By Sadie Normoyle, Built Green™ Coordinator

Built Green relies on the exceptional builders and people who support the program to be where it is today. At the 2016 Built Green Conference, in order to recognize the hard work of Built Green members, we announced the winners of the Built Green Hammer Awards and of the Built Green Pioneer Award.

The Built Green Hammer Awards recognize Built Green members for their outstanding projects and participation over the previous year. The Built Green Pioneer Award recognizes people who have played an integral role in developing and maintaining the Built Green program. Without the time, energy, and support of these Pioneers, Built Green would not be what it is today.

Built Green Hammer Award Winners

Large Production Builder Award Recipient: Isola Homes

Isola Homes is a locally rooted, family-owned company with a passion for building exceptional homes. They collaborate and strive to bring the very best in sophisticated design, modern livability, and unmatched quality in Seattle’s most desirable locations. Their ultimate goal is to create a place that inspires you to live with the same passion that they had for building your home. Over the past year, they have certified 114 homes with Built Green: seventeen at the 3-Star level, 92 at 4-Star, and five at 5-Star.

Small Production Builder Award Recipient: DEP Homes

DEP Homes strives to provide the Seattle housing market with quality homes that are technologically advanced and environmentally responsible. Their homes are strategically located in desirable neighborhoods in order to promote sustainable living through convenient access to shopping, public transportation, and major employers. In the last year, they have realized their vision for elegant sustainability through major projects like “DEP City 15” and “DEP Columbia.” Over the past year, they have certified 39 homes as 4-Star Built Green.

Multi-family Builder over 150 Units Award Recipient: Heartland Construction for their Discovery West Project

DevCo, Inc. is a privately held real estate investment company, and Heartland Construction is their construction affiliate that is responsible for building all of their projects. With more than 20 years of experience, together they professionally develop, build, and own multi-family apartment communities. Some unique aspects of the Discovery West project were the use of a common domestic hot water system, high energy efficient HVAC system for the common areas in the buildings, and use of low- or no VOC and eco-friendly finish materials throughout the interiors of the buildings. Heartland Construction has done an excellent job incorporating Built Green Standards seamlessly into the project. Their experience on the first two developments helped them to understand the process so the certification process on this project was completed rapidly. Their most recent certification was for 209 4-Star units.

Multi-family Builder of 50-100 Units Award Recipient: Aegis Living

Aegis Living was chosen for this award for their brand new, 129-unit Aegis of Queen Anne at Rodgers Park assisted living community development. The Aegis of Queen Anne at Rodgers Park project met and surpassed Built Green 4-Star requirements. The development collects and retains 80% of storm water and building water discharge; used only low-VOC and low-toxic interior paints and finishes for all surface areas (including doors, windows, and trim); controlled building moisture; used effective air distribution and filtration systems; sent at least 85% of jobsite waste to a local recycling center; and maximized efforts to install locally-produced materials (local windows, cement, and wood).

Multi-family Builder up to 50 Units Award Recipient: Sola 24 LLC

Sola 24 LLC achieved Built Green 4-Star certification for a 23-unit project in Seattle this past year. Their premise was simple - super tight buildings consume less energy for heating and cooling. In order to achieve this, they used spray foam insulation to achieve a virtually airtight building shell. In addition, all penetrations, such as lights, switches, and outlets were sealed with caulking or gaskets and large, high-tech Andersen E-Series windows that provide natural daylight for both light and warmth. This combination of efficiency and natural light makes the spaces inviting and relaxed.

Small Speculative or Custom Builder Award Recipient: Fairwinds Development LLC

Fairwinds Development is a family-owned, father-and-son-operated developer of single-family and low density multi-family homes in North Seattle neighborhoods. The Eltovar rowhouse project that they have been working on this past year is an example of a certified 4-Star Built Green project. Over the past year, they have achieved certification for nine 4-Star projects.

Builder Remodeler Award Recipient: Malboeuf Bowie Architecture

This past year Malboeuf Bowie Architecture certified a 5-star remodeled home in the Wedgewood Neighborhood– the only 5-Star remodel so far in 2016. They kept the foundation (minimizing ground disturbance) and installed a new concrete slab floor with hydronic radiant heating. With a 6.4 kW solar PV system, the home is modeled to perform 45% better than new homes built to code.

Judge’s Choice Award Recipient: Model Remodel for their 4-Star Built Green Certified DADU

Model Remodel’s backyard cottage in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood received Built Green 4-Star certification for its calculated design and mindful construction. Durability, energy efficiency, and overall user-healthiness come together in this comfy second story studio dwelling atop a two-car garage. The trees around the unit offer privacy and the feeling of a tree house while the windows on the north and south open to carry the cool, aromatic, Lake Washington breeze through during the summer heat.

Project of the Year Award Recipient: TC Legend Homes, for their two Built Green 5-Star net zero energy homes in Victory Heights

The two units by TC Legend Homes are stunning examples of healthy, sustainable, and energy efficient single-family homes. Located on two peaceful wooded lots in the Victory Heights neighborhood of Seattle, the outward appearance of these 5-Star dwellings belie their advanced construction and ultra-high performance. The homes are constructed using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) which is one of the trademarks of builder Ted Clifton, a leading figure in the net-zero energy building community. TC Legend Homes also included many advanced energy efficiency measures in addition to the 9.5 kW solar arrays on each roof. They also meet 100% rainwater infiltration on site, have continuous exhaust ventilation, and used salvaged materials from the previous home.

Built Green Pioneer Award

David Barnes

Sam Lai

Aaron Fairchild

The Built Green Pioneer Award this year was award to David Barnes, Sam Lai, and Aaron Fairchild. David Barnes pioneered the green building priority permit review in the City of Kirkland as well as makes a big effort to reach out and loop builders into the Built Green program.

Sam Lai and Aaron Fairchild, both of Green Canopy, have worked tirelessly to support Built Green and have come up with idea after idea to better the program. They played a huge role in the conference this year and in the past. Sam Lai sits on the Built Green Marketing Subcommittee and Aaron Fairchild was on the Built Green Executive Committee and now is an MBA Board Member.

While it was difficult to select the nominees and award recipients from such a talented, hard working group of Built Green members, we wish to thank everyone who has been involved with and helped Built Green over the course of this year. We are already looking forward to next year’s Built Green Conference and sincerely hope you will join us!

Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

Call for Proposals

We are planning our annual Built Green Conference and we invite YOU to submit a proposal for a breakout session! The deadline has been extended. Proposals are now due Friday, June 3, 2022.

Our Built Green community is bursting with subject-matter experts and practitioners who can share their stories and experiences with the rest of the community. If you are reading this, you are one of them!

This year’s conference theme is Becoming the Change. These past few years have been filled with crises, changes, and unpredictable events that have created challenges for many homebuilders. Given unforeseen circumstances, builders have had to learn to adapt and build resiliency in their businesses, designs, and processes. Businesses have also had to develop strategies to recruit and retain a rapidly evolving workforce. We welcome our speakers and participants involved in this year’s conference to share how they have become one of those changes and thrived. Collectively, our small steps in transitioning building practices to address climate change have made big impacts. We look forward to seeing you all at the conference to share ideas, exchange best practices, and celebrate being together this September!

We are excited to welcome keynote speaker Vishaan Chakrabarti, Founder and Creative Director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism | PAU, where he leads the firm’s growing global portfolio of cultural, institutional, and public projects. He focuses on designing cities to be sustainable, equitable, and joyous. Vishaan has been a principal at major architecture firms including SHoP Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. He is a registered architect in the States of New York, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and is registered with NCARB. Chakrabarti is the author of the highly acclaimed book "A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America" (Metropolis Books, 2013). Vishaan lectures internationally; contributes articles and op-eds to the New York Times, Crain’s Business, and other publications; has appeared on CBS Evening News, MSNBC’s The Cycle, Charlie Rose, National Public Radio, WNYC, and other television and radio programs; and was a main-stage speaker at TED 2018: The Age of Amazement and a featured speaker at TED Connects 2020: Build Back Better.

To facilitate robust conversations, the conference will feature four tracks for breakout sessions:

• Advancing Policy—Policies and programs that support builders and cities to meet climate imperative goals while addressing the housing crisis
• Innovating Affordability—Innovative community-based strategies to build climate-resilient affordable housing using today's tools
• Decarbonizing Construction—Science and data-driven technical knowledge to design and build homes that reduce embodied and operational carbon
• Rethinking Materials—Exploring the use of innovative, non-traditional, and salvaged low carbon materials for the homes of the future

If you're interested in presenting, moderating a panel, or facilitating a roundtable at this year's conference, don't forget to submit your proposal by May 20.