This course for building professionals discusses strategies for incorporating green building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. Students will learn how green homes provide buyers with lower maintenance costs, better indoor air quality and better long-term value. Techniques are also discussed for competitively differentiating your home products with increased indoor environmental quality as well as energy and resource efficiency. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at the MBA Housing Center, 335 116th Ave. SE in Bellevue. Costs are $250 member / $275 non-member.
For more information and to register, click here.
Healthy Homes for Building Professionals
October 1 through November 12, Seattle Central Community College, Seattle
MBA University, Built Green® and program partners the American Lung Association and the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild are pleased to present this seven-week course for construction and design professionals focuses on incorporating sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient building techniques in residential construction. The class will cover and explain the indoor air quality techniques designated by several green building programs. Extensive in-depth information and resources will be discussed, which can be directly applied to daily practices.
All topics address impacts associated with and practical applications of healthy building techniques. By attending the Healthy Home Training workshop series on Indoor Air Quality, builders, designers and other professionals can learn, healthy construction techniques, visit a model healthy home and meet their customer's needs. Regional experts in the field teach the classes. Costs are $450 member / $500 non-member if registration is received before September 4. Following September 4 the late registration rate of $550 will apply.
For more information and to register, click here.
| King County |
Outstanding management earns King County's Vashon Island Center Forest green certification
A nearly 400-acre forest that shelters the headwaters of Vashon Island's largest salmon-bearing stream and provides miles of recreational trails has received national recognition for its ecologically sound management.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) recently certified Island Center Forest as a well-managed forest. Forest certification is a market-based, voluntary system similar to organic certification for farmers and food processors.
The certification consisted of an audit process including field inspection of the forest and a review of the written forest stewardship plan and determines if pre-defined regional, national and international management standards are being met.
The King County Parks and Recreation Division, the county's Water and Land Resources Division's Forestry Program and a citizens advisory group, the Friends of Island Center Forest, manage Island Center Forest.
"It's a great honor to receive this certification," said Theresa Jennings, director of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. "Sound stewardship of county land is our top mission, and our partnership with the Friends of Island Center Forest helps ensure continued proper management of this tremendous land."
The certificate notes that Island Center Forest "is recognized as a well managed source of wood products whose forest management practices adhere to strict environmental and socio-economic standards in accordance with the Principles and Criteria of the FSC."
Norwest Certified Forestry, a regional group certifier in Port Townsend, completed the certification. .
"The combination of ecological, social and economic considerations that King County applies to the management of its forestlands exemplifies the type of forestry that Forest Stewardship Council certification recognizes and promotes," said Kirk Hanson, South Sound Regional Director of the Northwest Certified Forestry Program for the Northwest Natural Resource Group.
The Friends of Island Center Forest includes representatives from the Vashon Land Trust, Vashon Forest Stewards, Vashon Audubon, Vashon Equestrians and other community members.
King County coordinated with the group to develop a long-term site and forest management plan in 2006, including commercial thinning and small-scale tree harvests. Community forest grants have supported the Vashon Forest Stewards and their work with local students to replant the harvest sites and remove invasive vegetation.
A certified forest is sustainably managed to meet or exceed existing regulations so that environmental, social, and economic factors are balanced to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the forest to meet future generation's needs.
Certification provides consumers with a way to support sustainable practices with their purchasing decisions. Certification provides the landowner with both verification and recognition that they are conducting sustainable forest management. More information is available here.
The first certified products will be harvested from Island Center Forest when the market for forest products improves.
"The fact that King County has decided to go forward with FSC certification, which is the highest standard of green forestry certification, suits the Vashon community," said David Warren of the Vashon Forest Stewards, a non-profit community forest business. "Our purpose is to help landowners with good forestry practices to get extra value out of the wood they sell on a small scale, and FSC serves that purpose."
The Vashon Forest Stewards' mission is to restore, enhance and maintain healthy native forest ecosystems, and to manage a sustainable ecological business that provides forestry services and island-grown wood products.
King County decided to seek third party certification of Island Center Forest as a pilot project to evaluate the costs and benefits of certification.
King County owns and manages six working forest sites totaling more than 3,200 acres. In addition, the county's Natural Resource Lands Program manages easements on roughly 150,000 acres of privately owned forests and agricultural lands. The easements remove development rights from privately owned lands to ensure that they remain as working forests and farms in the long term. More information is available here.
| Built Green Send Off |
Program Manager, Koben Calhoun, will make his transition back to graduate school this August to pursue a master's degree in urban planning. Over his last three years with Built Green, he has undoubtedly made his mark not only on the program, but also on the greater green building community. A few of the industry's leading builders, partners, and visionaries came together at Ballard's Golden Garden's park to celebrate Koben's contributions over hot dogs and potato salad.
Picture courtesy of Doug Kennedy
King County Green Tool's Patti Southard turned to poetry in an attempt to embody her appreciation with her "Ode to Koben"
"Ode to Koben"
Koben, oh Koben , we simply cherish you,
You have helped Built Green members in all that we do.
Koben, oh Koben, you enabled us to run
When we were tired you helped us have fun!
Your temperament and focus helped us to balance,
How we idolize you and your so many talents.
Our affections for your ability to master an urban plan,
Will be fondly noted when your missing our clan
Your wisdom took flight.
You brought Built Green might!
So now that you have taken us through all kinds of weather,
We honor the man who brought us together!
|
Built
Green | Phone
(425) 460-8238 | BuiltGreen,
335 116th Avenue SE, Bellevue WA 98004
Start saving today! Visit the 
