Featured Home

This extensive Built Green remodel was designed by architect Jim Burton of Blip Design in Seattle. It features not only photovoltaic panels (PVs), but a solar hot water system, wastewater heat-recovery, rainwater harvesting, hydronic radiant floor heat, a super-insulated envelope, and rain-screen siding among many others. The home also includes a premium home automation system, created to monitor minute-by-minute energy usage in the home. With all electrical systems interconnected--lighting, security, audio-visual, water--energy use can be graphically monitored to detect problems or inefficiencies with this still experimental system. This system also takes advantage of net metering through a Seattle Public Utilities program that allows energy captured through the PV system to be directed to the power grid rather than used directly by the client. This ultra-green home qualified for a 3-Star rating.

New Members

Bender Chaffey Corp - Premier builder of high quality custom homes

Brian L Menard Construction – Single-family homes

Concept Builders – Remodeling, restoration and repair

DLH, Inc. - High-End remodeling and custom home construction

Fireside Distributors of Oregon – Innovative home and hearth fireplace products

Innovative Vacuum Services – Indoor environmental solutions

James Hardie Building Products - Fiber cement siding, backerboard and pipe

Kohler Company – Kitchen, bath and other home products

PECI (Portland Energy Conservation, Inc.) – Energy Consultants to successful businesses

PederBuilt Homes – Remodels and custom homes

S L M Construction – Demolition and excavation

Topsoil, Inc – Recyclers of concrete, CDL, lumber

Triad Associates – Land development consultants

View our current members.

Events

Spring Into Action with King County
Community service opportunities abound for homeowners and companies with tree plantings, native plant salvage, natural yard care programs and adopt-a-park as volunteer stewards programs, among many others throughout King County. For further information visit their website.

Transportation and Climate Change Conference 2004
What's driving global warming in Washington State? You can find out on Tuesday, May 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center. World-wide global warming emissions are equal to eight Mt. St. Helens eruptions of carbon dioxide every day! In our region, transportation emissions are the No. 1 culprit. A sampling of speakers includes:

• Gov. Parris Glendening (Maryland, 1995-2003), nationally-recognized authority on smart growth, land use and transportation
• Larry Frank, a University of British Columbia professor, cutting-edge Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality, Health modeling of three King County cities
• Jacky Grimshaw, Transportation Director, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago Sprawl, Lessons Learned
• Grace Crunican, Seattle DOT Director, Local Success Stories
• Alan Durning, Executive Director, Northwest Environment Watch, Innovative Pricing Mechanisms
• Dennis Hayes, Founder Earth Day

More information online click here.

Green Roof Tour
Here’s an opportunity to see what a green roof really looks like – up close and personal. This Saturday, May 8, seven green roofs in Seattle will be open. The roofs on this tour were all built as part of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild's Green Roof Project. The goal of the Green Roof Project is to increase the use of green roofs on Puget Sound residential projects as one solution to the negative impacts of urban development on salmon habitat. Price is $10 ($5 for NW EcoBuilding Guild members). Payment is by cash or check only, with all proceeds benefiting the Green Roof Project's educational outreach. For further information about hours and starting points, please visit the Guild’s website and scroll down to the Green Roof Tour. RSVP by contacting Thor Peterson at 206.615.0731 or via email.

There will also be a green roof workshop May 22 at Seattle Tilth; contact 206.633.0451 for further information. Tomorrow, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. KUOW 94.7 FM will have a radio show devoted to green roofs.

Rampathon 2004
There's still time to join a team to build a free wheelchair ramp for low-income disabled homeowners on May 15 by contacting the Master Builders Care Foundation at 425.451.7920.

Donations Accepted of Surplus Building Materials
MBA is accepting donations for its Building Materials Surplus Sale on August 6-8 benefitting the MBA Education Foundation. Donations of appliances, flooring, windows, paint, plumbing fixtures, roofing, siding, tools, insulation, drywall and other new or like new materials can be dropped off August 4 and 5 at Sand Point Magnuson Park, Building 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Green materials are welcome! The sale will be open to the public August 6 to 8 at the same location at 6310 NE 74th Street, Seattle. For further information, please contact Rylee O’Brien via email or at 425.460.8215.

From the Director

Built Green Conference 2004
Thanks to major efforts by King County, City of Issaquah, Snohomish County, Puget Sound Energy, Port Blakely Communities, the Environmental Home Center and the Master Builders Association, the second Built Green Conference drew more than 170 people to Issaquah last month for record-setting attendance. The conference also was made possible by our conference and other program sponsors: CompUSA Digital Living, King County Journal Newspapers, Cafe Pacific Catering, Whirlpool and the City of Seattle.

Our keynote speaker, Bob Brownell of Bielinski Homes in Wisconsin, amazed the audience with his message of how Bielinski shifted from conventional development to 'conservation development' and has seen profits soar. Bob’s talk was sponsored by James Hardie Building Products and his slides are available online.

The message from all speakers and panelists, including MBA President Peter Orser of Quadrant Homes, and MBA executive officer Sam Anderson, was that Built Green is not just good for the environment, it’s also good for business. Selling Built Green homes, remodels, apartments and developments is getting easier as consumers and homeowners begin to understand what it means: energy-efficiency, healthier indoor air, resource-conservation, better land development practices and cleaner water.

The accompanying trade show was extremely popular as MBA’s terrific sales and marketing department -- director Pam Worner and coordinator Gina Mokate – arranged exhibits featuring nearly 30 vendors. Green products were on display such as SIPs (structural insulated panels), flooring materials made from cork, all-natural linoleum, recycled content, slate, ceramic and stone, natural fiber carpets, solar hot water vacuum tubes, water-efficient toilets and other fixtures, a tankless water heater, countertops, compact fluorescent light bulbs, siding and trim materials, and no-odor paints, among many others.

Thanks to everyone who participated, organized, attended, exhibited, spoke, or otherwise contributed – you made this a very successful Built Green event!

Bob Brownell's PowerPoint Slides

Robin Rogers, Program Director

Save up to $100 with PSE’s Appliance Promotion
Remodeling a laundry room within PSE’s territory? If so, you could help your homeowner save $100 by encouraging the installation of an Energy Star washer. PSE is kicking off the Double Your Savings with ENERGY STAR promotion from April 15 through July 15. PSE electric customers are eligible to receive up to $100 back for their purchase of certain ENERGY STAR qualified washing machines. Here's how: Puget Sound Energy is offering their electric customers a rebate of $35 for the purchase of an ENERGY STAR-qualified clothes washer in Efficiency Level 1 or $50 for the purchase of an ultra-high efficient clothes washer in Efficiency Level 2.

You can then DOUBLE YOUR SAVINGS by taking advantage of an additional $25 rebate for an Efficiency Level 1 clothes washer or $50 for the purchase of an Efficiency Level 2 clothes washer from partnering manufacturers such as Asko, Eurotech, Bosch, Equator, Fisher & Paykel, Frigidaire, GE, Gibson, LG, Maytag and Miele. Ask your local dealer about eligible models within each Efficiency Level. To receive the rebates, Energy Star washing machine purchases must be made from a participating retailer. Builders can only qualify for one rebate per qualifying Energy Star washing machine. This promotion cannot be combined with PSE’s Appliance Rebate Program. For more information, visit www.pse.com and click on "Spring Savings" on the home page, or call an Energy Advisor at 1.800.562.1482.

Current PSE Rebates.

MBA University

Built Green Orientation provides an overview of the entire program on Friday, May 21 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the MBA. The course is free and open to anyone. Register by calling 425.451.7920. This course (or equivalent) is required for certifying a Built Green project.

Download our MBA University Spring Education Catalog. Contact us by email or phone at 425.451.7920 for information or to register.

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.

Distributor: www.greendepotinc.com.

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.

New Certified Projects

Congratulations to Intracorp for certifying Ascent at Talus, a multifamily project in Issaquah comprised of 112 units. Congratulations to Specialized Homes for certifying six new homes in Renton.

More Available Built Green Homes.

Idea Home Visitors

Approximately 8,000 people toured the PSE Built Green Idea Home over the nine weekends that it was open to the public, including about 25 special tours. Legislators, federal, state and local agencies, public utilities, builders, real estate agents, construction people, architects and planners were among the special tours. Even though the on-site tours are over, you can visit via virtual tour on the website.

Building the Economy

A new report prepared by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) quantifies the economic activity home building generates in King and Snohomish counties, including new income and jobs for area residents, and additional revenue for local governments. Specifically, the report "The Local Impact of Home Building in the Seattle, Washington Metro Area" estimates that the one-year local impacts of building 100 single family homes in King and Snohomish counties include:

• $18.1 million generated in local income
• $2.8 million generated in taxes and other revenue for local governments, and
• 311 local jobs provided

Construction of 100 multifamily homes generates:

• $11.3 million in local income
• $1.4 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments, and
• 188 local jobs

Click here for the full report.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 11,230 single family homes were built in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metropolitan area during 2003, and of those approximately 17 percent were certified as Built Green.

Governor's Award

Applications for the "Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices" will be accepted until June 4. The award is open to any Washington facility that can show success in preventing pollution and incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. For further information, visit their website.

LID in Puget Sound

Three new reports evaluate the applicability and stormwater management benefits of low impact development (LID) techniques in the Puget Sound region. The first report provides a brief review of LID approaches including bioretention cells (landscaped swales or gardens that retain and treat stormwater runoff on-site); engineered landscapes/amended soils (using compost and other organic additives to improve soils, help plant growth, and retain stormwater runoff), green roofs (building rooftops comprised of soil, vegetation, and drainage systems that reduce stormwater runoff); permeable pavement (pavement that allows stormwater to soak into the ground) and more.

The second report analyzes the applicability and stormwater management benefits of using specific LID approaches in three regions of Puget Sound, on both residential and commercial properties. The third report provides recommendations for adapting best management practices in the Washington Department of Ecology's Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington to more fully include the benefits of LID techniques. View the reports on the Puget Sound Action Team's website by scrolling down to "Analysis and Recommendations for the Use of LID in Puget Sound."

The entire speech presented by Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon to the Sustainability Development Taskforce of Snohomish County, a group dedicated to keeping the county economically strong and environmentally healthy, is now available online.

King County’s Low Impact Development/Built Green Ordinance Promotes Three Innovative Projects
This article features Sunflower Community Land Trust, the third LID/BG community profiled in Built Green News.

Project Information:

• Existing: 5.8 acres of mixed native forest and neglected orchards
• Development: A community land trust with 14 cottage style single-family homes, nearly 4 acres of open space containing both forested and active recreation areas
• Non-profit Developers: Vashon Household and Northwest Housing Development

Vashon Household, the only nonprofit housing developer on Vashon Island, has big plans for the land it purchased with a grant from King County. In a marriage of green building and social justice, this wooded site will become a community land trust for 14 low to moderate income families.

A community land trust (CLT) allows the land to be partially developed with preserved areas stewarded by residents. In this case, Vashon Household owns the land, administers the trust and grants 99-year leases for the lots on which the homes are built. Income-qualified residents will purchase the houses for well-below market rate, contributing "sweat equity" during construction.

At Sunflower, Built Green and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies support the developer’s vision of the community. When considering both the environment and the community, pedestrian orientation and rural atmosphere define the decision making process. The 14 houses ranging from 850 to 1400 square feet will cluster around a common green space, retaining approximately half of the existing forest. Parking will be kept away from the houses, and the entire development is within walking distance of the City of Vashon. Vashon Household has plans for providing emergency vehicle access by covering a load bearing material with grass to reduce impervious surface area in the development.

Other techniques under consideration include bioswales and rain gardens, and replacing sidewalks with trails to preserve the rural feeling of the community while reducing stormwater runoff at the same time.

Click here to read a news release about the Ordinance.

Further Reading

Demystifying Density: An Online Lecture Series about Density
Ten short lectures provide an introduction to density (definition, history, and benefits) with detailed examples organized by housing type for a variety of strategies for creating higher density housing. Each "lecture" is comprised of a streaming video lecture that you can either watch in real time or download and view later from their website.

How to Create a Rain Garden
Check out "Reining in the Rain," a new publication from the City of Bellingham and Puget Sound Action Team. The 12-page book is a case study of the City of Bellingham's use of rain gardens to manage stormwater runoff in parking lots. Rain gardens are natural or created depressions planted to look similar to gardens and are used to detain and filter stormwater. The case study includes instructions to create rain gardens, architectural drawings and cost comparisons between conventional in-ground water storage and treatment systems compared to rain gardens. Learn how the City of Bellingham saved 75 to 80 percent in construction costs using this low impact development approach to redevelop existing property in a manner that protects Puget Sound waterways. For a copy of the book, visit the website or call 1.800.54-SOUND.

Free Soils BMP Manual Available Online
The Washington Organic Recycling Council (WORC) has posted a free soils BMP manual on its website. Entitled “Guidelines and Resources for Implementing Soil Depth and Quality BMPs,” the manual is designed to assist planning agencies, developers and landscape professionals implement new requirements in the Washington State Dept of Ecology’s “Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington.” For links to a detailed news release, model specification formats, and an article about WORC’s Soils for Salmon campaign, please visit their website.

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

MBA Calendar of Events