Featured Home

Featured Home by The Dwelling Company

Crofton Springs, built by The Dwelling Company, is a pedestrian-centric neighborhood of Built Green homes within the Built Green community of Issaquah Highlands. The homes are designed in a mix of ‘urban’ housing styles – row houses (pictured above), lofts, carriage homes, garden and hillside cottages, garden flats and townhomes. Sizes range from 1,250 to 1,800 square feet, but plenty of windows and good space planning make these smaller homes feel larger, light-filled and well ventilated, with interesting views. The smaller design also conserves materials, and ultimately will save the homeowners on energy costs.

A recycled stormwater stream in the neighborhood provides an environmental amenity. A density of 19 homes per acre - versus the typical 10 per acre in many developments -- conserves space and allows for more pedestrian-oriented areas. The use of common walls – about 74 percent of the homes are attached – further reduces energy usage. The hydronic heating systems have no ducts in the houses, and therefore have reduced heat loss, as well as decreased airborne dust. Formaldehyde-free products were installed, along with low-toxic materials and paints, to provide healthier indoor air.

This ”wired” community has a high-speed optical fiber network that brings fiber directly to the homes, allowing more live/work units that can cut down on transportation needs for residents who work at home even occasionally. Field inspections were conducted by a third-party verifier to ensure adherence to the Built Green checklist. Master planning and architectural services were provided by Weber + Thompson Architects, another Built Green member company. The Dwelling Company promoted and used suppliers that are also members of Built Green.

New Members

AMEC Earth & Environmental – International project management, environmental engineering, design, project delivery and support services with a sustainable-focus

Case Design & Project Management – Registered architect specializing in practical, elegant solutions to home design problems

Sharon Cannizzo – Homeowner/builder

Centex Homes – One of the nation's largest homebuilders and promotes efficiency, value and environmental integrity

Home Improvement Showroom – Products and services under one roof

Kennan-Meyer Architecture PS – Long-standing MBA member architecture firm specializing in residential design

Place Architects – Shaping of environments that celebrate and enhance people's experience, and bringing dreams to built form

Lane Hardwood Floors – High quality hardwood flooring
 
Topaz Construction – Design, build, remodel
 
Lifestyle Landscapes – Landscaping design, build and maintenance services
 
Habitat for Humanity East King County – Building hope, building homes

View our current members.

Events

Thursday-Sunday, October 14-17
Seattle Home Show 2
Built Green joins more than 400 exhibitors at this fall’s biggest Home Show 2 at the Qwest Events Center across from Safeco Field! If you’re in a position to share your green building knowledge and experience with consumers who visit the booth, please consider working one 3-1/2 hour shift. Email the director with the times you can work. The show is open 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m .Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The Built Green booth is sponsored by Jorve Roofing, our sponsors last fall as well. Thank you to Jorve’s team and our great friends at the Seattle Home Show for supporting Built Green and making it possible for us to be at the Home Show 2.

Seattle Home Show Online features a searchable database of products and suppliers.

Saturday & Sunday, October 23 & 24
Don't miss the Remodeled Homes Tour. This year's Remodeled Homes Tour features 25 quality projects by our area's finest Master Builders Association remodelers. For more information, visit their website.

March 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.

Wednesday-Friday, November 10-12
GreenBuild Portland at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. More than 5,000 attendees are expected, with around 70 educational sessions, 200 presenters and 400 exhibits. This conference is usually geared more towards commercial green building, but this year’s agenda features an expanded menu of residential sessions.

Thursday-Sunday, October 21-24
Northwest Ecobuilding Guild Annual Retreat
This year’s NWEBG Annual Member Retreat will be Oct. 21 – 24 at Pilgrim First Conference Center outside Port Orchard, Wash. Plan on three full days of learning and camaraderie in a natural setting for this Built Green member organization event. Register on the NWEBG website or call Nancy Brooking at (503) 667-9479. You must be a member to attend, but if you aren’t a member yet, you can join at the same time you register.

Through November
Fall for Salmon King County
It’s that time of year again when the Pacific Northwest celebrates the return of the salmon to the streams of their birth -- a natural wonder of the Pacific Northwest! King County provides its ‘Fall for Salmon’ campaign to help us get in touch with our scaled friends of the streams. Check out the website for festivals and viewing spots around the county; volunteer opportunities to help the fish.

Sockeye salmon

Planting trees along stream banks help provide shade and keep water cool. Roots hold the banks in place and control runoff and erosion, to keep water cleaner. Please join us for one of these planting events! People and fish rely on the same sources for clear, clean water. Car owner, homeowner and gardener practices are the greatest threat to salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest.

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

Election 2004

No matter your politics, there’s an opportunity to find out about and vote for the candidates who best serve YOU on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Following is a sampling of websites that offer info:

King County Elections

Snohomish County Elections

MBA-Endorsed, Housing-Friendly Candidates

Politics1 presents its profiles of the White House hopefuls: President Bush, John Kerry -- plus all the third party and Independent candidates.

The Green Papers is "dedicated to the dissemination of facts, figures, tidbits and commentary on the campaigns leading ultimately to the 2004 General Election… in which the President, 1/3 of the United States Senate and the entire House of Representatives of the 109th Congress will be chosen."

If your interest in green extends to politics, you can read about candidates from the Green Party of Washington State.

Still have questions about candidates or elections? Contact Scott Hildebrand, Public Policy Director at the MBA.

Register to Vote

Home Buyer Survey

Built Green Builders Receive High Ranks in Home Buyer Survey
Centex Homes, the newest Built Green builder member, ranks highest on a recent JD Power home builder customer satisfaction survey for the Seattle/Tacoma area. Other Built Green member builders take several other top spots including Shea Homes, Polygon Northwest, Quadrant Homes, DR Horton (Stafford Series). The survey is based on the responses of 1,155 local new home buyers out of 64,502 nationally. In order of importance, nine factors that drive satisfaction include customer service, home readiness, sales staff, quality, price/value, design elements, design center, recreational facilities and location. To view the rankings visit the JD Power website.

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.

Thursday, October 7
Construction Waste and Jobsite Recycling provides tools for saving money through jobsite recycling and waste prevention on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the MBA. To register call (425) 460-8238 or email.

Monday, October 25
Cradle to Cradle Design: Designing for Deconstruction and Maximum Materials Reuse
Learn how to incorporate deconstruction of an existing building on your site into your design process, Monday, Oct. 25 from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lighting Design Lab on 400 E. Pine St., Suite 100, in Seattle. Cost is $30 and includes lunch.

Tuesday, October 26
Rethink Demolition: How to Deconstruct a Building from Start to Finish
Learn how to deconstruct a building, Tuesday, Oct. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the AGC Education Foundation, Westlake Room, 2nd floor 1200 Westlake Ave. N, in Seattle. Cost is $30 and includes breakfast, lunch and tour. To register, please call the Resource Venture at (206) 389-7302.

Solar Classes & Events

Saturday, October 2
Tour of Solar Homes
The Solar Washington Association in cooperation with the American Solar
Energy Society will host a tour of solar homes and commercial buildings all over the state from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
National events
State tours

Thursday, October 21
"Solar Energy for Your Home" class will be offered from 7pm to 9 pm at the Phinney Center in Seattle. Cost $25/member household, or $30/non-member household. Call (206) 525-3969 for information, or (206) 783-2244 to register.

Saturday, October 30
"Solar Home Design" class will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on UW campus in Seattle. Cost: $50/public or $40/UW student.
Register on the website or call (206) 685-3276.

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.

From the Director

KUDOS!
The Built Green program received two Association Excellence Awards (AEA) at the recent NAHB Executive Officers Council conference in Destin, Florida. Built Green News was named the Best Communications – Update Publication. The Built Green program as a whole was named the Best HBA Partnership due to its ongoing partnerships with Snohomish and King Counties. These awards would not be possible without a tremendous team effort. So, to give credit where it’s due:

Built Green News is offered to 3,000 readers every month through the efforts of Janna Williamson, our IT wizard of the MBA; Pam Worner and Gina Davis, the best sales and marketing director and coordinator our builders and associates could ask for; Jennifer Cyr, our former Built Green assistant who is now traveling in South America for mission work; Tim Coghill and Lindsay Pease of the MBA communications department, who scour the text with their eagle eyes to remove typos; and Cory Crocker of Coryography, our amazing designer/web expert who transforms my raw text into something exciting!

Our partnership with the counties has been a true collaboration over the past four, almost five years. Theresa Koppang, Katie Spataro (also traveling for mission work overseas) and Lucy Auster with the King County Solid Waste Division, and Deanna Seaman of the Snohomish County Solid Waste have provided countless hours of support as well as funding to the program. Our volunteer co-chairs of the executive and steering committees, Brian Cloward of Mithun Architects and Carol Beck, a sustainable development consultant, contribute copious amounts of time and expertise to help keep the program on track and thriving.

Finally, much of the vision and ‘architecture’ of this government-industry partnership were provided by Kathleen O’Brien of O’Brien and Company who foresaw the advantages of bringing an entire community together to make a green home building program work – among government agencies, industry leaders, suppliers and other private sector stakeholders.

Thanks to you all!

Robin Rogers, Program Director

Product Spotlight

Corbond: Spray-foam insulation with R-Value of 7.3/inch. Dramatic energy cost savings-Seals tight-Eliminates mold problems.

Available from Loken Construction, an approved installer for the Corbond Insulation System.

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.

Happy Anniversary!

Built Green News Is One Year Old...and look how our membership has grown!

Check out all 12 back issues.

Members 2000 = 4 2001 = 27 2002 = 52 2003 = 119 2004 = 183* *as of Sept 19

BG Member News New!

Whirlpool, a major sponsor of Built Green, has developed a fantastic, futuristic ultra-green washing machine. Powered by the sun and fuels cells, this washer uses aquatic plants to purify graywater left behind after a wash cycle.

Fireside announces the grand opening of its new and expanded Showroom in Kent - open to the public and trade - at 7818 S 212th St. Call (425) 251-9447 or (800) 660-8845.

New Certified Projects

Martha Rose Construction of Seattle certified five new homes this month, including four Bitter Lake townhomes! Congratulations to Quadrant Homes for its 224 new home certifications for this month!

Number of Green Homes

According to numbers issued recently by the NAHB Research Center, the total number of green homes in the United States built to local green home building guidelines from 1990 through 2003 was 47,091. Ten percent of that number has been certified by the Built Green program of King and Snohomish Counties– and only since 2000. That’s right, folks; we have certified 4,900 homes since the program’s inception in 2000. If you take into consideration that this is strictly a voluntary program, it makes the numbers even more astounding. Congratulations to our many builders, remodelers, designers, developers and affordable housing providers who have been leading the way in green residential home building!

Green Building Awards

Call for Entries for 2005 National Green Building Awards
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) invites home builders, remodelers, developers, nonprofits, academics, industry experts and others involved in green building to submit entries for the 2005 National Green Building Awards. The awards recognize individuals, companies and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the ideals of green home building. Winners will be announced at the 2005 National Green Building Conference. 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

Entries must be received by Wednesday, 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). All winners will be featured in NAHB publications and receive a complimentary admission to the 2006 National Green Building Conference. Our Built Green program is a past winner of the Program of the Year award for 2003! Our members have the potential to win other awards with several outstanding projects; please consider entering.

Model of Sustainability

Bayview Corner on Whidbey Island includes a weekly farmers’ market that moves into the community building during the fall.

Whidbey Island’s Bayview Corner Is Model of Sustainability
Built Green member Bob Dalton of JBL Construction on Whidbey Island invites us to visit Bayview Corner, a model for sustainable commercial development in the heart of Whidbey Island. While visiting, you can see examples of "green" public restrooms that feature photovoltaic panels on the rooftop to generate electricity, and composting toilets and waterless urinals inside. Porous concrete paving was used on a parking lot and pathway to allow rainwater to infiltrate into the soil instead of running off. A larger parking area contains a drivable surface of reinforced grass that is maintained like a lawn, but can withstand heavy traffic. Recycled and reused materials have been installed throughout the buildings, including salvaged wood from demolition of older buildings on the site. A redwood water tower was dismantled, and the boards were used for doors, doorframes and wainscoting, while metal became railings, door pulls and handrails. For further information about the Goosefoot Community Fund that developed this project, visit the website.

Snohomish PUD

CFLs Are Shining Success in Snohomish
Snohomish County PUD’s compact fluorescent light (CFL) promotion continues to go strong. This summer the public utility district reached nearly $1.3 million in sales. The PUD launched its CFL promotion in late 2000, working with a network of local retailers to offer discount coupons, reducing the price of the most popular CFLs to $1.99 or less.

"What started as a pilot program with a sales goal of 16,000 bulbs has become one of our most popular conservation efforts today,” said Snohomish PUD Residential Programs Manager Al Bandazy. “Our initial network of about a dozen retailers has more than tripled to 45 stores."

As part of its CFL campaign, the utility emphasized that the bulbs last seven to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs and use one-fourth the energy. The PUD also encouraged customers to use CFLs in those fixtures that are used the most – such as kitchen or outdoor porch lights. The PUD distributes coupons for discounted CFL bulbs in its utility bill insert, at its local offices and at community fairs. Customers can also request them by calling the PUD’s Energy Hotline at (425) 783-1700 or toll-free at (877) 783-1000. You can also visit their website.

Master Builder Magazine

The cover of Master Builder magazine for September features The Cottage Company’s small Built Green cottages with colorful James Hardie siding. The October issue of Master Builder magazine features a photo of the Built Green community of Issaquah Highlands with the lead article providing some insight into recent Built Green trends. You can pick up a copy at the MBA Housing Center in Bellevue.

King County

King County’s permitting office in Renton has installed a new display to inform visitors about green building. The entire south wall of the lobby has been dedicated to spreading the word about environmentally responsible building practices like construction recycling, green roofs and recycled materials. There is a computer with access to King County’s environmental programs web pages, and a three dimensional architectural model of a three-star Built Green home. Brochure racks containing the Construction Recycling Directory, the Contractor’s Guide to Recycling and the Green Home Remodel Guides, among other take-home items, are scattered throughout the display.

DDES on display

Three shadow boxes contain examples of green building materials, while a series of wall panels describe the green building certification systems: Built Green for residences and LEED for commercial buildings. One panel is dedicated as a rotating showcase of Built Green participants. Currently highlighting Quadrant, this panel will be available as a free marketing tool to a different Built Green member each month*. If you would like to have your company or one of your projects featured in the Green Building Display, please contact Gemma Alexander at 206.263.6037 to make arrangements.

*Available to projects within King County, but outside the city of Seattle.

Resources

Hazardous Waste Disposal King County
Do you have large quantities of hazardous waste that need to be disposed in King County? If so, contact the Hazards Line at 206.296.4692 or visit the website. For smaller amounts, there are several Wastemobile drop-off events coming up in Federal Way Oct. 1-3, Redmond Oct. 8-10 and Bothell Oct. 15-17. Products can include oil-based paints, thinners, solvents, auto batteries, glues, adhesives, propane tanks, mercury-containing thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs and automobile products such as brake fluid, oil, gas and antifreeze. (Latex paints can be dried out and put in the garbage if there’s less than a 1⁄4 can.)

Snohomish County
Small Quantity Generator businesses may pay a small fee to drop off hazardous materials at the Drop-Off Station in Everett at 3434 McDougall Ave. Call (425) 388-6050 to schedule an appointment. The station is free for household customers in the county. Household Hazardous Waste Website.

Free Blower Door DVD/VHS Available
Interested in blower door testing but don't know how it works? Trying to describe the process to a client but they want more details? The City of Issaquah, with help from Dan Wildenhaus of Atmosphere, Inc., recently completed a 22-minute video on the hows and whys of blower door testing. As an added bonus, the video also addresses proper shell sealing, showing points that are frequently forgotten. Available in DVD or VHS, by calling (425) 837-3448, or by email.

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, (206) 296-4434, or, if your project is located within the city of Seattle, contact Karen Price, (206) 389-7281.

Built Green Idea Home
For ideas on using sustainable products and technologies, visit the PSE Built Green Idea Home Interactive Website.

Northwest Energy Star Offers Option for Hydronic Systems
The long awaited Builder Option Package #4 for hydronic and combined heat and hot water systems has finally arrived. This provides a new pathway to meet the Energy Star Standard, for which points are awarded in the Built Green checklists. Since the hydronic systems are based on water piping, there will be no need to conduct duct testing and PTCS certification. This package does allow ducted fan coil systems, but the ducts must all be within the conditioned envelope. The standard for the heating plant allows various water heaters with high EF (Energy Factor) and Recovery Efficiency ratings. Boilers must have an AFUE of 83 percent or higher and are not allowed to have “tankless coil” domestic hot water- which causes the whole boiler to fire frequently in the summer. It is highly recommended that any heater within the building be provided with a sealed combustion air system. For further information or a sample list of models on the market that meet this new threshold, you can email Tom Balderston, the Builder Outreach Specialist for our area, or call (206) 715-6865.

Further Reading

Learn about how the Built Green program was created in response to the salmon being listed as an endangered species, in a Special Salmon Edition of Issues in Action.

The Built Green Library offers a good assortment of titles on green home building for you to peruse while visiting the MBA Member Center (the main reception area) in Bellevue. We’re also subscribing to Architectural Record and Dwell magazines so you can follow the latest design trends. The current issue of Dwell features "Sustainability 101: It’s Easy Being Green" in the Oct./Nov. issue that includes some hot, new green product reviews. Arcade Journal, a contemporary Northwest design magazine, also provides us with complimentary copies for the Member Center.

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.