Featured Home

Featured Home by Martha Rose Construction

This home by Martha Rose Construction of Seattle will ensure that the new homeowner saves water and energy over the long term with its many green features. Dual-flush toilets throughout the home conserve water by offering two flush options to users. Soil amendments of compost, appropriate plants, mulching and no turf will help reduce water needs in the landscape. Utility costs should be lowered considerably with energy-saving features such as the installation of an Energy Star-rated dishwasher and refrigerator; an upgraded water heater; R10 foam under the entire slab for improved insulation; U-30 windows; insulated headers; energy heels to allow added insulation on trusses; and windows oriented to take advantage of passive solar heating and cooling. The builder also provided compact fluorescent lighting fixtures to encourage homeowner adoption of CFL use. Interior finishes include an array of sustainable products such as bamboo flooring, all-natural linoleum, 30-year roofing, 50-year siding and recycled-content insulation. Martha Rose Construction extensively recycles and salvages materials during construction, and participates in King County’s Construction Works program. Our first issue of Built Green News in October 2003 featured a home by Martha Rose Construction of Seattle so it seemed only fitting to honor our first featured builder again a year later!

New Members

Advanced Builder Energy Technologies
Complete home power conditioning and energy savings

Sharon Cannizzo
Homeowner/builder

Emerald Aire Inc.
HVAC design/build, fabrication, service and commissioning

Gilson Construction
Everett-area builder specializing in homes

Habitat for Humanity East King County
Providing non-profit housing from Issaquah to Bothell to North Bend

Lane Hardwood Floors LLC
High quality hardwood flooring

Lifestyle Landscapes Inc.
Award-winning landscapes designed, installed and maintained

Living Well
Balanced living through body, mind, family, society and finance

Olympic Hot Tub Co.
Energy Smart Spas with many energy saving features built-in

Residential Recycle LLC
Recycler for the residential building industry

Topaz Construction Inc.
Specializing in design/build of residential and tenant improvements

Vearlene's Peaceful Ponds
Specializing in waterfall, stream and pond water features

Waste Management
Comprehensive waste collection, recycling and environmental services

View our current members.

Events

Friday, November 19
Energy Star Builder Workshop
This is a “can’t miss” workshop for any builder interested in Energy Star homes on Friday, Nov. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MBA Housing Center in Bellevue. Full lunch and continental breakfast are included. The cost is $50. To register, call (877) 298-2172 or email. Taught by building science experts, this full day training will cover energy-efficient heating, cooling and hot water; duct sealing; insulation and windows; mold and moisture control; air vapor and weather barriers; indoor air quality and mechanical ventilation; appliances, energy codes; and marketing. Northwest Energy Star website

Sunday - Tuesday, November 14-16
2004 NW Solar Summit in Seattle
The Northwest Solar Summit will be held at the Talaris Conference Center in Seattle Nov. 14-16. Space is limited. To register, call (206) 268-7000. The conference will cover legislation, policies, technologies, utility programs, and other strategies to help build a 21st century power plant that is integrated into our communities. Peter Donaldson performs his one-man show Salmonpeople, a story of our rivers told by a hydro-electric worker. Other presentation topics will include a sneak preview from WSU Students on their innovative entry in the 2005 National Zero Energy Home, a sobering presentation on implications of climate change for the Pacific Northwest and our communities, and an overview on progress, trends and strategies from the Chairman of ASES, Dr. Tom Starrs. Panel topics will include: Community Wind Projects; Growing an Industrial Cluster Around Renewable Energy; Community Solar; Innovative Housing; Cradle to Cradle Design; Net Energy Homes; Integrated Solar Hot Water; Photovoltaic Industry Progress; Legislation, Interconnection, and Collaboration with other stake-holders. A manufacturer’s roundtable will include Outback, Xantrex, Solar Grade Silicon, Shell Solar and others. The cost is $280. For more information, visit the summit’s website.

March 13-15, 2005
National Green Building Conference
For an all-residential green building conference, don’t miss this annual event from NAHB. This is the national conference for residential green building, in Atlanta, March 13-15 at the Westin Peachtree.

Mark Your Calendars!
March 17, 2005
Built Green Conference & Expo
Seattle Center, Seattle
Exhibit space is limited and will fill up quickly! Contact Pam Worner for details or call (425) 460-8217.

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

Quick Silver

Fast Cash for Mercury Thermostats -
King County offers cash for recycled mercury thermostats in a limited-time offer

Putting mercury thermostats in the garbage is illegal in King County. There is, however, an easy solution to this problem. While most suppliers will always recycle mercury thermostats at no charge, now, for a limited time, you’ll get paid for doing the right thing! King County and participating wholesalers have recently launched a program that will pay $4 for each mercury thermostat recycled by King County furnace companies and HVAC contractors. The program puts a ceiling—200 thermostats-- on the number of thermostats that can be recycled by any one business, and is intended for furnace and HVAC contractors located in King County only. The cash incentive will not be paid for thermostats brought in by the general public. For more information, please contact Gail Savina at (206) 263-3062 or by email.

Thermostats can be recycled in exchange for a cash incentive at the following participating wholesalers:

Air Tech Co. – Seattle
85 S Orcas St.
Seattle, WA 98108

Johnstone Supply – Bothell
11715 North Creek Parkway S, Suite 101
Bothell, WA 98101

Johnstone Supply – Tukwila
18205 Andover Park W
Seattle, WA 98188

Thermal Supply – Bellevue
13230 Bel-Red Road
Bellevue, WA 98005

Thermal Supply – Kent
7405 S 212th St., Suite 106
Kent, WA 98032

Thermal Supply – Seattle
717 S Lander St.
Seattle, WA 98134

United Refrigeration Inc. – Bellevue
11900 132nd Ave. NE
Bellevue, WA 98005-0242

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, November 9
Rainwater Runoff
Learn techniques for turning problems into assets using green roofs, rain-gardens, home use cisterns in this free course offered by King County Conservation District. To register contact the King Conservation District at (206) 764-3410, ext. 125 or by email. Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Maple Valley Community Center. Featured speakers are Patrick Carey of Hadj Design Group and Mike Broili of Living Systems Design.

Thursday, November 16
Introduction to Built Green provides an overview of the entire program on Tuesday, Nov. 16 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.

Friday, November 19
Energy Star Builder Workshop
See above under Events for a description.

From the Director

Checklist Reviews for the Built Green Program
The first meeting to begin the process for checklist reviews will be held Jan. 26th, 2005 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm at the MBA offices. If you are interested in participating, please review all checklists that are applicable to your needs and come prepared to discuss specific items. The purpose of the reviews, as directed by the Built Green Executive Committee, are as follows:

1. Modify or eliminate items that are now out of date due to changes in technology or code.

2. Add items for new technologies that make sense to be included.

3. Take care of various problems in the checklist that have become apparent through its use.

4. Maintain the overall rigor of the checklist at a similar level to what it has been. (Recent additions of 4th and 5th Star levels addresses interest in increased rigor.)

5. Prioritize process by focusing on a limited number of checklist items that most need to be updated; the purpose is not to re-write the entire checklist.

6. Simplify the process by not significantly increasing the length and number of checklist choices. If, for example, there’s an item that has never been used, and it doesn’t represent a significant environmental benefit, consider removing it.

7. Modify Section 6 of the checklist (Promoting Environmentally Friendly Homeowner O&M) and integrate all of its point items into sections 2-5 in a manner similar to Pierce County Built Green’s checklist.

8. Outline and report to the Executive Committee recommendations on handbook updates made necessary as a result of the checklist update.

Member involvement is essential to improving Built Green, and keeps the program relevant to the industry. We welcome your input! If you want to be included as a member of the checklist review committee, please send me an email so I can add you to the distribution list.

Robin Rogers, Program Director

Contact Built Green

Master Builders Association
335 – 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Directions
Phone (425) 460-8238
Tollfree (800) 522-2209
Fax (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com

MBA Calendar of Events

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

Product Spotlight

Brick, the world's most sustainable building material, combines architectural style with environmentally responsible energy and maintenance savings.

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

*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.

Seattle Home Show 2

Built Green's "Green" Booth

If you missed the Seattle Home Show 2, you also missed Built Green’s very “green” booth. Our new exhibit reflects the amazing work and creativity of TPN of Seattle. TPN designed and crafted the elements especially for us, within a tight budget, with lots of green graphics and constructed from green materials, including: OSB (oriented strand board) and MDF (medium density fiberboard) that both use small pieces of waste wood or fiber that save larger trees; aluminum with recycled content; steel with recycled content; and water-based low-VOC paints and stains. Two ”green” features saved potentially wasteful or unnecessary printing and paper costs: the first was having a printer hooked up to a computer in the kiosk so booth visitors could print exactly what they needed from our website (i.e., a list of our members); the second was showing a continuously scrolling, informative PowerPoint on a large plasma screen with seating available. Even our chairs and stools are made from renewable wood resources and recycled content steel, and are fully recyclable. MBA’s Events Director James Cadungug orchestrated the whole process to create a highly successful presence for Built Green.

Seattle Home Show 2 at Qwest Field Events Center was a huge success as thousands of visitors toured more than 400 exhibits, including Built Green’s booth sponsored by Jorve Roofing and Windows. This year’s traffic to the Built Green booth seemed to be weighted towards homeowners remodeling, building a custom home or searching for green products to include in an existing home. Our booth was staffed by volunteers from Countrywide Home Loans, Color Whiz, Martha Rose Construction, Energy Star Homes Northwest, Carol Beck Environmental Consulting, Penates Interior Design, Integrated Financial Solutions, James Hardie Building Products, Puget Sound Energy and ParDee Sales Building Supply. MBA staff also worked the booth during all shifts: Rick Miller, Abbie Pico, Lindsay Pease, Amanda Reed, Tim Attebery, Vicki Hobbs, Pam Worner and James Cadungug all put in time to help answer questions, along with director Robin Rogers.

We had major help at the end of the show from Westhill Building Contractors and Conner Remodeling & Design. Both helped us move, load and unload large, heavy booth elements back to MBA! Thanks for the helping hand!

Seattle Home Show Online

Mark your calendars! Seattle Home Show Spring Showcase Feb. 19-27, 2005!

BG Member News

The Environmental Home Center has a temporary location at 4121 1st Avenue South in Seattle’s SODO district. The company’s previous location - that housed its offices, showroom and main warehouse - suffered a devastating fire last summer, but hardly missed a beat with its business. For further information call Lisa DiMartino at (206) 650-3301.

Gingerbread House

Don’t forget to check out the fantastic creations in gingerbread at the downtown Seattle Sheraton, including our new Built Green entry. The Gingerbread Village opens to public Nov. 23 until Dec. 26. Donations are accepted to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Seattle.

A detail of last year’s Built Green gingerbread house shows a troll under the bridge and an elf fishing in a stream. The design this year promises to have just as many surprises with an “I Spy” sheet for kids to find hidden treasures in and around a Built Green house, of course!

Anatomy of a Land Swap

Quadrant Homes Shows How Compromise Can Work to the Benefit of Everyone with Its Built Green Community of Snoqualmie Ridge
Because of a creative compromise among a developer, a county, a city and an environmental organization, one of Washington’s cherished tourist attractions will keeps its forested views, but more than 4,000 new homes will be available nearby. Known as the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative, the deal was brokered by the Cascade Land Conservancy. As part of it, Quadrant Homes, King County and the city of Snoqualmie helped buy the 150 acres south of the Snoqualmie Falls, which was slated for development. Quadrant also gave up development rights to 2,800 acres in the Raging River Valley and 650 acres north of the falls. Why? Because views from the popular Snoqualmie Falls Park and adjacent lodge could have been altered by subdivisions across the water. To provide incentives to Quadrant, the city expedited the approval process for Quadrant’s Snoqualmie Ridge urban village of 4,400 homes. Quadrant also was able to add 268 homes to the first phase of the project. Ultimately, the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative will protect up to 9,000 acres of Raging River forestland, enhance trails, and establish a planning framework for future growth in the Snoqualmie area. As reported in The Seattle Times, a Built Green member company.

Snoqualmie Falls
Speaking of the falls, the MBA recently held its annual leadership conference at the lodge adjacent to the falls, and therefore many members and staff had occasion to visit. A steep half-mile hike down to the river below the falls (slightly longer return hike!) yields a powerful view of this waterfall that is double the height of Niagara Falls. One of Built Green’s major corporate sponsors, Puget Sound Energy maintains a two-acre park on the cliffs overlooking Snoqualmie Falls with an observation deck, restrooms and picnic facilities. Snoqualmie Falls has about 1.3 million visitors each year as the second most popular tourist destination in Washington after Mt. Rainier.

Green Building Awards

Call for Entries!
Here’s your chance to be recognized for outstanding green home projects! The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) invites home builders, remodelers, developers, nonprofits, academicians, industry experts and others involved in green building to submit entries for the 2005 National Green Building Awards. Entries must be received by Dec. 15, 2004. A $250 fee is required for entries in all categories except Green Advocate of the Year and Green Program of the Year (New Program).

The award categories are:

• Green Advocate of the Year
• Green Program of the Year
• Green Project of the Year - Single-Family
• Green Project of the Year - Multifamily
• Green Project of the Year - Remodeling
• Outstanding Green Marketing Award

Snohomish PUD

Snohomish County PUD is partnering with JACO Environmental, a locally-based appliance recycler, to offer $35 to customers willing to give up their old refrigerators and freezers. JACO will even pick up units when customers call for a collection. The program will help customers get rid of older, energy-wasting units that can use up to three times the energy of newer models. The pilot program will end on Dec. 31 or when 1,000 units are collected, whichever comes first. "The objective of this program is to decrease the number of inefficient refrigerators and freezers and, in doing so, reduce overall customer energy use," said PUD Manager of Product Development Bob Nicholas. Snohomish PUD customers interested in participating can schedule a pick-up by calling (877) 577-0510.

King County

King County has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for induction into the national WasteWise Hall of Fame. The EPA created the Hall of Fame for its WasteWise Program, to honor WasteWise members that have repeatedly won top awards in the program. This year, General Motors and King County were inducted in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 15. King County is the first and only government agency to receive this honor. There are more than 1,400 WasteWise partners nationwide. Being a WasteWise partner involves setting goals and evaluating internal recycling collection, waste prevention and "buying recycled" practices.

The County's 2003 achievements cited in the award application include: Thirty-eight million pounds of materials collected internally for recycling; $5.1 million worth of recycled paper and other environmentally-preferable products purchased; $3 million in savings from reuse projects. Green building achievements were also key to receiving the award, including the Executive Initiative requiring all King County construction projects to pursue a green building rating; an 8,000-square-foot green roof on the King County airport; and exemplary construction waste recycling practices.

More information about the King County WasteWise program.

Resources

Seattle Can Help with Charrettes
For projects pursuing Built Green incentive funding, city staff from the Green Building Team can assist your development team with charettes. "Charrettes bring people together to work on impossible problems and solve them in a ridiculously short time." - Patrick Condon, University of British Columbia

A charette is a short and intensive design process that usually involves people from different backgrounds and disciplines in order to gain a broad, integrated perspective on issues at hand. AllcCity-funded projects are encouraged to conduct at least one charette early in development to help guide, inform and achieve the most sustainable project possible. Contact Joanne Quinn at (206) 684-0304 or by email to Seattle’s Office of Housing for more information.

Predevelopment vs. development courtesy of NEMO

Field Guide to Water Quality Friendly Stormwater Management in the Lower Columbia River
This is a great online guide that provides technical information and multiple examples for 23 water quality friendly techniques for stormwater management.

Construction Works
To enroll your project in King County’s construction recycling program, called Construction Works, or to learn more about it, contact Kinley Deller at KC Solid Waste Division at (206) 296-4434 or via email, or if your project is located within the city of Seattle, contact Karen Price at (206) 389-7281 or via email.

PSE Built Green Idea Home
Interactive website

Further Reading

Living Planet Report 2004
The World Wildlife Fund just released its annual Living Planet Report confirming that humanity is now consuming over 20 percent more natural resources than the Earth can produce, causing rapid declines in wild animal populations. This over-spend leads to the destruction of ecological assets including depleted groundwater, collapsing fisheries, CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, and deforestation. From 1991 to 2001 the Footprint in the 27 wealthiest countries increased by 8 percent per person, while in the middle and low income countries, it shrank by 8 percent per person. What is the fastest growing component of global Ecological Footprint? The answer is energy, leading with a 180 percent increase since 1971. Read the full report.