Featured Project

View the case study here.

TC Legend Homes
Project: 5-Star Custom Home

This Built Green 5-Star custom home in Ballard is only the second in the region to receive the Zero Energy designation through Built Green. With a super-insulated structural insulated panel (SIP) envelope, triple pane windows, a high efficiency heat pump heating system and a 6.8 kilowatt solar array to produce power, this home will produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. In addition to its extraordinary energy performance, this home, which is on an urban site, reduces runoff with a 200-square-foot rain garden and captures rainwater in oak barrels. In addition to Built Green, it is certified by the EPA's Indoor Air Plus program, which speaks to the indoor air quality features of the home. In material conservation, the builder achieved a 90-percent-plus construction waste recycling rate and used salvaged materials extensively in the finishing of the home. TC Legend Homes even used B99 Biodiesel in the box van servicing the project. This is the kind of carbon reducing project that is on the cutting edge of high performance building, and it demonstrates a level of building performance rarely seen anywhere, much less on an urban infill site.

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

• 200-square-foot rain garden
• Oak rain barrels to capture and store 1,000 gallons of rainwater
• Urban infill site within walking distance of countless amenities
• Exclusively landscaped with drought tolerant plants
• No turf grass in landscaping
• All topsoil was preserved on-site for reuse
• B-99 Biodiesel was used for form releaser on foundation
• Landscaped soils were amended to 10-12 inches
• Pervious materials used for at least one-third of all hardscape areas
• High efficiency toilets installed
• Low-flow showerheads and kitchen and bathroom faucets used to reduce water and energy use

Energy Efficiency

• Homes modeled to achieve zero-energy use on a net annual basis
• Power for home provided by a 6.8 kw solar photovoltaic array
• SIPs provide a highly efficient airtight envelope
• Blower door test showed air tightness of 0.56 ACH50
• High efficiency ductless heat pump
• Advanced solar design with triple pane windows
• Triple pane windows average U-value of 0.21
• All lighting either compact fluorescent or LED
• Energy Star refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machine
• Clothesline outside to reduce use of dryer

Indoor Air Quality

• Installed whole-home radiant system
• No wood or MDF products with added urea-formaldehyde
• Low-VOC paint
• Low-VOC, low-toxic water-based sealants and adhesives
• Full indoor air-quality plan strategy executed
• Certified by EPA Indoor Air Plus
• No attached garage
• Whole house fan with HEPA filter
• Envelope professionally inspected

Material Use

• Overall recycling rate of 90 percent
• Used salvaged materials including:
  • Hardwood flooring
  • Stair treads and risers
  • Two cast-iron bathtubs
  • Wine barrels for rainwater catchment
  • Timbers for front porch
  • Wood chips for driveways and paths
  • Glass blocks
  • Kitchen range
  • Lighting fixtures
  • Kitchen sink
• Reduced wood waste by using factory constructed SIPs
• Extensive use of locally sourced materials
• Reduced interior walls through open floor plan
• Installed finger-jointed MDF trim
• Installed a 40-year roof
• Used B99 Biodiesel box truck to service site

Photos courtesy of Eric Thomas.

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

Events

Seattle Greendrinks
April 10, Seattle
Founded in 2003, Seattle Greendrinks' main event remains a monthly informal social-networking gathering. This gathering remains the core of Seattle Greendrinks' work, and all are welcome to join us the second Tuesday of every month starting around 5:30 p.m. The goal of our group is pretty simple: to create a space that fosters connections and good times shared among people working in (or interested in) environmental and sustainability issues.

2012 South Sound Green Tour!
April 21 and 22, Seattle and South Sound
The tour will feature LEED-Certified buildings, green-built new homes, multifamily homes, remodels, cottages, energy retrofits and more. Learn how easy and affordable green living and green building can be. See examples of sustainable design construction, water-wise landscaping, energy-efficiency upgrades, sustainable lifestyles and more. Experience demonstrations and workshops about green products and features. Enjoy kid-friendly activities, and learn while you play to win. Visit the Green Tour Resource Center to get info, meet suppliers and contractors, test-drive an electric car and get Green Tour information.

Introducing the Saturday EcoExpo
April 21, Seattle
Held in the Green Depot parking lot, this newest addition to the Seattle Green Home Tour will feature green building specialists such as:

• Green roof installers
• Solar contractors
• Wall plasterers
• Paint contractors
• Green building nonprofits
• Plus food, fun and entertainment

GoGreen Seattle Conference
April 25, Seattle
The GoGreen Conference provides a unique opportunity to learn the latest in sustainable practices for your business. This one-day conference is designed to educate, motivate and inspire you to take your green quotient to the next level and to give you actionable next steps to make your business more sustainable.

New Members

Are you a Built Green member and a member of the Master Builders Association? Then your company is designated with a small green tree on the Master Builders Association website as a Built Green member. Your company is also listed on the Built Green website.

Welcome to our newest member companies!

Avenue Vac LLC
(425) 243-4760 in Puyallup

Block 24 LLC
(425) 453-9551 in Bellevue

Doug Guard Construction
(360) 378-5195 in Friday Harbor

Interra USA Inc
(206) 230-4161 in Mercer Island

Maston Properties & Construction
(425) 787-2137 in Bothell

Robert Oakes
(206) 427-6966 in Seattle

Scott Homes
(360) 357-9167 in Olympia

New Certifications

Congratulations to:

Ashworth Homes for certifying a new single-family home at 2452 3rd Ave. W. in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green.

Epic Homes for certifying a new single-family home at 1018 NE 103rd St. in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green.

Ravenhill Construction for certifying a new single-family home at 455 Madrona Lane in San Juan as 5-Star Built Green.

D C Granger for certifying two new single-family homes at 8809 Burke Ave. N. and 8824 Densmore Ave. N. in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green.

Regency West Development Group for certifying a new single-family home at 3546 NE Harrison Drive in Issaquah as 3-Star Built Green.

Benjamin Custom Homes for certifying five new townhomes at 5237, 5235, 5233 and 5239 A & B 39th Ave. S. in Seattle as 4-Star Built Green.

Hydra Homes for certifying four new single-family homes at 2192, 2196, 2198 and 2200 NE Morgan Lane at Roanake Woods in Issaquah as 3-Star Built Green.

R. Thoreson Homes for certifying three new townhomes at 4710 37th Ave. SW in Seattle as 5-Star Built Green.

Pluma Homes for certifying a new single-family house and duplex at 1820, 1828 and 1826 E. Howell St. in Seattle as 5-Star Built Green.

Martha Rose Construction for certifying two new single-family homes at 3650 and 3653 13th Ave. W. in Seattle as 5-Star Built Green.

Trends & Numbers

Monthly green-certified home sales statistics have been provided by Ben Kaufman of GreenWorks Realty from his ECert Report. The data covers King County and Seattle and compares homes with an environmental certification to those without based on sales price, square footage and time-on-market differences for homes built in 2007 and later. The environmental certifications include Built Green, Northwest Energy Star Homes and LEED for Homes. The predominate certification in the region and in the report is Built Green.

Historical data shows certified homes in King County and Seattle sell at a higher price, are smaller in size and, in some instances, sell in shorter market time. The data represents a clear snapshot of the metropolitan green-home marketplace and has been referred to in studies and reports across the country and internationally.

GreenWorks Realty broker Ben Kaufman compiles the ECert Report based on Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) sales data. Visit the ECert Report for more information.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Click on the graph above to see a larger image.

Classes

Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.

Introduction to Built Green®
April 10, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This class will provide an introduction to the Built Green program. Learn how to certify a project, use the checklist, join, navigate the program and take advantage of our other resources. It also presents examples of Built Green projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation costs $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. Register here.

Healthy Home Training for Building Professionals
April 12, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This eight-week course is designed to provide in-depth and best-practices information on sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient building techniques. The class will explain indoor air quality guidelines, techniques and proper maintenance for residential construction and remodel. Extensive resources, materials and qualitative data will be provided which can be directly applied to daily practices. Context within several green-building programs will also be provided.

All topics address the impacts associated with the practical applications of healthy building techniques. Classes are taught by national and regional experts. Attendees will learn healthy construction techniques, visit a model healthy home and gain greater understanding of the benefits of indoor air quality to better meet their customers' needs.

Raingarden Workshop
Various dates and locations
Learn how to design and install a rain garden that will fight pollution, reduce flooding, add beauty and attract beneficial pollinators. Rain gardens function like a tiny forest to soak up and filter polluted runoff from downspouts, driveways and other hard surfaces. R.S.V.P. to Stewardship Partners at (206) 292-9875 or by email.

Olympia - Green Tour Ambassador Training
April 15, Olympia
Green Tour Ambassador Training is required for all Site Docents & Tour Hub Ambassadors.

Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training
March 11 and 12, Tacoma
This course examines the most up-to-date techniques in the management of sediment and construction sites. Students who attend will receive recertification of their Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training Certification (CESCL) status from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Participants will also benefit from a dynamic interaction between traditional lectures and hands-on exercises. The course covers the essentials of being a certified lead and includes information on how new regulations will impact CESCL job functions. Upon completion, students will know how to simply and confidently comply with federal, state and local regulatory requirements of stormwater management.

Energy Benchmarking using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
April 12 and 23, Kirkland
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's (NEEA) BetterBricks Initiative and the city of Seattle offer this free workshop for building owners, property managers and service providers to support compliance with the city of Seattle's building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance. This hands-on session will teach you how to benchmark your building's energy performance using the free on-line tool ENERGY STARŪ Portfolio Manager. Participants will also learn about the ordinance reporting requirements and new services available for automated benchmarking from Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Steam.

Stormwater BMPs for Construction (CESCL) and Recertification Course
April 17 and 18, AGC Office, Fife
These training courses teach contractors current techniques for successfully managing erosion and sediment on construction sites. In addition, the newest information on complying with federal, state and local regulatory requirements for stormwater is presented in an easy to understand format. Participants completing this class will receive certification or recertification as erosion and sediment control leads for the Washington State Department of Ecology. Register here.

Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Re-Certification Training
April 17 and 18, Issaquah
This course examines the most up-to-date techniques in the management of sediment and construction sites. Students who attend will receive recertification of their Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Training Certification (CESCL) status from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Participants will also benefit from a dynamic interaction between traditional lectures and hands-on exercises. The course covers the essentials of being a certified lead and includes information on how new regulations will impact CESCL job functions. Upon completion, students will know how to simply and confidently comply with federal, state and local regulatory requirements of stormwater management.

Take Control of Your Home Energy Costs!
April 21, 26 and 30 at various locations
Worried about rising energy costs? Confused about what you can do to keep them down besides lowering the thermostat? Energy efficiency expert Pam Worner will educate attendees with a lively discussion about what's really driving up energy bills and will provide simple, low-cost steps that can be taken immediately to save money!
Four Program Takeaways:

• An understanding of the hidden issues that could be driving up your energy bills
• A look inside the walls of an energy-efficient home
• New ways you can tell how much energy a home will use before you buy
• A list of low-cost steps you can use now to cut your energy costs

EPA Certified Lead Renovator Training
April 26, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This 8-hour course trains renovation, repair and painting contractors to work safely in buildings with lead-based paint and comply with EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule and HUD's Lead Safe Housing Rule. Topics include health concerns, regulations before, during and after work procedures, recordkeeping and training non-certified workers. This training is required for any contractor who is involved in any construction activity that will, or has the potential to, contact lead based paint .

Passive House Consultant Training
April 19 to 22, Seattle
Learning Objectives:

• Definition of the Passivhaus Standard (mostly focused on domestic new-build)
• Thermal envelope, airtightness and thermal bridging
• Windows and doors, including fitting details
• Ventilation, heating and cooling principles
• Electrical energy
• Principles of drawing energy balances (use of PHPP software)
• Basics of economic efficiency calculation
• Invitations to tender and allocation
• Construction site management and quality control
• Information and support for occupants
• Refurbishments using Passive House components

Thermal Bridge Course
April 17 and 18, Seattle
This is a two-day hands-on course focused on calculating thermal bridges for typically critical junctinons in Passive Houses. Involves modeling junctions, calculating PSI values and importing into PHPP to determine the effect on the energy balance.

Built Green® Professional Series for Realtors
May 8, 15, 22, Mount Vernon
Six sessions make up this fast-paced, entertaining and informative series designed to help real estate professionals, appraisers, developers, builders and homeowners easily enter the green building industry. The program covers topics such as green building materials, energy efficient design and retrofits, healthy buildings, indoor air quality, marketing and more. Sponsored by North Puget Sound Association of Realtors (NPSAR), Skagit and Island County Building Association, Skagit County PUD, Skagit County PSE, NW Clean Air Agency and Panasonic. Contact NPSAR to register for all six sessions, two each on Tuesdays, May 8t, 15 and 22, 2012, in Mount Vernon from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call (360) 416-4902 or e-mail to register.

Built Green is now on Twitter! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @built_green. It's a great way to network and keep up to date on Built Green, local events and the green building industry!

Our Program Director Aaron Adelstein is also on Twitter now @aadelstein.

Master Builders Association
335 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P: (425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net

Master Builders Association Calendar of Events
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