Blog Post

COVID-19 and Design Review Processes

by User Not Found | Jan 15, 2021

Administrative design review processes implemented due to COVID-19 are permitting housing faster. We should consider making them permanent.

Excerpt from design review document for Queen Anne mixed-use Safeway redevelopment

Washington state is experiencing an unprecedented shortfall of housing, coming short 225,000 homes between 2000–2015 to meet housing needs. The Puget Sound region is projected to add 1.8 million more people and 1.2 million more jobs by 2050, which means if we want to accommodate for growth, we cannot afford to stall building.

On April 27, 2020, Seattle City Council passed CB 119769. With COVID-19 rendering the usual community meetings unsafe and projects backing up in the pipeline, this emergency measure allowed projects subject to full design review to opt into administrative design review (ADR) instead.

Developers and builders could choose this expedited process or wait until the design review board resumed business. Under ADR, city staffers, rather than volunteer design review boards, had final approval. Public comments on projects continued through email in a 14-day window. Affordable housing projects were exempted altogether.

SDCI also implemented video or virtual inspections of approved projects, meaning that wait times for land use, permitting, and final inspections have also been streamlined as city staffers continue to work from home.

These streamlined methods meant to alleviate pressures during a health crisis show us that these same expedited processes can also help address our housing crisis.

We have the technology readily available for moving public comments and inspections onto virtual platforms, helping to mitigate costs and ultimately move affordable and missing middle housing through the pipeline faster.

What kind of benefits would a streamlined process produce?

More Affordable Housing

Unnecessary delays add up. The high cost of design review is passed down to renters and buyers alike and can have devastating consequences. Having proposals return for review and comment through multiple meetings, stalling construction for six months to two years, costs thousands of dollars for every month of delay. Multifamily projects that spend less time in design review ultimately end up being less expensive.

For an in-depth look: How Seattle’s Design Review Sabotages Housing Affordability, Dan Bertolet, Sightline Institute

More Housing Types

Exempting affordable housing projects frees up more time for city staff to look over other projects that sit in design review limbo for too long. On top of that, certain housing types, like townhouses and smaller multifamily buildings, could get faster approval processes or be exempted completely based on their size. More housing types means more housing choices means more housing for everyone.

Administrative design review shows us a glimpse of what could be an effective alternative, pending a more intensive design review overhaul in the city of Seattle. Cities looking to address rising housing costs and create efficient permitting processes could—and should—consider eliminating design review altogether.

We understand those concerned about not having a say in how their neighborhoods are designed. We know it’s important for neighbors to come together in shaping their communities. But it should not come at the expense of people having a safe and healthy place to call home.
PRESS RELEASE: Master Builders Association Inducts Todd Levitt as President

by User Not Found | Jan 11, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nona Raybern, PR & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
m 425.208.6308

Master Builders Association Inducts Todd Levitt as President

BELLEVUE, Wash—January 11, 2021—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) inducted Todd Levitt as its 2021 president of the board of directors during a virtual passing of the gavel ceremony in December 2020.

Levitt brings an extensive background in homebuilding to his role as MBAKS president. He has worked for more than 19 years across four western states on the land side of homebuilding—13 years as vice president of land at Pulte Homes and six years at Murray Franklyn as director of entitlements and government affairs. Levitt received his bachelor's in marine engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his master's in finance from California State University, Los Angeles.

Levitt set the 2021 MBAKS agenda as one of service: to the communities that homebuilders work in, to the jurisdictions that make housing policy possible, and to the association’s members and staff.

“Service is something I am very passionate about that is engrained within me,” says Levitt. “If we can serve our jurisdictions in a way that helps them be more successful with their councils, staff, and residents, this should only help us in accomplishing our goals in delivering more housing that is desperately needed in our very fast-growing region.”

Over the last four years, Levitt has performed as the service chair for his son’s Boy Scout troop, where he has organized community events like canned food drives, trail clean-ups, and Santa Scouts, a program that generates food, clothing, and games for underserved children. He also has dedicated time and resources to Habitat for Humanity and helped Doxa Housing build homes in Mexico, as well as participating in MBAKS’ Rampathon, where accessibility ramps are built for those in critical need.

The newly inducted 2021 board of directors is rounded out with First Vice President Cameron McKinnon (Gamut360 Holdings), Second Vice President Traci Tenhulzen (Tenhulzen Residential), Secretary Luellen Smith (Rhino Wine Cellars & Cooling Systems), and Immediate Past President Brian Holtzclaw (Village Life).

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing, thriving, and inclusive region.

Stream Dexios: 4-Star South Lake Union Apartments

by User Not Found | Jan 05, 2021

Stream Dexios is a 5-story mixed-use apartment building by Stream Real Estate offering 80 units, from studios to two bedrooms to lofted one- and two-bedroom apartments with private rooftop decks.

Vital Stats	Section	Points
Location: Seattle Star Level: 4-Star Checklist: Multifamily Residential New Construction (v. 2017) Verifier: Balderston Associates	Site and Water	127
	Energy Efficiency	97
	Health and Indoor Air Quality	130
	Material Efficiency	71
	Total Score	444

In addition to living in the prime of the South Lake Union neighborhood, amenities include a rooftop deck complete with gardens and games, a fitness center, storage lockers, bike storage! Conveniently located to many Seattle neighborhoods, Stream Dexios is the perfect jump-off point for any adventure.

During this project, Stream Real Estate Development & Investment offset 1,010 tons of carbon by planting 202 trees in partnership with Forterra’s Evergreen Carbon Capture program, right here in Washington. Of the 131 tons of construction material generated from the project, 126 tons were diverted from the landfill! Virtually all of the roof deck is permeable pavers, planters, or green roof to mitigate stormwater runoff, provide gardening space for tenants, and reduce heat gain.

Shou sugi ban creates not only visual appeal, but also a long-lasting, low-maintenance siding with a low embodied-carbon footprint. Further lowering its carbon footprint is the 16.8kW solar photovoltaic system installed to offset energy consumption.

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment bike room

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment roof garden

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment living room

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

Over 80% stormwater from roof and site managed on site
EnergyStar qualified roof to reduce urban heat island effect
Bio-planters on roof and over 1,600 sf raised garden beds for urban gardening
Located in urban, amenity rich South Lake Union with frequent transit service within two blocks
Commissioned irrigation system to maximize water usage as appropriate for plantings
WaterSense certified plumbing fixtures for reduce water usage

Energy Efficiency

29% energy savings over the 2015 Washington State Energy Code
Programmable thermostats
High-efficiency heat pumps, above EnergyStar standards, in common areas
Exterior rigid insulation
100% LED lighting and EnergyStar appliances
300 W solar per 1,000 sf of space, for a total system of 16.8 kW

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment living room and kitchen

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment kitchen, hall, and desk space

Health and Indoor Air Quality

Low-toxicity jobsite operations
Low-VOC materials throughout
No carpeting in units
Extensive building envelope measures for superb moisture management
Radon-resistant construction using EPA standards

Materials Efficiency

Partnered with facility to send jobsite recyclables to a commingled recycling facility with rate of 90% diversion from landfill
Locally and regionally produced materials
ECOBATT insulation with over 65% recycled content
Durable siding: fiber cement panels, brick, and shou sugi ban

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment entrance patio

Stream Dexios Built Green 4-Star SLU apartment view from deck

Supply of Housing Inventory Continues to Drop

by User Not Found | Jan 04, 2021

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service show the month’s supply of housing inventory for sale continuing to decline in King and Snohomish counties. In November, King County had 0.93 months’ supply of inventory, down from 0.99 the previous month, and 1.39 months’ of inventory a year ago. Even more concerning, Snohomish County had just 0.38 months’ supply of inventory in November, down from 0.49 the prior month and 1.27 a year ago.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:
Press Release: Master Builders Association Announces 2020 Award Winners

by User Not Found | Dec 18, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Nona Raybern, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
m 425.208.6308

Master Builders Association Announces 2020 Award Winners

BELLEVUE, Wash.—December 18, 2020—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) announced its 2020 winners at their annual end of year awards gala on Thursday, December 17. This year’s gala was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring skits, year-end retrospectives, and an awards show.

Each year, MBAKS recognizes members in eight different categories: Spirit of Service, Emerging Leader, Built Green Moving the Market, Associate of the Year, Remodeler of the Year, Builder of the Year, Exceptional Service, and the MBAKS Hall of Fame Award. Winners are decided through an open member nomination and awards committee process.

Here are 2020’s winners:

Joe Reed, Home Run Solutions, Mill Creek, WA

Spirit of Service Award

The Spirit of Service award exemplifies members who go above and beyond to give back to the communities where they do business.

Joe Reed dedicated extra time and effort in our 2019 Rampathon event to find solutions for a mobility ramp that faced extra permitting challenges. Thanks to his efforts, a family now has the ramp they need and solved a critical mobility concern.

Leann McNabb, CW Title and Escrow, Bellevue, WA

Emerging Leader Award

The Emerging Leader award is dedicated to those in the housing industry who are forward thinkers and a demonstrate a willingness to be involved at a higher level.

Leann McNabb served as 2019 chair of the MBAKS Professional Women in Building chapter and continues to dedicate her time to the uplifting of women in the housing community. She is one of the youngest women to serve as PWB Chair in MBAKS’ history.

Ted Clifton, TC Legend Homes, Bellingham, WA

Built Green Moving the Market Award

TC Legend Homes was granted the 20,000th certification of Built Green, the MBAKS green building program. For this reason, Ted Clifton and TC Legend Homes have won the Moving the Market award.

Their progressive work in green building, including making their IP public for other builders, makes them well deserving of this prestigious distinction.

Clay White, LDC Inc., Woodinville, WA

2020 Associate of the Year

The Associate of the Year award is dedicated to non-builder MBAKS members who have made an impact on the association and its work.

Clay White has served as an MBAKS board member for the last two years, currently serves on the MBAKS Housing Policy Committee, and actively dedicates time to MBAKS Hill Day, where our members and staff meet with legislators to advance housing legislation in the Puget Sound. In 2017, he was a key presenter at our Housing Summit and spoke on addressing the housing crisis in our region.

Ron Palmer, Palmer Residential, Seattle, WA

2020 Remodeler of the Year

The Remodeler of the Year award is presented to leaders in the remodeling industry, who display an exemplary talent in their work.

A long-standing Remodelers Excellence (REX) winner, Ron Palmer shows an exemplary ability for creating new spaces and incorporating progressive design elements. Founded in 2007, his company’s core values include pride in the connections their build with clients, communication, and craftsmanship. Not only dedicated to delivering an exceptional project for their clients, he is also passionate about advocating for the building industry through his support of the Affordable Housing Council.

Trevor Johnson, Blackwood Builders, Lynnwood, WA

2020 Builder of the Year

The Builder of the Year award doesn’t just go to members with exceptional building capabilities, but to those members who go beyond and are leaders within the industry.

Trevor Johnson dedicates time throughout the association and its many facets, exemplifying our core mission and values, from chairing the Affordable Housing Council in 2020, advocating with elected officials to create much-needed housing in our region, and his extensive participation in community stewardship projects with WELD Seattle, New Beginnings, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Dwellings, and more.

Erich Armbruster, Ashworth Homes, Shoreline, WA

Exceptional Service Award

The Exceptional Service award is the highest recognition award for members and staff for their many years of professional leadership and/or exemplary service to MBAKS.

Erich Armbruster is an exquisitely experienced leader in the housing industry and the association. His achievements are long—years of service on the MBAKS board of directors, including as President in 2018, as well as serving in the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW). He has been a consistent voice for engaging with our regional partners to provide a better future for our region’s residents, ushering in an era at MBAKS that saw a higher engagement with pro-housing legislators. He is an irreplaceable asset for the building community in Washington state and beyond.

Joe Reed, Home Run Solutions, Mill Creek, WA

MBAKS Hall of Fame

The purpose of the MBAKS Hall of Fame award is to honor people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our association.

Over the course of his impressive career, Gary Young has made a significant impact on the local homebuilding industry. His commitment not only to the industry, but also to the people that make up this industry, is unmatched. He has been a member of the Affordable Housing Council since 2000, served as a trustee for Rainier Scholars, a nonprofit that offers a pathway to college for low-income students of color by providing access to transformative educational opportunities, played a key role in condo reform in Washington state, and has a strong focus in sustainable building efforts through Built Green.

For more information on this release or for higher resolution photos, contact Nona Raybern at pr@mbaks.com

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive, and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

###
Permit Activity Uneven Across Seattle Metro Counties

by User Not Found | Dec 01, 2020

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Recent building permit data for the Seattle metro area shows single-family and multifamily permits fell in King County by 8% and 26%, respectively, in September year-to-date compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, permits are up in Snohomish and Pierce counties during the same period.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:
New Codes Means New Checklists!

by User Not Found | Nov 20, 2020
Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

Updated January 29, 2021.

Since February, the Built Green team has been meeting with our executive committee and numerous community stakeholders to update its signature checklists—the Single-Family/Townhome New Construction checklist (SF checklist) and the Multifamily New Construction checklist (MF checklist). The team is finally ready to share the last nine months of work that have culminated into a completely updated 2021 Single-Family/Townhome New Construction checklist! We are still deep in the process of updating the energy section of the Multifamily New Construction checklist and look forward to sharing those details in the coming months.

Why are we updating these checklists now?

Our main goal with our checklists is for Built Green homes to perform better than code and reward our designers and builders for this voluntary accomplishment. Checklist updates are primarily influenced by code changes, technological advancements in the building industry, new products that hit the market, and housing market trends. As checklist updates evolve throughout the years, 4-Star projects from older checklists are not the same as 4-Star projects under the new updated checklists. The changes represented in the 2018 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) represent a significant change to the industry and to standard building practices. Many have been asking how the new energy code will affect Built Green and its checklist, and how Built Green is staying current. Read on to get all the answers.

What are the some of the changes you can expect to see in the 2021 checklist updates?

There are two checklist updates that are planned to go into effect on February 1, 2021. The first is a full checklist update of the Single-Family/Townhome New Construction checklist. Below are some of the notable changes you can expect to see in the 2021 SF Checklist:

New Equity and Social Justice credit section

Simplified performance and prescriptive pathways for energy performance and water conservation, with increased quality control and assurance

Increased value for deconstruction and salvaged materials

Combined comingled and source-separation recycling point allowances

Embodied carbon credits

Removal of outdated or code-required practices

What has not changed:

Point requirements per sections 2-5 and total points for each Star level

Housing size multipliers

Credit item alignment with local green building incentives and rebates

The second checklist update our team has undertaken is on the Multifamily New Construction checklist to address changes in the 2018 WSEC. Similar to the SF checklist update, our team aims to offer builders simplified performance and prescriptive pathways for energy performance, with increased quality control and assurance. These updates are still in progress and will be announced in the coming months.
Click on Photos to View Green Homes

Photo credit: Heiser Media
When do the new Built Green checklists take effect?

Both checklists will have enrollment deadlines in which any project enrolled after that date must use the updated checklist. The new checklists for both Single-Family and Multifamily New Construction will coincide with the 2018 WSEC going into effect on Feb 1. All projects permitted under the 2018 WSEC will be required to use the 2021 checklists. Projects currently permitted under the 2015 WSEC will be required to use the current 2017 or 2018 version of the new construction checklists. Our 2021 Single Family checklist is now available for download and piloting so designers and builders have time to look this over, get comfortable with these updates, and ask any lingering questions you may have. Enrollment Certification deadlines, along with important dates, are as follows:

2021 Single-Family/Townhome checklist effective date: Feb. 1, 2021

2021 Multifamily checklist effective date: Feb. 1, 2021

2018 WSEC goes into effect: Feb. 1, 2021

Again, all projects enrolled with Built Green after these dates will have to use the updated 2021 checklists! Again, the checklist version a project is required to use is determined by the WSEC it was permitted under, not enrollment date.

Certification deadlines have also been set to ensure that projects are certified under the relevant checklist. Certification deadlines are as follows:

Single-Family/Townhome checklist certification packet due date: Feb. 1, 20222023

Multifamily checklist certification packet due date: Feb. 1, 20232024

Certifications submitted after these dates will have to use the updated checklists, irrespective of their enrollment date. For further questions about this, contact Built Green Program Manager Sonja O’Claire. Built Green will be sending out plenty of reminders before these deadlines are in effect. Please keep a lookout for these important reminders!

How did we determine what to update?

The Built Green team put out the call to our members for feedback and consulted many Washington state green building industry experts, policy makers, and community stakeholders to help us research key sections and give expert opinions. Multiple rounds of feedback provided us the insight we needed to create an even more robust set of checklists for our members, that reflects their contribution to shifting the housing market.

To update the SF checklist, we collaborated with city and county representatives, experienced green builders, Built Green verifiers, energy modelers, and social equity experts. These representatives gave us their expert opinions on how to smoothly incorporate new credit items and what changes needed to be made to current credits. This team worked incredibly hard to help the Built Green team update this checklist in its entirety. We are also thankful for the builders and verifiers who will also be involved throughout the winter to pilot the new SF checklist before its official launch in February 2021.

Since the Multifamily checklist update primarily focuses on updating energy requirements and adding new equity and embodied carbon credits similar to the Single-Family checklist, the Built Green team has teamed up with Built Green third-party verifiers and energy modeling experts from various parts of Washington state to make sure our new energy modeling pathway coincides with the 2018 WSEC and that builders can model this section statewide.

Photo credit: Andrew van Leeuwen

What if you need clarification on a new credit item?

That is what the Built Green handbooks are for; those are also being updated to match the new checklists. The Single-Family/Townhome handbook will come out in two phases. The unchanged credits and portions of the handbook—and the new Equity and Social Justice section, Energy section, and embodied carbon credits—will be published February 1. The remaining handbook sections and any clarifications revealed during piloting will be published in the final SF handbook by June 2021. The Multifamily Energy section handbook will be updated and available soon after the checklist goes into effect. Both handbooks will be available online, for free, as a PDF. Please discuss these updates with your Built Green verifier, as it’s important to understand these changes and deadlines.

We know changes to our checklists can be confusing and, at times, frustrating. Don’t worry! Built Green staff and your Built Green verifiers are available if you have questions, so don’t hesitate to reach out. We are also developing classes throughout 2021 to help you understand some of the newer concepts and how they can be implemented on your projects.

Thank you all for your continued support with the Built Green program! We’re excited to show you these updates.
Attendees Got Their Buzz on at the Built Green Conference

by User Not Found | Nov 04, 2020

Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

We want to send out a big thank you to those of you who attended the first-ever VIRTUAL Built Green Conference on September 17! COVID-19 caused the Built Green team to make a significant pivot, holding the conference on a virtual platform rather than the in-person conference we all hoped for. But still, what a buzzy day it was!

Going virtual didn’t stop us from making this a fun, interactive event with as many features as we could to replicate what our members expect from our in-person conferences. We had a variety of networking opportunities, photo booths available, and interactive Q&A sessions with keynotes and speakers.

No matter the challenges we have faced in 2020, the Built Green community demonstrated it can still come together collectively to share important knowledge to advance green building in our region. We premiered a new video celebrating our 20,000th Built Green certified home and all the positive environmental impacts that Built Green has accomplished over the past 20 years.

Our morning keynote speaker, Gil Friend, CEO of Natural Logic Inc. and founder of Critical Path Capital, began the day by acknowledging how much the Built Green community has accomplished in the Puget Sound region, but also how much is left to do in such a short amount of time. We are not alone in this. Many cities and countries have not progressed fast enough or far enough to meet their climate reduction targets, and those commitments are far too tame to have the impact that is truly needed to combat the effects of climate change.

Keynote Gil Friend

Keynote Stacy Smedley

Friend challenged us all to “push beyond the familiar, the comfortable, the obvious, and to do the unprecedented” at a faster pace. With COVID-19 still raging, he stressed that the focus has been shifted away from our environmental concerns and responsibilities, and rightly so, but pointed out that we need to develop resilient systems to be able to respond to multiple crises at once, because the world is not going to be polite and hold off until we solve each crisis one-by-one. Friend also pointed out a silver lining: the pandemic has showed us how fast we can rally and pivot our behaviors and resources to fight in uncertain times where the ground is always shifting. He asked us to imagine what we could accomplish if we harnessed that same energy and effectiveness towards mobilizing to address climate change and the uncertain futures it holds.

Following the keynote, the day was filled with educational sessions. Conference-goers had the opportunity to attend sessions from four different tracks: Hive Mind, Resilient Communities, Policy Carrots, and Built Science. Session topics ranged from social equity and inclusivity-based design and planning, how COVID-19 and millennials are shaping housing market trends, practical design and technologies for building affordable net-zero homes, electrification strategies for multifamily housing, the high-value building resources provided by deconstruction and certified forests, upcoming impacts of 2018 WSEC for green builders, and a roundtable of public and private stakeholders to push energy policy consensus towards net zero emissions. There was something for attendees from all sectors and very lively Q&A sessions.

Midday, we recognized Built Green’s outstanding builders and advocates during our annual Built Green Hammer Award ceremony. Some of the best projects from the past year were highlighted and Built Green supporters were recognized for their contributions to the program. Surprise awards included builder TC Legend Homes winning Project of the Year for their Everson Farmhouse project. The Everson Farmhouse was also awarded the Built Green 20,000th certification earlier this year, as well. Kinley Deller and Grace Huang were also recognized as Built Green Pioneers for their advocacy. Here’s a glimpse of the beautiful urban-harvested walnut plaque that each award winner will receive—congratulations to all our 2020 award winners!

Afternoon keynote speaker Stacy Smedley, director of sustainability at Skanska USA Building and executive director at Building Transparency, has long embraced collective actions in the pursuit of sustainable design, as well as construction methods to build resilient communities. She was a lead developer of the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), an open-source tool released in 2019. Her presentation began explaining how we need to make changes that better the environment before it’s too late. Smedley gave real-life examples, such as the orange, smoke-filled skies that were taking over the West Coast skies as she was giving her keynote, causing unhealthy conditions for many. Stacy stated, “we are at a series of tipping points, simultaneously seeing the impacts of climate change realized and bearing witness to how global society can come together to take action or choose not to via the pandemic response, while also experiencing how we can all stay connected in a virtual society.” She stressed the importance of being a connector; sharing our various strengths, data, and knowledge; and working together to cause positive tipping points and to spur movement in the fight against climate change.

Smedley also told the story of her journey that propelled her into working with over 150 individuals and organizations, such as the Carbon Leadership Forum, to address the monumental task of modeling and calculating the embodied carbon of buildings. For a 480,000SF sample project in Seattle, embodied carbon represented 85% of the total lifetime carbon emissions. What came out of that was the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, one of the first free databases of Environmental Product Declarations and an embodied carbon calculator. The EC3 project highlighted how connected individuals can work together to use the data they have to persuade others to take action for a collective outcome.

Conversations weren’t just held during the keynotes or breakout sessions. Throughout the day, our hive kept buzzing as attendees, speakers, and sponsors kept conversations going using our online Bee Social Slack channels. Additionally, our virtual Ask-a-Keynote-Anything sessions offered attendees additional time to interact with keynote speakers in small groups outside of the standard post-speech Q&A. Virtual photobooth photos were shared with the hashtag #BuiltGreen2020 and connections were made both online and “face-to-face.”

We hope everyone who came to the conference learned something new and walked away feeling inspired. We hope to see you next year, hopefully for an in-person conference!
Home Prices Continue to Rise

by User Not Found | Oct 28, 2020

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Median home prices for single-family homes and condos rose more than 17% year-over-year in King and Snohomish counties in September 2020. The King County median home price was $698,230. In Snohomish County, it was $550,000.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:
2020 Built Green Award Winners

by User Not Found | Oct 06, 2020

Built Green wouldn’t be the successful program it is today without the hard work of our members, advocates, and partners. That is why, at our annual Built Green Conference, we take the time to recognize the achievements and efforts of these folks at our Green Hammer awards ceremony!

The Built Green Hammer Awards honor members for their outstanding projects and contributions to sustainable homebuilding over the past year in different building categories. Check out the winners:

Builder, Custom or Small Speculative, 10 or Less Homes—nwBuilt

nwBuilt designs and builds thoughtful, energy efficient homes in the Pacific Northwest using their Smart Green approach. With deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, nwBuilt is committed to providing a responsible solution to our region’s housing needs. This past year they certified 10 homes; six 5-star and four 4-star. They have since committed to targeting 5-star certifications for all their projects. We want to give an honorable mention to one of their Ballard townhome projects, where they partnered with Nickel Bros to relocate the original bungalow, instead of demolishing it, to provide a new affordable home in the San Juan Islands.

Builder, Custom or Small Speculative, 10 or Less Homes—Martha Rose Construction

Marth Rose’s award-winning Abbott’s Alley is a small enclave of City Cabins. Located in the heart of Skagit County to address a housing shortage in Sedro-Woolley, the homes have all of the healthy-home and energy efficiency features you have come to expect in a Martha Rose Construction project. The six live/work townhomes are Built Green 5-star and Net Zero Energy certified, achieving a HERS Index of -10 and demonstrating an alternative way to build and live in a rural community.

Builder, Small Production, 11–100 Homes—Blackwood Builders

Blackwood Builders Group is a team of contractors, project managers, designers, and real estate developers that build custom spec homes in the Seattle area. The Built Green process in an important aspect of their site plans. Over the past year, they have had many highlights in implementing Built Green values into their projects. Reducing emissions and having an overall positive impact on the environment and in their communities is one of their highest priorities. This past year they certified 42 4-star homes.

Builder, Small Production, 11–100 Homes—Green Canopy

Green Canopy was born out of a deep desire to address climate change. It was deliberately started to combat and lessen the negative impacts of climate change and resource scarcity via in-city homebuilding. Their business philosophy and corporate culture has emerged from their collective values—values that are defined and re-defined each year by their employees—not just their marketing staff. Over the last year they certified 36 homes: 10 4-star and 26 5-star.

Builder, Large Production, More Than 100 Homes—Isola Homes

Isola Homes is a locally owned company dedicated to building homes that embody the evolving needs of homeowners and communities. They are passionate about sustainable design, environmental stewardship and making valuable and enduring contributions to the communities in which they build. In the past year they certified 143 homes at the 4-Star level!

Builder, Small Multifamily—529 Federal LLC

525 Federal is a 29-unit, 4-star certified multifamily building on Capitol Hill. 529 Federal LLC is a subsidiary of G2 Development LLC. G2 is a local Seattle developer specializing in urban infill projects located in the city’s urban core. They are committed to sustainable design and materials while also striving to build projects that are reflective of the neighborhood in which they are built, have efficient layouts, and are built with the highest quality materials. This project features an 8 kW rooftop solar array and a walk score of 98.

Builder, Large Multifamily—Arion Investments LLC

Arion Investments LLC won a Green Hammer award for their DXU Apartments. DXU is a seven-story, 99 unit, Built Green 4-Star multifamily building in Seattle’s University District, designed by Johnston Architects. The project’s bright and playful façade adds liveliness and dimension to the neighborhood, modeled after stacked shipping containers. Solar panels on the roof, along with extra insulation, programmable thermostats, and an ultra high-efficiency heat pump keep energy usage and cost down.

Developer, Small Community—Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County

Habitat for Humanity brings people together as volunteers, homeowners, financial and material donors, and community members to create strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. Habitat focuses on its sustainability efforts, because they feel this provides the most benefit for their families. This Green Hammer award is for the Sammamish Cottage Community, which is a small community of 10 4-star certified, affordable cottages.

Project of the Year—Trax Farmhouse by TC Legend Homes

The winner of the Project of the Year is TC Legend Homes' Trax Farmhouse, the 20,000th Built Green certified project! TC Legend Homes is no stranger to net zero building, and this year’s modern farmhouse located in Everson, Washington is a 5-star Net Zero Energy certified home. The home’s solar panels produce an annual 4250 kWh surplus and 21% of its nearly 5 acres has been granted in perpetuity as a conservation easement to Whatcom County.

Built Green Advocate, Public Sector—Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Green Building Team

Jess Harris and Ellen Aebischer have always gone above and beyond in advocating for the Built Green program. They helped incorporate Built Green into the City of Seattle expedited permitting process and are willing to help the organization in any way possible. Through our long-standing public-private partnership we have been able to change the Seattle housing market, leading to certifying over 70% of all new single-family homes in Seattle with Built Green. Furthermore, their team has set an example for how finding the right incentives can transform a city’s building market.

Built Green Advocate, Private Sector—Evergreen Certified

The Evergreen Certified team gives tremendous support to the Built Green program by always advocating on Built Green’s behalf to transform the area building market towards a sustainable future. They have turned numerous clients from sustainability skeptics to Built Green proponents. Over the last 20 years they have verified nearly 5,000 Built Green certified projects. A true partner from the beginning, they have been strong advocates and key partners in the evolution of Built Green.

Built Green Pioneer—Grace Huang

Grace is a licensed architect and LEED accredited professional specializing in sustainable building practices, healthy homes, and universal design. With almost 20 years in the industry, she brings her extensive residential design experience to the Built Green Executive Committee to help shape the Built Green checklists. Her Perkins Lane 5-star Built Green certified remodel in Magnolia was featured as a green home case study by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development. In 2017, she was also awarded an MBAKS T-REX award in the category of Kitchen Excellence.

Built Green Pioneer—Kinley Deller

The Built Green Pioneer Award goes to an individual who has made a significant contribution to Built Green program.

Kinley Deller is a waste reduction specialist at King County, with over 21 years of experience working to divert construction and demolition materials of value to higher and better purposes. He was awarded Kitsap County Green Building of the Year Award in 2007 and the Building Material Reuse Association’s Walnut Mallet Award in 2013. Kinley is also a part of our Built Green Executive Committee and has helped significantly to define Built Green’s waste reduction and reuse strategies.