Featured Event

Saturday, June 3 to Sunday, July 23
(open Saturdays and Sundays)
Built Green Home Tours
The Built Green Home at Suncadia is now open for tours through Sunday, July 23. Tours will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and are free to everyone. This is a great chance to see a beautiful 5-Star Built Green home in person. This custom, lodge-style home features a geothermal ground source heating system, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wooden flooring, recycled copper sinks and more! For more information on the home, visit its website. For directions to the home, click here.

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!

Ambiente European Tile Design
(206) 524-7842 in Seattle

Eco-Green Builders Inc.
(360) 457-8366 in Port Angeles

JA Marks Construction Inc.
(206) 285-4604 in Seattle

Krekow Jennings Inc.
(206) 625-0505 in Seattle

Macfarlane Homes LLC
Quality Redefined
(425) 271-7800 in Renton

Northwest Housing Guild LLC
(206) 243-1252 in Burien

Powell Homes
Four generations of experience
(206) 824-8001 in Des Moines

Renowned Properties
(425) 744-5500 in Lynnwood

Troll Brew
(360) 956-7200 in Tumwater

Urbanhome
Urban Focus, Environmentally Aware
(206) 706-5728 in Seattle

Washington State Department of Ecology
...to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment...
(425) 649-7029 in Bellevue

Water Distillers NW LLC
Life Mist: The Planet's Purest Water
(253) 850-3537 in Kent

Events

Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.

Monday, June 12
One-day Seminar: Your
Sustainability Story
Join the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS) for this one-day seminar on documenting and telling your company's sustainability story. This seminar, which will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 12, at the Seattle Center will feature Burton Hamner, an international consultant and trainer in sustainable business and industrial pollution prevention. If you want your customers and stakeholders to know about your commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices, this seminar is for you! The cost is $250 (student rates are also available). Click here to purchase tickets online. For more information, contact NBIS Co-Director Mary Rose by phone (425) 828-0982 or email.

Thursday, June 15
New Urbanism and
Smart Growth
The Town Hall Center for Civic Life and Elliot Bay Book Company present journalist Anthony Flint for a discussion of smart growth and the new urbanist movements - development that serves the economy, community and the environment. Flint gives a detailed analysis of the tension between individual and collective purposes in This Land: The Battle over Sprawl and the Future of America and provides win-win solutions for the challenges ahead. Join the discussion on Thursday, June 15, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at Town Hall (downstairs, enter on Seneca Street) in Seattle. Tickets are $5 at the door only. Town Hall members receive priority seating. For more information contact Susie Tennant via email or phone (206) 652-4255, or visit the Town Hall Seattle website.

Wednesday, June 28
Rainwater Catchment and Usage: Whole House Design
The Northwest Eco-Building Guild will host this workshop with Mike Brioli from the Well Home Program from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28 at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, which is located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N in Seattle. For more information, please contact Carrie by email.

Wednesday, July 26
Rammed Earth Design with
builder Meror Krayenhoff
The Northwest Eco-Building Guild will host this workshop with Meror Krayenhoff from Terra Firma Builders Ltd. from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26 at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, which is located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N in Seattle. For more information, please contact Carrie by email.

King County

Native with King County
Looking for ways to take that Built Green project to the next level? Try adapting your site or your green roof with fresh ideas from the new King County Native Plant Guide. It's up to all of us to keep our waterways clean and healthy. Native plants bring benefits to Northwest land and water resources, wildlife and people and you can have them in your own yard! Native plants possess certain traits that make them uniquely adapted to local conditions, providing a practical and ecologically valuable alternative for landscaping, conservation and restoration projects. In addition, native plants can match the finest cultivated plants in beauty, while often surpassing non-natives in ruggedness and resistance to drought, insects and disease. King County's native plant guide includes sample landscaping plans, customized plant lists, species identification and an immediate offer to enter a drawing for a $50 gift certificate at a local nursery.

Resources

Grants Available for Developers of Affordable Green Housing
Green Communities™ offers grants to help cover the costs of designing, planning and implementing green components into affordable housing developments, as well as tracking their costs and benefits. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public housing authorities, tribally designated housing entities; for-profit entities; and for-profit entities participating through joint ventures with qualified organizations. There are two grants currently available that local affordable green housing developers should note:

Green Planning and Construction Grant
The Green Planning and Construction Grant may be used for such expenses as planning expenses related to the integrated design process, purchasing green construction items, and third-party costs of establishing systems and tools for property management and resident education, to maximize the benefits of the green measures once the property is operating. Funding is available year round, on a rolling basis, in Washington state. While there is no standard maximum grant amount, the general maximum award is $50,000 (for a comprehensive breakdown on the limits on grant amounts, click here. For a full list of criteria and more information about the application, click here.

Charette Grants
Grants for up to $5,000 are available to assist housing developers with integrating green building systems in their developments and engage in a serious discussion of green design possibilities. Enterprise will award planning grants to affordable housing developers to coordinate green charrettes that bring together funders, developers, community stakeholders and green building professionals, or an intense working session in an effort to incorporate green design principles into affordable housing design. Grant funds may be used to cover the cost of facilitating a Green Communities Charrette or Sustainability Training Session utilizing the steps outlined in the Charrette Grant Guidelines provided by Enterprise. For more information about these grants, click here.

Product Spotlight

Conserving Precious Water through Innovation
Frederick, Winfield & Associates, LLC introduces the new patented Brac greywater system, for residential installation. The Brac greywater system helps homeowners conserve pure water and relieve burdens on their sewage or septic system. Builders can qualify for up to 20 points per home on the Built Green checklist, upon installation of the Brac System:

• Five points are awarded if the home is plumbed for greywater toilet flushing;
• Five more bonus points are awarded upon installation of Brac System for greywater toilet flushing; and
• An additional ten points are awarded if utilized for outdoor irrigation.

The new Brac System is IAPMO-listed and nationally patented. This factory-made, safe system, retains the drain water, (greywater), from your shower, bath and laundry, and is treated, filtered then used to flush your toilets. The homeowner's fresh water usage will be substantially lower and there will be less demand on sewer and septic systems. The Brac System can also be utilized for underground irrigation.

For more information, please contact:
Frederick, Winfield & Assoc. LLC
Exclusive Brac Systems Distributor & Manufacturer's Representative
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
Phone: (253) 851-7378
Fax: (253) 851-7290
E-mail: info@fwallc.com
Brac Systems website: www.bracsystems.com

Recommended Reading

Trends in Sustainable Development
The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs has published its Trends in Sustainable Development report, which highlights key developments and recent trends in the areas of Energy for Sustainable Development, Industrial Development, Atmosphere/Air Pollution and Climate Change, the four interrelated topics being considered by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 14th and 15th sessions (2006-07). It notes progress in a number of areas while, at the same time, acknowledging that in other areas significant work is still needed to advance implementation of intergovernmentally-agreed to goals and targets. The report is full of interesting and colorful graphs, charts and photographs that help to communicate the department's findings. Download the full report here.

New Certifications

Congratulations to GGLO Architects for certifying the 50-unit Cabrini First Hill Apartments in Seattle at the 3-Star level on the multi-family checklist; Howland Homes for certifying five 3-Star Built Green homes in Seattle; Meridian-Greenfield LLC for certifying twenty-two 3-Star Built Green homes at The Cottages in Sequim and thirteen 3-Star Built Green homes at The Vineyards in Port Townsend; Nelse Construction for certifying two 3-Star Built Green homes in Seattle, one 3-Star Built Green home in Yarrow Point and one 3-Star Built Green remodel in Seattle; and Quadrant Homes

Classes

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

Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.

Tuesday, July 11, Bellevue
Introduction to Built Green™
This free seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 11 at the Master Builders Association Housing Center 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 is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. To register, contact the MBA University registrar at education@mbaks.com or (425) 451-7920.

Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy is the proud recipient of the 2005 Energy Star® 'Partner of the Year' award. We share this national recognition with our electric customers, retail partners, builders, showrooms and distributors whose commitment to saving energy made the award possible.

Your efforts to save energy help to ensure a better, brighter future for the entire community.

For more information about Puget Sound Energy's New Construction Lighting Rebate Program, please contact Chris Boroughs at (425) 456-2317 or via email.

Sustainable Task Force

Save the Date! Oct. 7, 2006
Snohomish County Sustainable Development Task Force (SDTF) is teaming up with Solar Washington to present a scattered-site open house tour of Snohomish County Green Building projects. Both commercial and residential sites will be included. The task force will prepare a tour guide tailored to Snohomish County projects, and identify Built Green(TM), LEED(TM), NW EcoBuilding Guild and Solar Washington sites. Projects will demonstrate various sustainable building practices, such as water-conserving site features, energy efficient design, materials and systems, recycled-content, durable, and locally made materials. Mark your calendars and watch the Built Green News for updates!

Call for Entries
If your project is located in Snohomish County, and you would like to have your green building project included on the Oct. 7, 2006 green building tour, please email.

Snohomish County PUD

Fridge/Freezer Recycling Program
Snohomish County PUD is offering $35 to customers willing to give up their older, energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers. Some of these units can use three times the energy of newer models. In addition to the financial incentive and energy-savings for customers, the PUD ensures that the old units are recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. For program details and terms, and to schedule a pickup, customers can call (877) 577-0510 toll-free. The program will end Dec. 31, 2006 or when 3,750 units are collected, whichever comes first.

Member News

If you are a member of Built Green and have news you would like to share with our readers, please email your announcement to Built Green.

Contact Built Green

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.