Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

With a multitude of housing laws passed, impending energy code changes, every city steeped in updating their comprehensive plans, and Built Green relaunching its Remodel certification, 2023 was rightly named the “Year of Housing” in Washington. This year’s speakers and sessions were curated to highlight market-based climate solutions that balance advantageous economic opportunities with tackling the environmental and social imperatives of climate change.

Opening Keynote

Educational Breakout Sessions

Get technical in all things 2021 WSEC in our Code Academy track and two Innovative Approaches sessions on plumbing design presented by Gary Klein. These six sessions will cover critical changes expected from the 2021 WSEC in the crucial code credit areas of HVAC, thermal envelope, and energy efficient plumbing design. Learn how to cost effectively meet, and exceed, the 2021 WSEC from our expert speakers. Additionally, check out Green Canopy NODE’s innovative panelized construction practices that helped the Grow Community in Bainbridge achieve compact 5-star level performance under the 2018 WSEC.

It was a BIG year for the advancement of middle housing across our state. Hear from our Middle Housing panel, featuring WA Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, Dave Osaki, and Ryan Donohue, what is next for middle housing implementation. Attend this session to learn how local comprehensive plans and zoning will be affected and their potential for reducing environmental impact and increasing housing choice. Other sessions in the Adapting Policy track include discussions on overcoming the policy barriers to solar energy, Kirkland’s new High Performance Building programs, and Seattle’s proposed embodied carbon building codes.

In our Decarbonizing Case Studies track features four sessions dedicated to reducing carbon emissions from our built environment. Sessions offered by Nathan Coons, Anthony and Abbey Maschmedt will focus on Built Green certified remodeled homes that reduced their operational carbon emissions, while maintaining the home’s character and enhancing it to serve future generations. Continuing the conversation on embodied carbon emissions, Talia Dreicer’s session will demonstrate how embodied carbon calculations are becoming a standard part of TC Legend Home’s design conversations as they strive for net zero carbon homes. Daniel Glenn’s session will feature four case studies on tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest that provide affordable, low-energy housing that reflect and celebrate the tribal cultures of the residents.

See details on the full conference agenda and sessions.

Built Green Project Basics

This 4-part specialty track is specifically designed for on-site supervisors, project managers, and city inspectors to give a practical overview of the Built Green certification program, incorporating effective air control layers, and the implications of HVAC on airtight homes. Josh Salinger with Birdsmouth Design-Build and Cybil Tribie with BEE Consulting will cover the basics of managing a Built Green project from a site supervisor’s perspective and critical building science construction details related to ensuring air-tight building envelopes and efficient HVAC performance. Not only is this track included in a full conference ticket, but it is also available at a deeply discounted single-track price.

It's More Than Just Educational

Throughout the day you’ll be able to network with other attendees, sponsors, and speakers about the sessions and gain professional connections. Explore our Sponsors Expo where our sponsors will showcase the latest green products, celebrate Built Green Hammer Award winners, and attend an Ask-Me-Anything session with our keynote speaker.

Bring Your E-Waste for Recycling!

Our presenting sponsor, DTG Recycle, will also be collecting small electronics for e-waste recycling at the conference. Plan to look through your drawers and desks to take advantage of this complimentary perk of attendance! Accepted e-waste items: cell phones, laptops, tablets, wires/cables/AC chargers, routers, and small portable devices. NO leaking or cracked items.

Don't miss out on any of the action! Follow Built Green on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for conference updates. Use the hashtag #BuiltGreen2023 to share your excitement about this year’s conference.

For complete conference details and to register, visit builtgreenconference.net.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

While many urban areas with single-family zoning constantly battle NIMBYism (“Not In My Backyard”), The Cottage Company embraces the concept of “Neighbors for More Neighbors” via density infill at their Ida Pearl House Remodel & Post Cottage new construction project.

Inspired by the 19th century farmhouse ‘compounds’ of clustered worker cottages, this site, located in the Olympic Hills neighborhood of Seattle, created moderate density by constructing a detached accessory dwelling unit behind a newly renovated 1928 Tutor cottage in a single-family neighborhood a short walking distance from shops and transit in Northeast Seattle’s Lake City Urban Village.

The project team sought to preserve as much of the existing cottage as possible including elements like the clear fir and oak flooring with inlay, mouldings, arched doorways, divided light windows, stone fireplace, and ‘Dutch’ front door. The Ida Pearl House kept much of the original exterior aesthetic, but finished the existing basement and built-up portions of the roof to allow for more total livable area. While designing for more livable spaces within the home, the envelope, structure, and systems were also brought up to and, in some cases, beyond code. To maintain much of the existing interior finishes and aesthetic, a centralized heat pump air handler replaced the existing HVAC system that serviced the basement and main floor and supplemental ductless mini-splits were installed at the top floor. Additionally, all existing exterior walls and roofs were insulated, and a hybrid heat pump water heater was installed to address the domestic hot water needs.

The newly constructed Post Cottage is separated from the Ida Pearl House by a green ‘buffer’ space, keeping the lots private from one another, but allowing for connectivity to nature. The interior design features a large, vaulted ceiling great room, dining nook, and Douglas fir flooring throughout the one-story, two-bedroom space. In tangent with a robust liquid-applied weather resistant barrier (Enviro-Dri) to protect the home from moisture and air leakage, high-efficiency systems including a centralized, ducted heat pump air handler and Energy Star appliances were installed to perform over 20% better than a new code-built house.

The entire project is centered around the concept of preservation: from the reuse/refinishing/retention of existing interior elements and large heritage cedar trees on site, to the naming of the homes based on the original farmstead owners, nod to the historical architectural style of the time, and an extensive owners’ manual that includes the site’s history as well as a “Who Built My Home” section for major subcontractors involved in the project.

At the corner of S Alaska St. and Martin Luther King Jr. Way S in Columbia City is BDR Capital LLC’s newest building, Encore. It is a certified Built Green 4-Star, 96 unit, transit-oriented, mixed-use, apartment development.

Encore’s sister building, the Sonata, is located across the street previously profiled in a 2019 Built Green case study. The two buildings provide 187 units that straddle the Columbia City LINK Light Rail Station. Residents will enjoy a short 15 minute commute to downtown Seattle and South Lake Union job centers and 20 minutes from Sea-Tac airport via light rail. With the opening of the Eastlink expansion in 2024, residents will also be connected to Eastside tech job centers as well. A bus stop next to the building connects residents to Columbia City’s vibrant cultural center.

Some of the Built Green credits that aided them in achieving their high score were using low-emitting products, no added urea formaldehyde (NAUF) millwork and cabinets and CRI Green Label Plus carpets throughout the building. Part of their energy savings comes from the centralized high efficiency gas water heater, the extra roof insulation above the sheathing, and the small rooftop PV array and green roof. Outside of the building, all landscaping is drought-tolerant, 27% of the site’s stormwater is infiltrated onsite, and 12 of the 14 existing trees were preserved to maintain tree canopy and reduce heat island impacts.

Other than the building’s green features, Encore offers a mix of studios, 1-bedrooms, and 2-bedrooms along with an abundance of amenities for the tenants. Amenities include a Rooftop deck with Mount Rainier views, BBQs for grilling and a pet relief station. Within the building, you’ll find a heated bike storage room and tuning station, onsite storage, and community lounge with kitchen, outdoor fireplace, lounge, and dining area.