By Zoe Ludwig, Built Green Intern | This is part three in a three-part series. Read parts one and two.

How is Built Green a Part of the Solution? 

Built Green is committed to all types of sustainability, including but not limited to environmental sustainability. In addition to working with local governments on green construction, Built Green also supports affordable housing and sustainable zoning practices. Built Green certification is granted through the use of a checklist, in which points are assigned to grade the “green-ness” of a home, including the location of the home. Built Green builder member companies can do their part and earn checklist points in the following ways: 

Single-Family Checklist

• Locate site within one of the Urban Growth Area (UGA) designated areas (five points)
• Provide accessory dwelling unit or accessory living quarters (10 points)
• Build within a quarter mile of a transit stop (three points)
• Design to promote and encourage pedestrian-friendly and safe neighborhoods (one to five points)
• Build on a lot that is within a half mile of at least six essential services, (e.g., grocery store, post office, place of worship, community center, daycare center, bank, school, restaurant, medical/dental office, laundromat/dry cleaner, etc.) (three points)
• Driveways or parking are shared between multiple units (four points)
• Proximity to bike amenities within one mile (three points) 

Multi-Family Checklist

• Create a transit-oriented development (15 points)
• Build within a quarter mile of a transit stop or park and ride (four points)
• Create a mixed-use building (15 points)
• Provide subsidized bus passes (25 percent or 50 percent subsidized) (six to ten points)
• Provide bicycle lockers or bicycle storage beyond code (two points)
• Provide bus shelters (two points)
• Provide dedicated parking spots for carpool or car-share vehicles (six points for first stall above code, two points for each additional, for a maximum of 12 points)
• Provide a link to community trails (two points)
• Avoid excessive outdoor light levels while maintaining adequate light for security and safe access (five points)

Many of these checklist items are regarding accessible transportation or community services. Enhancing these elements of home ownership and rentals can help end the stigma surrounding “dense” building by focusing on the positive aspects of community. Through our checklists, Built Green supports sustainable community on a project-by-project basis. We also actively participate in the discussion of how our region can be both greener and more inclusive, including at this year’s Built Green Conference.

“If you’re the quintessential suburbanite, density’s a swear word, if you’re an urbanist, it’s a buzzword,” says Branden Born of the University of Washington via The Seattle Times. Those who oppose denser building typically argue that it rids a neighborhood of its charm. But skyscrapers and towering apartment buildings aren’t the only ways to create more dense housing. For example, ADUs and DADUs (attached and detached mother-in-law units), duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes are great alternatives to the stereotypical approaches. Built Green is excited to have not only certified some of these building types, but to support the housing flexibility they bring. Still, these solutions require more inclusive zoning laws from the city. Check out more about how the ‘quintessential Seattle block’ can uphold charm and density.

The American Dream may still be alive and well, but it is dependent on people adopting an attitude of sustainable living. Now, the American dream is owning or renting a place that is comfortable for you. It’s waking up in the morning, walking a quarter mile or a half a mile to your bus stop. It’s coming home from work and saying hello to your neighbor in the grocery store in the downstairs level of your building. It’s knowing that your kids can have access to a good education, regardless of their zip code. We can learn from the shortcomings of those here before us and make this dream a possibility for all. Together, we can make living in the city more affordable, keep community sacred, and create a more united Puget Sound region.

Interested in this complex topic? At this year’s Built Green Conference, we are hosting a panel called From Exclusionary to Inclusionary: How Can We Make Our Region Inclusive, Resilient, and Vibrant? featuring Alan Durning of Sightline Institute, candidates for Seattle public office, and experts on environmental justice and community participation. Register for the conference today—ticket prices increase September 1!

Missed our 2017 Built Green Conference? Check out this exciting panel on inclusionary zoning featuring Seattle mayoral candidates Cary Moon and Jenny Durkan, Seattle City Council candidate Teresa Mosqueda, the founder of Sightline Institute Alan Durning, and moderated by Aaron Fairchild, the CEO of Green Canopy Homes.

It's no secret that our region is experiencing a sharp rise in housing prices and that many people are suffering from high housing cost burdens. Due to the affordability crisis, people are being displaced and are unable to easily access services and employment close to home. Seattle’s workers are sprawling into outlying communities, threatening the bioregional resource-base needed to maintain resilient communities. These impacts are felt more sharply by moderate- and low-income households, as well as within many neighborhoods that historically have been home to communities of color. Seattle’s real estate past contributed to the makeup of neighborhoods and zoning regulations that are causing ever-rising costs and displacement in inequitable ways. This session covered Seattle’s real estate and zoning history, how it shaped the city and region as we know it today, and how we can play a role in making our region more equitable, affordable, and livable.

Two homes completed by TC Legend Homes last year in Seattle. Many projects in Seattle get expedited permits. One of TC Legend Homes’ next projects is targeting Emerald Star!

By Leah Missik, Built Green™ Program Manager

We know that building green is better for the environment. We also know that it is better for home dwellers – who doesn’t like lower bills and better indoor air quality? But is building green better for builders? To be honest, this depends on who you ask. Some of our Built Green members are avid proponents of the program, but at the same time, not every project is Built Green. Therefore, we work hard not only to communicate the benefits of building green to builders, but we also shape the system to make building green even more enticing. A primary way we do this is by working with local government and utility partners on incentives that reward builders who certify their projects Built Green.

Last year, we certified 1,003 projects, which was a continuation of our tremendous recent growth. Much of this growth was concentrated in the City of Seattle. In fact, last year 58% of new single-family homes were Built Green certified! A big reason for our success is our relationship with the City. Seattle offers priority expedited permitting for projects that are certified at 4-Star or higher. Getting a permit faster is a tremendous benefit in this busy market! On top of this, 4-Star or higher Built Green projects may be eligible for a Floor Area Ratio bonus, which allows for extra height or floor area. These incentives compensate for any added costs or effort involved in Built Green, which can be a hurdle, especially for first-timers. Our track record in Seattle clearly demonstrates that builders find these incentives beneficial (otherwise they wouldn’t be utilized!), and that the city is seeing the return in more green housing stock.

Two Built Green 5-Star homes in Kirkland by Dwell Development and CTL Design.

Seattle is not the only city that offers green building incentives, or indeed, expedited permitting. In 2008, the City of Kirkland pioneered expedited permitting for green projects. Today, Built Green projects that achieve 4-Star or higher are eligible. In addition to offering this incentive, city staff works hard to foster connections between builders and the Built Green program. For example, having spoken with Kim Saunders about her upcoming Juanita Farmhouse Cottages project, David Barnes and Scott Guter from Kirkland’s Green Building team connected her with Built Green. As a result of catalyzing this relationship, Kim made the decision not only to aim for Built Green 5-Star certification for each home, but also to obtain Community certification for the whole development!

Not building in Kirkland or Seattle? No problem! Both Issaquah and Redmond have their own priority permitting programs currently, and both cities are also in the process of strengthening their green building incentives. 

Faster permitting is not the only available reward for green builders out there. Any builder that builds within Cascade Water Alliance’s territory that achieves both Built Green and WaterSense certifications is eligible for a $1,000 per unit rebate. This is thanks to a partnership between Built Green and Cascade. The two organizations continue to work on ideas on how to increase water efficiency in homes.

Other utilities are in the game too! Seattle City Light offers a $1,500 per unit rebate for Built Green projects 4-Star and up that consist of five or more units. Projects are eligible if ductless heat pumps are the primary heating source. Further north, Snohomish County PUD will be announcing a new Built Green incentive very soon!

Queen City EcoVillage by Martha Rose, a Built Green certified community in Shoreline.

Speaking of new incentives, the City of Shoreline’s Planning Commission has passed a Deep Green Incentive Program along to Council for consideration on March 27, with potential adoption April 17. As it currently stands, the incentive rewards builders who are reaching for 5-Star and Emerald Star with waivers of application fees, a density bonus, reduced parking requirements, potential code departures, and more, depending on project location and certification level. This incentive program would be a big support for builders looking to take their craft to the next level by doing deep green.

This is already a long list of incentives, but we’re not done yet! Built Green is constantly working with its partners to figure out how to increase green building in the region. Snohomish County and Bellevue are both looking at programs that would benefit green builders through some manner of cost reductions, flexibility gain, and/or marketing support.

Why are so many cities and utilities willing to work with us? Not only do we live in a region where care for the environment is a strong value, but also because our partners understand that these incentives are a win/win. Clearly, incentives are good for the builders and Built Green. But, these incentives are beneficial to utilities, which need to increase their efficiency, and to cities, which are working to meet climate goals. The more Built Green homes there are, the greater these efforts are furthered. Additionally, cities are made up of people, and who doesn’t want a healthy, efficient home?

As Built Green grows, we will continue to work with our partners on how to make green building even more accessible. We want green building to be the norm. Please let us know if you have any ideas, or feel free to reach out to your representatives and express why green building is important.