Featured Home

Featured Home by Bennett Homes

New! Take a virtual tour of the featured Built Green home by Bennett Homes, the builder of the PSE Built Green Idea Home. In addition to all the green features you can see, there are many that are important to improved indoor air quality but hidden from view such as carpet that is tacked instead of glued and formaldehyde-free insulation within the walls.  Bennett also uses formaldehyde-free plywood and other composite wood products, low-toxic sealers and adhesives that do not off-gas into the home. To help control moisture inside the home, Bennett takes extra precautions to seal against air leaks around doors, windows, plumbing and electrical penetration areas, and uses low-toxic mastic to seal heating ducts. During construction, less-toxic cleaners were applied, and sub contractors were involved in implementing a healthy building jobsite plan for the project.

Materials were installed that incorporate recycled content such as insulation, underlayments, doors, drywall, and sheathing. Bennett saves trees by using wood products that utilize smaller pieces of wood such as finger-jointed studs and engineered structural members.  Use of local stone helps cut transportation fuel use. The lighter color interior walls and finishes promote the use of daylighting to help reduce energy consumption. Bennett not only builds green but also actively promotes and uses other Built Green members and suppliers as part of its commitment to providing green homes in our communities. Bennett spreads the word about Built Green on its truck graphics, its website, in the communities where it builds, and even offers Built Green training to its superintendents and sales staff!

To see other previously featured virtual home tours, click here. Virtual home tours created by Northwest Property Imaging.

New Members

ARC Architects
Sustainable design, master planning, renovation and additions, special needs and diverse communities

Cast Design Build
Designers and craftspeople providing compelling to spaces to clients

Charter Construction
"Whatever it takes" to build technically demanding projects for owners and architects with high expectations

Earthwise Excavation
From the ground down

Ketchikan Drywall Services
Providing the highest level of professional service and quality in steel, stud framing and drywall finishing

Murtough Supply
Janitorial maintenance supplies and equipment

Northwest Property Imaging
Creating virtual tours of residential homes

Owen Roberts Group
Superior homes built with integrity and fine detail

Priceless Siding
Best price and quality; expect excellence

View our current members.

Events

Monday, December 6
Sustainable Site Design: Low-Impact Design Techniques for Development in Urban Areas
A community forum will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 6 at Kirkland’s City Hall Council Chambers (123 Fifth Avenue). Topics will include low impact development (LID) as a design practice; the demonstrated benefits of LID such as preservation of open space, buildable land retention, and lower construction/maintenance costs; general LID strategies and techniques; specific design elements such as green roofs, pervious pavement and bioretention areas; and successful local projects including the City of Seattle’s SEA Streets Program. Presenters will include Len Zickler and Laura Grignon of AHBL Inc., Sian Roberts of Miller Hull Architects and Gary Schimek with the city of Seattle. A question and answer session will follow presentations, and light refreshments will be served. For more information contact (425) 587-3851.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Salmon Seminar Planned
The Puget Sound ESA Business Coalition and Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce are co-hosting an upcoming seminar and luncheon called "Salmon Recovery: Are You Ready?" The seminar and luncheon will be held on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle. This half-day seminar and luncheon will help answer key questions about the salmon listings, recovery planning and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The luncheon will feature keynote speaker Bill Ruckelshaus, chair of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and former EPA Administrator. Registration forms are available on the MBA website.

Thursday, January 27, 2005
Stormwater: Turning a Potential Problem into an Asset
The Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington is hosting this seminar on Thursday, January 27, 2005 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rainwater can be a resource. Learning to collect it, slow its movement through the landscape, and retain it in our soil and plantings will be the theme of this full-day seminar designed for builders, developers, contractors, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and landscape designers. Upcoming stormwater regulations will require many of the practices discussed, but the speakers will show that there are many reasons to start using them right now! The workshop cost is $40 and includes lunch; pre-registration is required. To register, or for directions to the seminar, call (206) 685-8033 or visit its website.

Friday, January 28, 2005
Metrics for Sustainable Building in Snohomish County: Turning Green into Gold
This Brown Bag lunch panel discussion will cover LEED for Commercial projects and why sustainable building should be considered in Snohomish County. It will be held Friday, January 28 at PUD’s main offices in Everett at 2320 California Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For further information, email Chris Fate. Map to PUD.

January 26-27, 2005
Shared Strategy Summit: Creating a Future for Both People and Salmon
A two-day event will bring together leaders from all interests participating in the Shared Strategy on January 26–27 at the Tacoma Convention Center. The summit’s agenda is designed to confirm regional and local watershed recovery goals, 10-year objectives, the conditions that need to be in place to make implementation commitments, and the funding needed to achieve plan actions. The Master Builders Association is a co-sponsor of this important event that will provide the first opportunity for people to see how individual planning efforts will come together to create a comprehensive regional salmon recovery strategy—a shared strategy built on the foundation of local initiatives. Attendees will also hear about innovative and significant proposals, projects and incentives that meet the needs of both people and salmon. An Awards Banquet will be held on the evening of the 26th.

March 13-15, 2005
National Green Building Conference
This is the national conference for residential green building, in Atlanta, March 13-15, 2005 at the Westin Peachtree.

March 17, 2005
Built Green Conference & Expo
Seattle Center, Seattle
Exhibit space is limited and will fill up quickly! Contact Gina Davis for details or call (425) 460-8219. If you’re interested in sponsoring the conference or an event, contact Pam Worner for details or call (425) 460-8217. If you’re interested in teaching an educational session send an email to Robin Rogers.

MBA Calendar of Events is posted at the bottom left of the homepage. For more information, contact James Cadungug at (425) 460-8213.

Courses

See the MBA University Fall Education Catalog for a Full List of MBAU Courses. Email or call (425) 460-8238 for information or to register.

Tuesday, January 11
Introduction to Built Green provides an overview of the entire program on Tuesday, January 11 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the MBA. The course is free and open to anyone. This course (or equivalent) is required for certifying a Built Green project.

Tuesday, December 14
Recycling Organics for the Green Environment
The Washington Organic Recycling Council (WORC) Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday, December 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Evergreen State College Long House in Olympia. The meeting will focus on the use of organics (compost, mulch, etc.) in greening our environment, and will feature two EPA experts talking about the national GreenScapes Program. For more information, registration, and directions please visit their website.

February 20 - March 5
Permaculture Design Course: Earth-Healing with Our Plant Allies
A two-week, intensive permaculture design course will be held at the Sahale Retreat Center near Olympia, Washington from Sunday, February 20 until Saturday, March 5, 2005. The course will teach how to design productive and beautiful plant systems in rural and urban areas, as well as methods to restore degraded ecosystems in cities, agricultural areas and overgrazed, polluted or disturbed environments by enhancing and speeding up nature's natural recovery processes. Course tuition is $950 and includes housing, food, instruction, and instructional material. For further information contact: Marisha Auerbach at (360) 943-5262 or via email.

Mark Your Calendars for Winter Classes at the MBA!

February 3
Tapping the Green in Built Green Homes offers real estate clock hours for the professionals who want to learn about green homes and reach the eighty percent of home buyers who say they want green homes. It will be held at the MBA on February 3 from 8 a.m. to noon.

March 2
Implementing Built Green Strategies I is a nuts-and-bolts course that walks you through the "top green building picks" of the experts. It will be held at the MBA on March 2 from 8 a.m. to noon.

April 6
Implementing Built Green Strategies II provides up-front design strategies that can help achieve green points while keeping costs down. It will be held at the MBA on April 6 from 8 a.m. to noon.

April 21
Built Green Sales Boot Camp provides intensive practice at pitching green features, and teaches you how to identify buyer types. Real estate clock hours are offered for this class that will be held at the MBA on April 21 from 8 a.m. to noon.

EPA Green Power

Local Indian Nation Joins EPA Green Power Partnership
The Samish Indian Nation in Anacortes, Wash. has become the first Native American Tribe to join the EPA Green Power Partnership. Recognizing both the economic and environmental risks of dependence on fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources, the tribe is implementing a long term sustainable energy strategy starting with a commitment to obtain at least 10 percent of its electricity from new renewable energy sources within the next year. The tribe was recognized by EPA on Tuesday, Oct. 19 during the Better Business through Green Power conference at Qwest field in Seattle, WA. Supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Samish Indian Nation will develop a comprehensive strategic energy plan to set policy for future development on tribal land that will consist of a long-term, integrated, systems approach to providing a framework under which the Samish Community can use resources efficiently, create energy efficient infrastructures, and protect and enhance quality of life.

From the Director

National Guidelines for Green Homes
The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) has released its pilot version of national model green home building guidelines. NAHB Research Center developed this document with a home building industry stakeholder group through an open process to create a set of green home building guidelines for home builders. Meanwhile, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) continues to develop its version of a national green home rating system. Scheduled to be launched as a pilot program in the spring of 2005, it is tentatively called LEED for Homes after its other commercially successful LEED rating system for commercial projects. There is a brief update posted on the website, but a draft rating system is not yet available online.

There are about 40 green home building programs in the US, with the majority offered through home builder associations, followed by municipalities. The programs have formed a loose coalition that meets occasionally, including last month in Portland during the USGBC’s GreenBuild conference. About 30 attendees from across the country provided brief overviews of their respective programs, including an update from the new LEED for Homes director.

There has been opposition from many home building programs to the development and administration of a national green home building rating system by a group outside the home building industry. I would like to hear your perspective on this issue so that as I/we meet with other groups, I/we can be better informed about our constituency. Please send me an email if you have any thoughts on:

• A national green home building program
• Your preference, if any, of organization(s) to house a national green home building program
• Potential benefits or disadvantages of national green home guidelines
• Benefits or disadvantages of either organization (NAHB or USGBC) fielding national guidelines
• Other considerations such as funding, branding, implementation, or administration

Thank you!

Robin Rogers, Program Director

Product Spotlight

EcoTimber flooring products promote forest conservation worldwide by producing sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood products. EcoTimber products are backed with FSC certification, including Chain of Custody, Excellent quality, and competitive pricing. The use of waterbase or OS hardwax oil can further enhance the beauty and Green Building characteristics of EcoTimber Products. For more information contact Lane Hardwood Floors at (206) 622-9669 or via email.

For information on how to list your "green" products* in this space, please contact Pam Worner by phone at (425) 460-8238.

*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.

Intl. Builders Show

International Builders Show to Feature Sarah Susanka's Not So Big Showhouse
Sarah Susanka, whose bestselling books ignited the Not So Big movement to build better, not just bigger homes, announces her next showhouse to debut during the International Builders' Show January 13-16, 2005 in Orlando, Fla. For Susanka, the Not So Big Showhouse serves as a hands-on display, showcasing the principles set forth in her bestselling books: The Not So Big House, Not So Big Solutions for Your Home, and most recently Home by Design: Transforming Your House into Home. According to Susanka, "builders and consumers are realizing that by reducing a home's footprint through better design, they can put the savings into details that are high-quality, energy-efficient and environmentally sound." The showhouse is a collaborative effort between the project's three principle Anchor Sponsors: U.S. Department of Energy, Green Building Subcommittee of NAHB, and Sustainable Buildings Industry Council . For more information visit the website.

BG Member News

Built Green member architect Lisa Kennan-Meyer lives green as she and her husband install a wind turbine on their home property. Their renewable energy installation began logging almost 1200W/hour almost immediately! To see some photos, click here. In the Wind Power section their project is featured in photos 2-17. By Lisa Kennan-Meyer Architects.

A Built Green kitchen by Sunshine Construction is featured in E/The Environmental Magazine, an online non-profit magazine covering a wide range of environmental issues. The article is Good Cooking: A Green Retrofit for Your Kitchen and it is available in the November/December issue if you sign up for a free trial issue of the online magazine.

Tragedy Begets Generosity
Built Green member Centex Homes built and donated a new home for a family that suffered a devastating fire. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the television show that chronicles the entire process to be aired soon on national TV. For online snapshots of the new home’s construction, visit the Centex website.

Gingerbread House

The Annual Gingerbread Village features a Built Green house with storybook figures made of edible "sugar clay."

The Built Green gingerbread house is a fantastic creation including elves, lights and lots of candy, of course, loosely modeled after the house the little girl wishes for in the movie Miracle on 34th Street! It will be on display until Sunday, Dec. 26 at the downtown Seattle Sheraton. Other projects include the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Donations are accepted to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Seattle. An "I Spy" sheet for kids helps them find hidden treasures in and around our gingerbread house, the design for which was provided by Quadrant Homes.

Green Building Awards

There's still time to enter the 2005 National Green Building Awards from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The deadline for entries is Wednesday, December 15. A $250 fee is required for entries in all categories except Green Advocate of the Year and Green Program of the Year (New Program).

New Certified Projects

We have 105 new Built Green certifications this month, including a new 6-home community in Seattle by Fine Home Development. Ten Directions Design certified a Built Green remodel in Seattle. Habitat for Humanity of Seattle has ten newly certified homes in the city of Seattle. The Owen Roberts Group certified a single family residence. The Burnsteads certified 87 new single family homes in Issaquah Highlands.

Vision House Kids Village

An Opportunity to Help a Built Green Project in the Works
The Vision House Children's Village will provide transitional housing for homeless single moms and children, as well as childcare and an early childhood education center. It may be the first such facility that is planned as a Built Green project, facilitated by Steve Jewett, project manager for the Built Green Idea Home in Issaquah Highlands. MBA’s own director of administration, Lynda Hester, is serving as the president of the Board of Directors for Vision House, and points out that there is an opportunity for everyone to make a small contribution towards Vision House with big results. By purchasing a brick or paver engraved with your name, you can help Vision House reach its goal of 10,000 bricks by December 31. The money is to help pay for necessary building supplies. The Master Builders Association and its Care Foundation are sponsors of this project.

KPLU NW Neighborhoods

The Master Builders Association is a sponsor of KPLU public radio’s Northwest Neighborhoods program. Each month a different neighborhood is featured on-air and on the KPLU website with links to local businesses, organizations, restaurants and MBA members. A brief history of the neighborhood includes historical photographs. To see this month’s feature visit KPLU’s website.

If you're interested in participating in underwriting announcements for a local neighborhood, contact Beverly James at (206) 922-1030 or email. A tentative listing of upcoming neighborhoods includes: Washington Getaway Neighborhoods, Columbia City, Kirkland, Snohomish County, West Seattle, Queen Anne, and Ballard.

Sustainable Vehicles

Sustainable Vehicles Hit the Road in Shanghai
Knowing the inherent problems associated with most of our automobiles, it is perhaps good news that this year’s Michelin Challenge Bibendum was the largest ever international sustainable mobility rally. Automakers from around the globe converged on the world’s third largest car market, China, to showcase, test, race and ultimately highlight advances in sustainable road mobility. More than 140 vehicles from scooters to SUVs ran the tracks on hydrogen, biodiesel, hydrogen peroxide, electricity/fuel cells, LP gas, gas/electricity hybrid, and even one powered by solar. Participants and media representatives were shown new technologies by major automakers such as Audi, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Citroen, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Peugeot, Volvo and GM, as well as many smaller companies.

Wetlands Protection

How One Community Cares for Its Wetlands
The Adopt-A-Wetland Committee in the Built Green community of Issaquah Highlands was formed by interested, environmentally-concerned Issaquah Highlands homeowners. This group performs ongoing stewardship activities and protects of Issaquah Highlands Wetlands – both preserved and mitigated wetlands. Volunteers can participate in maintenance tasks include weeding, watering new plants, grass trimming and bark installation around the bases of all trees and shrubs in all areas of the wetland mitigation site. The committee meets once a month for work parties. If your community is interested in establishing a similar program, download a brochure describing the program on the Issaquah Highlands website.

Snohomish PUD

Snohomish County PUD is offering $35 rebates for the purchase of qualifying resource-efficient dishwashers purchased anytime between November 1, 2004 and November 15, 2005. The dishwashers help customers save both water and energy, in turn saving them money on their utility bills. Only Snohomish County PUD customers are eligible for the rebates. Rebates are for the purchase of qualifying, new Energy Star®
resource-efficient dishwashers. Customers can learn about qualifying models and other program details by visiting the PUD's website.

King County

The salmon populations in Cavanaugh Pond in Renton benefit from soil protection measures that are implemented by many Built Green builders.

On Monday, October 25, the King County Council passed a set of three ordinances known as the Critical Areas Package. One ordinance in the package, Clearing and Grading, was amended to include a new provision creating a standard for soil depth and quality. The new standard requires disturbed soil to be amended to mitigate for lost moisture-holding capacity, resulting in topsoil that is eight inches thick and contents 8-13% organic matter. Applying to approximately 40% of land development in unincorporated King County, this could have a very beneficial effect on stormwater management, reducing runoff and potentially downsizing stormwater facilities.

Like the Built Green program, this provision is a result of efforts to protect salmon habitat. So it is no surprise that many Built Green builders already meet its requirements. In the Sites and Water section of the Builder Checklist, items 3 through 12 all minimize the soil area that must be amended. Checklist item 13 gives points for amending disturbed soils to the same standards as the CAO provision. Altogether, a total of 35 points are available for good soil management practices.

The chances are that as a Built Green builder you already routinely achieve many of these points. Resources are available to help you capture more of them while reaching compliance with the CAO. An excellent reference is the booklet "Guidelines and Resources for Implementing Soil Depth and Quality BMP T.5.13 in WDOE Western Washington Stormwater Manual." Of course, King County staff members are available to talk with you one-on-one about implementing this or any other element of the new Critical Areas Ordinance Package. Contact Randy Sandin, DDES Supervisor for Site Development Services, with specific questions.

Resources

Technology Assistance Available for Non-Profits
ONE/Northwest (Online Networking for the Environment) is a non-profit organization based in Seattle providing technology assistance to conservation activists and organizations in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Its services include effective, hands-on consulting and training to help organizations with infrastructure assessment, networking projects, web site services, database consulting and email newsletters.

PSE Built Green Idea Home
Interactive website

Further Reading

National Model Guidelines for Green Homes are available online for review from the National Association of Homebuilders at their website.

Home By Design is the newest edition by Sarah Susanka, author of the popular "Not So Big House" books. In it she presents 30 key concepts that can be applied to any home -- no matter what the style or size. Using 28 of the best designed homes from around the country, Susanka brings these concepts to life with 150 powerful and inspirational examples -- from something as simple as placing a rug under a table to defining one room from another with a framed opening or archway. Susanka’s design will be featured as a showhouse during IBS (see above article) in Orlando next January.

Built Green Signage

New Built Green signs, window statics, vehicle decals and CDs with the new logo files are here, courtesy of our partner King County! Contact us via email for yours today!

Contact Built Green

Master Builders Association
335 – 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Directions
Phone (425) 460-8238
Fax (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com

MBA Calendar of Events

If you have news items for this newsletter, please send us an email.