How Seattle’s "Hot" Housing Market Impacts Built Green

By Talia Haller, Built Green™ Intern, University of Washington Student

It’s Hot in Seattle

No question about it: Seattle’s housing market is “hot” - and the media is paying lots of attention. A recent article in The Seattle Times questioned whether Seattle is becoming the next San Francisco, which is known for its multimillion-dollar homes and sky-high monthly rents. Seattleites can’t stop talking about the “out-of-control affordability crisis,” according to an article on The Stranger’s website.

Even national news agencies are cringing at Seattle’s housing market. In fact, Money Magazine selected Seattle as one of the “Hottest Housing Markets of 2016.” Seattle has seen its median home prices rise to the highest point ever at $594,600, according to Zillow in October 2016.

All Bad?

But this “hot” housing market isn’t all bad. For Built Green, it has had some positive aspects. The Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections has a program called Priority Green Expedited that shortens the time it takes for builders to get a new construction permit if they’re building green. To be eligible, the project must be enrolled with specific green building organizations, including Built Green, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and Living Building Challenge. Plus, builders must achieve a basic set of Priority Green requirements for energy and water conservation, waste reduction, stormwater management, and indoor air quality.

In return, builders get priority in scheduling intake appointments, faster initial review of their plans, faster routing of their plans, and faster processing of their permit. All of this saves them time and money while delivering customer satisfaction and encouraging Seattle’s goal to make green building standard practice. It also helps Seattle meet its climate action goals to reduce building-related carbon emissions.

“The ‘hot housing market’ has helped to increase the total number of applicants who use Priority Green Expedited to get their permits faster,” said Jess Harris, the Priority Green Program Manager. “Over the last several years, SDCI has seen about 20% of the eligible project applications use Priority Green Expedited and a huge majority of those are choosing Built Green to reach their sustainability goals. This equates to about 200 projects a year reaching at least Built Green 4-Star.” In this hot housing market, green builders have even more of a leg up on the competition as they take advantage of these incentives.

Save time, save money, and help Seattle meet its climate action goals: register a project with Built Green today!

Kent, Wash. (Sept. 19, 2022): GIS International Group, DMG Capital Group, and Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) today ceremoniously opened Kent’s newest transit-oriented development just steps away from Kent Station. The building, which broke ground in mid-2020, will welcome its first residents later this month.

Madison Plaza, a mixed-use building featuring 157 market-rate apartment units, street-level retail, and a robust resident-amenities program, was also officially certified Built Green — part of a mid-day event that featured remarks from Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, executives from MBAKS, community dignitaries, and members of the project development and construction team.

Madison Plaza is only the second multi-family building in Kent to receive the Built Green designation. The 7-story building is one of several mixed-use projects being developed in the Kent market, a response to growing residential demand for centrally located projects near public transit, restaurants, retail, and other work-life amenities.

“We’re always humbled to share these important milestones with the many industry and community partners who played such a critical role in the project’s success,” said GIS CEO Eugene Gershman, whose company specializes in the development and construction of commercial buildings like Madison Plaza. “It’s the ideal location for workforce residents, and we look forward to future investments in this community.”

Built Green is the green home certification program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. In addition to certifying green homes, remodels, apartments, and communities, the organization hosts a membership network of companies and individuals involved in the green building industry.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the opening of Madison Plaza,” stated Jerry Hall, Interim Executive Director at Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. “This Built Green 4-star certified multifamily building plays a crucial role in fulfilling our region’s need for more housing choices.”

Madison Plaza is located at 102 Madison Ave. N., across the street from Showare Arena, a short walk from Kent Station and its Sound Transit center, and adjacent to a wide range of retail, restaurants, and entertainment options. In addition to mid-market workforce-housing units, Madison Plaza features two floors of retail, a secure entry lobby, a fitness center and game room lounge area, bike storage and washing, a turf and dog run and a rooftop gathering space.

The Madison Plaza project team also includes award-winning architecture firm IHB Architects, financial and development partner DMG Capital Group, and Thrive Communities, which is responsible for leasing and managing the property.

About GIS International Group

GIS is a privately owned and operated group of construction, design, and development companies dedicated to creating dynamic, sustainable projects on commercial and residential sites. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, GIS provides turnkey construction and development solutions, as well as project consulting and owner representation, to partners and clients throughout the Puget Sound region. GIS prides itself on its efficient, high-quality production and its deeply experienced team delivering project value across various industries and geographic boundaries. More information on GIS’s urban and suburban real estate projects and its best-in-class services is available at gisinternational.com.

About Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties

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.

About Built Green

Built Green is a holistic green home certification program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, established in partnership with King and Snohomish counties in 1999. In addition to certifying green homes, remodels, multifamily buildings, and communities, Built Green hosts a membership network of companies and individuals involved in the green building industry, conducts research, and markets the social and environmental benefits of green building. The program’s mission is to serve as the driving force for environmentally sound design, construction, and development practices in the state of Washington’s cities and communities. Since its inception, Built Green has certified more than 36,000 housing units and 20,000 buildings. The program has partnered with local governments and utilities to create green building incentive programs, which have helped spur uptake in the region.

About IHB Architects

IHB Architects, the designer of Tacoma Trax, strives to enhance communities with vision, innovation, compassion and economic vitality. The company is empowered by the ability to help individuals, developers and businesses to succeed. IHB’s understanding of sustainable design methods, ideas and materials allows it to offer any level of sustainable-design features that is within reach of the client’s budgetary constraints. More information is available at ihbarchitects.com.

Media Contact:

Richard Kendall, Allison+Partners
For GIS International Group
619-346-2084 / richard@allisonpr.com

Madison Plaza deck

Madison Plaza group photo

Mayor of Kent speaking at Madison Plaza

Jerry Hall speaking at Madison Plaza

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Built Green™

10/05/2016

Built Green Building Popularity | Built Green’s Three Core Growth Dimensions

By Talia Haller, Built Green Intern, University of Washington Student

Founded in 1999, the Built Green Program has grown a lot in the past 17 years. To date, Built Green has certified over 16,618 projects, representing almost 30,000 units. At Built Green, we’ve focused on growing in many different ways, but there are three core growth dimensions Built Green is especially proud to see on the rise.

Total Number of Built Green Certifications
During Built Green’s first full year of certifying projects in 2001, 700 projects were certified Built Green, representing 971 units. Before the recession, Built Green™ was experiencing large volumes of project certifications. While the crash absolutely affected the program, we’ve been growing ever since, even in spite of the program also growing in rigor (such as updated checklists and third-party verification being required at all levels). Last year, in 2015, more than 900 projects were certified Built Green, representing 2,387 units. This year, we’re on track to beat last year’s numbers by a significant margin. With over four months left to go in 2016, Built Green has already certified 634 projects this year, which represents 1,578 units.
Total Number of Builders Involved

While Built Green certified a fair amount of projects in 2001 (700 projects), all of this work was done by only two builders: Quadrant Homes & Habitat for Humanity. One of Built Green’s core objectives is to be an inclusive program, available and appealing to all builders whether they’re constructing multifamily homes or single-family homes, or doing a remodel or another type of home building project. In 2005, when the housing market was on the rise, Built Green had expanded its reach more than 10-fold: During 2005, 26 builders certified more than 1,200 projects. Even better, the number of builders using Built Green to certify their projects has only continued to increase as the Built Green program gains legitimacy and recognition, as builders increasingly grow to see the importance of environmentally-friendly construction, and as demand continues to shift towards more sustainably built homes. From 2001 to 2015, the number of builders increased almost 50-fold, with over 100 builders certifying their projects last year.
Total Number of 4-Star & 5-Star Certifications Increasing

When the program started in 2001, there were no 4-star or 5-star certified projects completed – only 2-Star and 3-Star. In fact, the program hadn’t even created parameters for these higher levels yet. But, as can be seen in the graphics below, over the years, more and more builders are shooting for ever-higher star-levels in their projects. 5-Star projects in particular are on the rise, as can be seen in the very bottom graph. At the moment, 4-Star makes up the bulk of our certifications, despite it representing a significant jump in requirements from 3-Star. Higher star-levels indicate increased energy and water efficiency measures, homes built with a larger amount of sustainable materials, and homes that will have better indoor air quality.

Takeaways?

Over the years, Built Green has been slowly building its popularity, credibility, and value in the Puget Sound region. We are proud of both the growth we’ve already achieved and the growth we see coming in the future. Stay updated on Built Green activities by following our blog! The next blog in the Built Green Growth series will explore:

How Seattle’s Hot Housing Market Can Benefit Built Green

built-green-building-popularity-built-green-s-three-core-growth-dimensions

Built Green™

07/01/2019

Denizen Development Group: Madrona 12

On the charming main strip of Madrona is situated a combination of townhouses and live-work units constructed by Denizen Development Group, known as Madrona 12. Blending seamlessly into the neighborhood, the units form part of the small-town community feel of Madrona, with convenient access to the library, schools, shops, restaurants, and parks nearby. The four live-work units are easily accessible from the street and will hopefully bring more commercial space to the neighborhood.

High above on the rooftop sits a feature for the homeowners to enjoy: green roofs. Overall, the green roofs total about a quarter of the rooftop space, while the remainder is deck space to entertain and take in the surrounding scenery.

Vital Stats	Section	Points
Location: Madrona, Seattle Star Level: 4-Star Checklist: Single-Family/Townhome Verifier: Evergreen Certified	Site and Water	143
	Energy Efficiency	98
	Health and Indoor Air Quality	99
	Material Efficiency	77
	Total Score	479

Other features that will go unnoticed, including by the homeowners, are the low blower door scores and high density blown-in fiberglass insulation in the walls and ceilings. Those, working in tandem with the full R-10 sub-slab insulation, ductless mini-splits, and high-efficiency gas tankless water heaters, will have a big impact on energy savings.

For good indoor air quality, Denizen used all low-VOC, low-toxic paints, caulks, finishes, and adhesives, and many certified products, such as CRI Green Label carpet. Their commercial-grade housewrap, rainscreen under the siding, drainage mat around the foundation, and back dams on doors and windows is sure to keep weather and water out of the units, hopefully keeping it a healthy environment for a long time to come. In addition, Madrona 12 also used an abundance of locally and regionally made materials, from the pavers to the siding and the studs in between.

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

All pervious hardscaping
Green roof!
No turf grass and drought-tolerant landscaping
Low-flow EPA WaterSense-certified plumbing fixtures

Energy Efficiency

Energy consumption reduced by 29% compared to code
Commercial-grade VaproShield housewrap
Full rigid sub-slab insulation and fiberglass BIBs in walls and ceiling
Energy Star Appliances and all LED lighting
2.5ACH @ 50Pa average blower door score

Denizen Development Group Madrona 12 Built Green 4-Star live/work townhomes entry doors

Denizen Development Group Madrona 12 Built Green 4-Star live/work townhomes green roof

Denizen Development Group Madrona 12 Built Green 4-Star live/work townhomes small in-unit commercial space

Health and Indoor Air Quality

Rainscreen drainage plane beneath the siding
Sloped sill pan with back and end dams on windows and doors
Low VOC paints, finishes, and adhesives
CRI Green Label Plus-certified carpet

Materials Efficiency

Extensive use of locally produced material
Recycled content underlayment, tiles, and carpet pad
100% recycled content plastic decking material
Metal and blocks siding accents

denizen-development-group-madrona-12