Featured Home

Bennett Homes has built a premier Built Green demonstration home that is open to the public on weekends until April 11 in the Built Green community of Issaquah Highlands. The first two days saw 1,000 visitors! Known as the Puget Sound Energy Built Green™ Idea Home, it embodies Built Green features that can be easily and economically incorporated into any new home. Rated well above the "Three-Star" level of Built Green, Bennett’s team allowed only a 5 percent cost premium (about $20,000) for all Built Green features (donated materials and services are counted at market value).

The passive solar design uses free energy from the sun; a hydronic heating system consists of a highly efficient gas, on-demand, tankless water heater that can supply both domestic hot water and heating needs; a central control system in major rooms senses when a room needs heat; the mechanical ventilation system keeps the air fresh, controls moisture levels and is designed to transfer 80 percent of the heat from the air leaving the home to the fresh air coming in; super insulation, ventilation and shading will help moderate indoor temperatures and save energy; an automatic humidistat senses moisture and provides exhaust as needed; a low-voltage control system manages major systems in the home, including heating, lighting, shade and ventilation; energy efficient appliances save energy; water-wise landscaping, topsoils amended with compost and organic mulch, and drought-tolerant native plants conserve water use; rain barrels collect runoff from the roof to be used for irrigation; pervious paving in the driveway and patio allows water to infiltrate soil.

For a closer look at this Built Green home, visit the interactive website, or stop by the home Saturdays or Sundays through April 11 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Directions

New Members

Alternative Environmental Technologies, Everett – Environmental assessment, design, project management and management planning

Blip Design, Seattle – Architecture, interior design, and fabrication

Blue Ribbon Tree & Landscaping Specialists, Renton – Tree and ornamentals services, landscape designers and contractors

CompUSA Inc.– Computers, accessories, networks, software

Fine Construction Inc., Seattle – Remodeling, restoration, custom homes, innovative tenant improvements

Knauf Insulation – GreenGuard certified fiberglass insulation

ParDee Sales Inc., Bellevue – Providers of all materials to build or remodel a house

Rinnai America, Gig Harbor – Wall-mounted tankless water heaters and other efficient gas appliances

Stuart Silk Architects, Seattle – Residential spaces that are proportionate, light filled and durably crafted

Ten Directions Design, Seattle – New Homes, remodels, interiors with logic and style

Tiger Mountain Innovations, Inc., - Squak Mountain Stone recycled content countertops, phone 425.392.0463

Westhill Inc., Woodinville – High-quality design, remodeling and custom homes

View our current members.

Events

Low Impact, High Returns

The 2004 Built Green Conference will be held Tuesday, April 6 at Pickering Barn in Issaquah. The theme is “Low-Impact, High Returns”, and nationally-known builder/developer Bob Brownell gives the keynote on low-impact development. Brownell, of Bielinski Homes, is a popular speaker at national green building conferences, as he shares his company’s green development successes that can be measured in dollars. The daylong conference, titled “Building Smart Communities”, features a special builder-focused guided tour of Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home at Issaquah Highlands, panel discussions, “how to” sessions and a workshop on how to profit from green building. Professionals in design, building and financing home building, remodeling and development are invited to attend.

For information on exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, contact Pam Worner via e-mail or by calling 425.460.8217. Registration: contact the MBA Events department via email or by calling 425.460.8212.

Pickering Barn Directions

Built Green Idea Home
The Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home is open on Saturdays and Sundays through April 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to the general public as a demonstration of green building products and technologies in Issaquah Highlands. Directions to Issaquah Highlands. Map of Issaquah Highlands Community.

Free seminars are offered on Saturdays from 9.15 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. plus time for questions until 10:00 a.m. Seminar subjects include:

• March 6 and March 28: Healthy Choices for Indoor Air Quality
• March 13: Landscape and Water Conservation
• March 20: Energy Efficiency

Interactive Idea Home website

Rampathon 2004
There is still time to volunteer to help build a free wheelchair ramp for disabled low-income homeowners. You can be a ramp captain, ramp builder, donate ramp materials or deliver supplies and refreshments by contacting the Master Builders Care Foundation at 425.460.7920.

National Green Building Conference
Bringing Home the Green - in Austin, Texas, March 14 - 16. Register online, or contact the NAHB University of Housing at 800.368.5242, ext. 8338 or via email.

From the Director

Thousands of visitors stopped by the Built Green exhibit during the Seattle Home Show with questions ranging from “How does a tankless water work and save energy?” to “How do I get to the PSE Built Green Idea Home?” Fortunately, the MBA staff and program volunteers were on-hand to answer questions and pass out member literature to the many interested folks.

Seattle Home Show drew 121,646 visitors into its 450,000 sq. ft. of exhibit area this year! Thanks to Andersen Windows as our spring booth sponsor, and Skyline Pacific Northwest Displays for helping design and provide an exhibit. And thanks to our Built Green members who also sponsored our exhibit at both the Fall 2003 and the Spring 2004 Home Shows: Quadrant Homes, DR Horton Homes, Countrywide Home Loans, Greenworks Realty, King County, Boise Homeplate Siding, Thomas Jacobson Construction, Shirey Contracting, GGLO Architects, Legacy Roofing, Penates Interior Design, O'Brien & Company and finally to Jorve Roofing for sponsoring our fall booth.

Robin Rogers, Program Director

Volunteers sought for tree-planting in Snoqualmie Valley Volunteers are invited to join in restoration projects along the Snoqualmie River on March 6, March 20, and April 3. Native trees and shrubs will be planted at Three Forks Natural Area, and Tolt MacDonald Park, important habitat areas for salmon and wildlife. Check the volunteer events website or contact Tina Miller at 206.296.2990 or via email.

As a builder or remodeler, you can pass on information to your homebuyers that Puget Sound Energy provides a service to help them make smart energy choices. The online Custom Home Energy Information system provides easy-to-use tools and resources that allow them to calculate energy use or shop for energy saving products.

Current PSE Rebates.

Correction

Last month we listed a number of Built Green programs, including a Vermont program that had not, in fact, obtained license from the owner of the trademarked name: the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver (HBA). The Vermont program has since changed its name to Vermont Building Greener. The HBA of Metro Denver requires that use of the Built Green trademark be associated with HBA programs. For further information on the Built Green™ trademark, please contact the Colorado program via email.

Product Spotlight

SuperSeal dimpled membrane not only provides a permanent moisture barrier for your basement insulation but may also continually draw internal moisture out year after year.

For information on how to list your "green" products* in this space, please contact Pam Worner by phone at 425.451.7920 or via email.

*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. We will list no more than three per newsletter.

New Certified Projects

Congratulations to our recent three-star certified Built Green Homes! Country Construction (phone 425.827.2599) certified two homes in February as Built Green, Environmental Homes Northwest certified one Seattle home, and Quadrant Homes certified 136.

More Available Built Green Homes.

Green Remodeling

Americans spent $173 billion on remodeling in 2002. The city of Seattle now provides colorful, inspiring guides for environmentally friendly remodeling, and they’re available online. The Green Home Remodel series from the city of Seattle covers common remodeling topics, giving helpful hints on materials and strategies to create a home that's healthy, saves money and is easy on the environment. Seattle residents can order free print copies of these guides by emailing Thor Peterson or by calling 206.615.0731.

MBA Charity Auction

The MBA’s Annual Charity Auction and Dinner will be held Saturday, April 3, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle for approximately 800 people. Proceeds benefit the Master Builders Education Foundation and the Master Builders Care Foundation, both of which are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. No matter how small or large, the auction features goods, services and creative packages from our members, vendors, service providers, partners, families and friends. If you have any questions, need a procurement form or would like to discuss possible donations, please call James Cadungug at 425.460.8213, or via email and he'll respond quickly.

City of Issaquah

In case you haven’t noticed, the City of Issaquah is very friendly to green home building. Issaquah offers preferential processing of residential building permits in Issaquah, based in part on measures outlined in the Built Green program. The city has also supported financial and other incentives for green home construction such as water rebates, low-impact development design review, presentation of an award for green builder of the year, technical support and builder coordination. It is also developing a green option package for new home construction in Issaquah. The city of Issaquah is a major sponsor, along with King County and Snohomish County, of the Built Green Conference on Tuesday, April 6 that will be held at Pickering Barn in Issaquah.

Whirlpool wins award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) named Whirlpool Corporation as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by making and promoting energy-efficient products. Whirlpool, a partner in the program since 1998, manufactures and promotes products that earn the ENERGY STAR mark of environmental protection through energy efficiency. This is the fifth Partner of the Year award won by the company since 1999.

By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified products, a typical household can save up to 30 percent on its energy bills, or about $400 a year. Congratulations to our sponsor for winning this prestigious award!

Demolition Salvage

The RE Store, one of our non-profit member companies, has a full time salvage crew that works with contractors throughout western Washington to remove materials from a wide range of sites. The RE Store accepts materials from the public as either a tax-deductible contribution, or in trade for other materials. This service provides diverts more than 2,000,000 pounds of waste a year from disposal, saves contractors and homeowners money on disposal costs, and provides high quality building materials at affordable prices to the general public!

The RE Store’s retail operation in downtown Bellingham is the city’s largest retail store with more than 30,000 square feet. A second RE Store is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Both stores sell a wide range of used materials including cabinets, doors, windows, lumber, lighting, flooring, sinks, hardware, mantels, and many other items. The RE Store is a program of RE Sources, a non-profit environmental education organization in the Northwest promoting waste reduction and recycling, fresh and marine water quality and air quality.

All-American Fuel

Biodiesel is a cleaner burning alternative fuel, produced in the USA. It’s made from renewable resources such as soybeans, so its use can decrease our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to the American economy. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can also be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. The cost of biodiesel depends on the market price for vegetable oil; in general, biodiesel blended at a 20 percent level with petroleum diesel costs approximately 20 cents per gallon more than diesel alone. A study by Booz-Allen & Hamilton Inc., found fleets using a 20 percent biodiesel blend would experience lower total annual costs than other alternative fuels.

Distributors of biodiesel in Washington state.

MBA University

Built Green Orientation provides an overview of the entire program on Wednesday, March 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the MBA. The course is free and open to anyone. Register by calling 425.460.8208. This course (or equivalent) is required for certifying a Built Green project.

Course survey
We’ll be sending a survey to members on courses you’d like to see offered. The survey will be sent out in early March. Please complete and return it as soon as possible, as it will provide valuable information on what you would find useful as continuing education!

MBAU Director Angela Tarah has been honored with an appointment as a Commissioner of Human Rights for the city of Seattle by City Councilman Nick Licata. Congratulations to Angela!

MBA Calendar of Events

Many other courses are available through the MBA University. Contact Kelly Lykken for information and to register at 425.451.7920 or via email.

The Sustainable Snohomish County Forum on Feb. 27 was a huge success and drew more than seventy county elected officials, planners, architects, engineers and others to the PUD Auditorium in Everett. The resounding message was that sustainability is not only desirable but possible in Snohomish, and can foster economic, social and environmental health. The important cast of characters included Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County executive, Gary Lawrence, from Arup, Bert Gregory, of Mithun Architects, Daryl Williams with the Tulalip Tribes, and Mary Lynn Evans with Snohomish County. A panel of experts included Sam Anderson, MBA’s executive officer, Tim Trohimovich with 1000 Friends of Washington, and Dave Porter with Countrywide Home Loans, among others, speaking on current successes, such as the Built Green program, and possible future directions for the county.

Email Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County.

Contact Built Green

Master Builders Association
335 – 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Directions
P: 425.451.7920
P: 800.522.2209
F: 425.646.5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com