Building Spaces of Belonging

Author: Sonja O'Claire, Built Green Program Manager

Building a home has always been more than a construction project on a plot of land. It’s the creation of a place of physical and psychological safety where hopes and dreams can flourish, a place to make connections with others, raise families and grow old, a place to call home. These spaces of belonging are the foundation for building community.

Young girl with construction hat playing

Despite the myriad benefits of owning a home, many community members don’t have access to homeownership or are subjected to higher rates of environmental pollution due to codified and institutional systems that persist to this day. Many also lack living-wage jobs that would make homeownership more attainable. In order to overcome these disparities, an equitable, just, and inclusive approach is required, one that opens the door to homeownership as well as living-wage jobs in the building trades.

Sustainability Venn diagram

Social institutions and equity are core components of sustainability and sustainable development and have been a value of the Built Green program from its beginning. Other green building certifications have looked to address equity by encouraging the construction of affordable housing units. Built Green was the first residential certification in the country to establish a requirement that focused on how the entire home building process – from developer to homebuyer– can move the needle on equity and social justice.

Developers, designers, and builders direct how capital resources are distributed through site selection, design aesthetics and function, who is hired for the job, and what vendors are used to source materials. Using these investment decisions to create spaces of belonging and centering equity in turn provides economic and growth opportunities, reduction in turnover costs, and increases the applicant labor pool for builders to capitalize on.

Built Green implemented the Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Section into its latest checklists to codify the intent of addressing inequality and alleviating barriers experienced by marginalized populations. To accomplish this the Built Green team started by reallocating long-standing credits for building accessory dwelling units, stakeholder engagement, and transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, and accessible design into this new section. Additional new credits were conceived to offer flexibility to a variety of company sizes, project types, and site contexts. The new credits were crafted through a process of stakeholder outreach and taking inspiration from existing equity scorecards and of what some Built Green members were already doing.

The ESJ credits are intended to support developers, designers, and builders in their efforts to promote equity and inclusion, one home at a time. They provide mutually beneficial actions builders can take to address workforce supply and retention, climate resiliency, accessibility, and homeownership.

To alleviate concerns about how builders can incorporate this new Built Green requirement into their projects, the remainder of this article offers clarification on writing a project-specific ESJ Plan and implementation examples for different star levels.

Writing a Project-Specific ESJ Plan

Anyone who has managed a project, especially as one as complicated as building a home, knows that if it’s not written down in the plan it doesn’t get done. A project-specific ESJ plan is like any other plan that is produced as part of the project management process: a project team must first consider their options given project constraints, then develop objectives, determine actions to take, assign responsibilities, and create a timeline to achieve each objective. A project-specific ESJ plan is required for all projects seeking 4-star certification or higher.

A sample process for writing an ESJ plan is described below.

1. With the project team, consider the project, site, and the company’s context. Based on that context, brainstorm some ways the project could incorporate equity and social justice into its design, build, or sales process. Tip: Look to the ESJ section of the checklist for ideas of how this could be done.

2. Using the Builder’s letterhead write a memo, using an extended outline format that describes possible ESJ objectives that could be incorporated in the project. For each ESJ objective provide the specific action items that will achieve its intent (including as much specific details as possible), ESJ credits related to these actions, responsible party accountable for implementation, and anticipated completion timeline/project phase. Tip: Action items could be the specific ESJ credits associated with those objectives. See handbook for examples.

a. Only list realistic and relevant objectives and actions that could be used by the project. For example, if the project was financed and planned to be sold for market rate, then the objective of providing workforce housing is not realistic or applicable. If the home is built on a sloped property than having a stepless front entry would not be a realistic action item to an objective of increasing universal access.

b. Alternatively, Gantt chart can also be used as a format for the ESJ plan to document the objectives, actions, responsible party and implementation timeline.

3. Highlight or bold the text of any priority ESJ objectives in the list. Priority ESJ objectives are defined as those with the highest possible impact to increase equity and social justice. Tip: Priority items may not always be the most expensive or time consuming. Community or stakeholder outreach can provide valuable insight to what is considered a priority of local residents and also earns ESJ credits.

4. Of all the objectives and actions that are possible, document which ones the project team is committed to achieve on this project.

5. If any of the priority objectives or actions were not committed to, describe the reasons why they were not selected.

ESJ plan snapshot text

The ESJ plan will not be graded on which objectives or actions are listed or how many of them are implemented on the project. The intent is for project teams to start building their ESJ muscles and to begin considering it like any other part of the project’s planning process. Like with other new green building strategies, with each project, teams will learn from the experience, create a palette of ESJ actions that streamline the process, and eventually weave it into the company’s culture.

ESJ Implementation

The following tables layout example strategies a hypothetical project team could perform to earn points for ESJ credits at each star level. Please keep in mind there are multitudes of credit combinations and ways for each of these credits to be implemented, and that some ESJ credits will also earn the project points in other sections of the checklist:

3-Star Single Family home in rural community (15 points minimum)

ESJ Action/Credit	Implementation	Points
6-14: Stepless front entry and stepless other entry	No steps to access home’s front door and stepless access to garage	3
6-16: Install exterior accessible hard surface gathering area	Home has a patio that requires no stairs or steps to access from the home	1
6-23: Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry appliances on main floor	Home’s main entry leads to the main floor that was designed for aging in place	8
6-26: Design low maintenance outdoor spaces	Landscape designed with drought tolerant and native perennials, trees, and shrubs*	1
6-32: Design to promote and encourage pedestrian-friendly and safe neighborhoods	No fence in the front yard, bicycle access through garage, street trees in courtesy strip	3
	Total Points	16

*Earns project credits in Site and Water section

4-Star Single Family infill home in Kirkland (20 points minimum)

ESJ Action/Credit	Implementation	Points
6-3: Offer equity-focused trainings and workshops to staff, subcontractors, and other building partners	GC has staff attend MBAKS and ANEW Rise Up workforce development trainings	5
6-9: Develop a project-specific ESJ plan clearly indicating equity objectives; identifying priority elements. Required	ESJ plan includes measurable actions that could be implemented, including the ones on this chart	3
6-28: Build within 1/4 mile of a transit stop	Infill project site located near bus line	3
6-29: Build on a lot that is within 1/2 mile of at least six essential services	Infill project site located in walkable neighborhood*	3
6-36: Hire temporary employees or apprentices through Weld Works or ANEW	GC hires Weld Seattle workers for 25% of the temporary work hours on the project during site clearing and demolition	5
6-40: Builder offers mentorship program to employees	GC maintains a mentorship program for employee’s professional development, which requires leadership staff to attend equity-focused trainings	3
	Total Points	22
Over Achievement Opportunity—6-8: Build an ADU or DADU	+10 points	32

*Also earns points in Site and Water section

5-Star Single Family townhomes in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood (25 points minimum)

ESJ Action/Credit	Implementation	Points
6-9: Develop a project-specific ESJ plan clearly indicating equity objectives; identifying priority elements. Required	ESJ plan includes measurable actions that could be implemented, including the ones on this chart	3
6-15: Hard-surface stepless grade changes at exterior to allow access to essential maintenance locations	All units have a stepless path from the garbage can storage area to municipal pick-up area	1
6-28: Build within 1/4 mile of a bus stop	Site located near a bus line	4
6-29: Build on a lot that is within 1/2 mile of at least six essential services	Infill project site located in walkable neighborhood*	3
6-32: Design to promote and encourage pedestrian-friendly and safe neighborhoods	No fence in the front yard, bicycle access through garage, street trees in courtesy strip	3
6-39: Offer vacant properties to WELD Seattle for use as temporary housing	GC contracts with Weld Seattle to allow the site’s existing home for temporary housing prior to its deconstruction	8
6-44: Annually provide pro bono or reduced rate services to nonprofit or historically marginalized community organizations	GC builds a ramp at MBAKS annual Rampathon event	5
	Total Points	27

*Also earns points in Site and Water section

4-Star Multifamily mid-rise, mixed-use apartment in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood (30 points minimum)

ESJ Action/Credit	Implementation	Points
6-40: Engage Local Community groups to assess community needs to inform the project-specific ESJ plan	Project team held outreach meetings with Beacon Hill residents and community leaders so they could collaborate on a design that could address known disparities in noise and outdoor air pollutants experienced in Beacon Hill	8
6-9: Develop a project-specific ESJ plan clearly indicating equity objectives; identifying priority elements. Required	ESJ plan includes measurable actions that could be implemented, including the ones on this table and more from universal design credits	3
6-12: Site, design, and construct to counter known disparities identified through engagement with community stakeholders	Based on community’s comments the project team designed the building to include Triple pane windows, HRV and HEPA filters in the air-tight building, and a pedestrian-friendly exterior design with additional trees.*	15
6-28: Build within 1/4 mile of a bus stop	Site located near a bus line	4
6-29: Create mixed use building	Building designed with retail and live/work units on ground floor with 4 stories of apartments above	10
6-10: Implement priority elements of project’s ESJ plan	Implemented all identified priority ESJ objectives from the project’s ESJ plan	7
	Total Points	47

*Also earns credits in Site and Water and Energy Efficiency sections

Want to dive deeper into the details on this section? Watch the Mastering Built Green: Equity and Social Justice Credits webinar:

Please note this was recorded prior to the ESJ section being renamed from Section 1 to Section 6. All credits mentioned correspond with Section 6 of the checklists.

Further Resources

2021 Single-Family/Townhome New Construction Handbook (starts on page 254)

2021 Multifamily Handbook (starts on page 187)

The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion in the Construction Industry

An Antidote to the Great Resignation - Look To Your Culture and Values

Codifying Prejudice

Racial Inequities In Housing

NAACP: Guidelines for Equitable Community Involvement in Building & Development Projects and Policies

A Key Challenge for Minority-Owned Subcontractors? Misperceptions.

Building Mentorship Programs for People of Color

Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish programs that deliver ESJ credits:

MBAKS Workforce Development

MBAKS Classes and Education

MBAKS Community Stewardship

Earlier this year at the 2017 Annual Built Green Conference, Built Green awarded the Judge’s Choice Hammer Award to the Habitat SKC for a 9-plex building in Renton and a single-family home in a veterans’ development in Pacific. In the past year, this chapter of Habitat for Humanity built and certified ten 4-Star units, bringing their total to 91 certified units since 2001.

Lisa Henry started as an AmeriCorps Crew Lead over 12 years ago and now works as Habitat SKC’s Construction and AmeriCorps Project Manager. When asked about what Habitat SKC does, Lisa said that their primary goal is to “build, renovate, and repair homes in partnership with low-income families. Homes are sold at an affordable rate to first-time, income-qualified homebuyers. These homebuyers participate in the building process and in education about budgeting, home maintenance, and home insurance.” For many in the program, Habitat SKC provides the opportunity of home ownership.

Greta Tjeltveit also worked with Habitat SKC for nearly two years as an AmeriCorps member and served as a construction crew lead. She says that the largest barrier to homeownership is the down payment: “Many of these people are renting, and when a third of your income goes to housing, it isn’t easy to save money for a down payment. To offset the cost of the down payment, Habitat for Humanity allows families to use sweat equity.”

Each family is required to do 250 hours of sweat equity by helping to build the house they will one day live in. “When you put in work on your own home, you take pride in being an owner of the house. You care about the details and the quality of craftsmanship that goes into your home,” Greta stated. In addition to sweat equity, Habitat SKC homebuyers are also selected based on their income (60% or less of the area median income) and ability to pay.

But it isn’t enough to be affordable. According to Lisa, “Habitat SKC builds quality, healthy, sustainable homes that are energy efficient and properly ventilated while utilizing easy-to-maintain systems,” and it is because of this mission that Habitat SKC partnered with Built Green over ten years ago.

Lisa continues, “Built Green aligns with our mission to provide healthy sustainable homes at an affordable mortgage rate. The Built Green process is easily integrated into our design and build process. We utilize approximately 80% volunteer labor in our construction projects and the Built Green methods are simple enough that our skilled construction staff are able to successfully teach unskilled volunteers.”

“It’s not just making sure that the homeowners could afford to live there, but also about creating a healthy environment for them to live in,” Greta added. Built Green homes help by providing a set of rigorous standards to ensure good indoor air quality, durability, energy efficiency, and water efficiency. Building green has also opened new opportunities for partnership with other like-minded community organizations and funders. “It challenges us to be better stewards of our resources and continually improve our efficiencies of material use,” says Lisa.

Some homebuyers come from crowded living conditions, so Habitat SKC wants to ensure that their new home gives the family the best indoor air quality to avoid conditions like mold and alleviate problems from illnesses like asthma. Building green also means the home is more comfortable and affordable. Lisa also mentioned that “Habitat SKC homeowners enjoy the heating and cooling capabilities of the ductless heat pump units that efficiently condition their home. Additionally, many families value the ENERGY STAR appliances, particularly the energy- and water-efficient washing machine.”

Some are so grateful that they continue to give back. Greta mentioned that one man in Federal Way was so moved by his own experience with Habitat SKC that he continued to help build other Habitat for Humanity homes.

Habitat for Humanity homes are more than just homes; these homes provide stability and become the cornerstone for families’ lives. Certifying these homes as Built Green protects the environment while ensuring that the families can continue to live happily and healthily in the houses for generations. As Greta said at the end of her interview, “Habitat for Humanity makes you believe in humanity.”

Be sure to be on the lookout for future Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County homes! There are seven more homes in Pacific and ten homes in Sammamish underway as Built Green projects. The homes in Sammamish are also enrolled in Built Green’s and Cascade Water Alliance’s WaterSense incentive. Lisa affirms, “Habitat SKC plans to continue utilizing a Built Green 3-Star minimum for future projects around King County.”

habitat-for-humanity-builds-green

Built Green™

11/20/2020

New Codes Means New Checklists!

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

Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County Built Green 4-Star Sammamish Cottage Community

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

Lopez Community Land Trust Built Green Salish Way Cottages

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.

new-codes-means-new-checklists

Built Green™

02/17/2017

Green Partnerships Lead to Progress and Innovations

By Chris van Daalen, Anna Robinson, and Leah Missik

Since Built Green’s inception almost twenty years ago, the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild and its members have been collaborating with the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties to transform the built environment toward long-term sustainability and that partnership is only improving with time. From the first 5-star Built Green certified home in Seattle (built by Guild founding member Jon Alexander) to ongoing work on the Code Innovations Database, the Guild and Built Green have a long history of successful collaboration.

Eric and his wife, Alex, in front of their net zero energy Built Green home.

On April 29–30, the Guild will host the Northwest Green Home Tour for the seventh time, which will feature many Built Green homes in Seattle and the surrounding area. Eric Thomas, the Membership Programs Manager at the MBA, Built Green homeowner, former Built Green Executive Committee member, and former Tour organizer, cherishes the Tour and its impact. According to Eric, “the Northwest Green Home Tour is a chance for the local green building community—from builders to architects to homeowners—to come together for one weekend to give their Seattle-area neighbors an up-close look at our region’s healthiest, most efficient homes. In my experience, nearly everyone taking the tour or showing a home on it comes away inspired by the beauty and innovation on display. Being involved with the tour as a tour-goer, a volunteer, a homeowner, and eventually an organizer, has been a transformative experience for me.”

This month, the Guild and the MBA/Built Green are teaming up to train builders and other professionals on how to effectively combine energy efficiency with indoor air quality at the Healthy Home Training for Building Professionals course from February 16–April 6, 2017. Instructors are national and regional field experts and the course material will give participants a better understanding of building science and indoor air quality benefits to best meet customers’ needs. The collaboration between the Guild and the MBA/Built Green not only enables this important class, but helps it reach a broader audience.

The Clearwater Commons Community, which is a featured case study in the Code Innovations Database.

In addition to collaboration on tours and trainings, the Guild and Built Green have worked together to document precedent-setting breakthroughs in the green building realm. An example is “zHome First Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Use in Issaquah,” a case study in the Code Innovations Database written by Leah Missik and Chris van Daalen, that describes one of Built Green’s demonstration projects, zHome, in the Issaquah Highlands. Other groundbreaking Built Green projects in the Database include Positive Impact Development at Clearwater Commons, the Solar-Powered Grow Community and the Dwell Emerald Star Home in Ballard. Database authors are now expanding this effort to document green advances: in addition to describing successful projects, they will also document policy profiles and incentives adopted in some communities that should be adapted and implemented broadly. As experts in the field of green building, both Built Green and the Guild feel a responsibility to share proven practices and policies to a broader audience. As local governments adopt these and similar policies and increase incentives for builders, there are more opportunities for those in the green building sector to partner on projects with far-reaching benefits. Many of these projects would not have been possible without the policies such as Priority Green, which Built Green helped to establish.

Chris has seen the impact these incentives can have on the growth of green building. “In 2009, Guild President and Built Green Executive Committee member Ben Kaufmann of Greenworks Realty was the first to publish data showing the competitive advantages of Built Green certified homes. Since then, the program has grown from a thin slice of the market, to 2016 which saw 58% of new single-family homes in Seattle be Built Green certified. This phenomenal success is in part due to successful incentives in Seattle that other cities can learn from to transform markets around the region. I’m excited to work with Leah to share these policy innovations as we advocate for our industry and expand our impact!”

Another example of important policy adoption is the City of Shoreline’s adaptation of the City of Seattle’s “Living Building Pilot Ordinance,” which was first adopted in 2009. This ordinance has been built upon by the City of Shoreline to establish a Deep Green Incentive Program (DGIP) ordinance, which will be considered by the City Council on March 27. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to make progress toward our carbon reductions goals by reducing our footprint in the built environment,” Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner for City of Shoreline, explains. “We’ve done a lot of work in the transportation sector through light rail station planning, but if the areas that redevelop do not use green building, we will have lost our chance.” Shoreline’s proposal expands on Seattle’s precedent to include incentives for Built Green 5-Star and Emerald Star projects. Leah and Chris will publish a policy profile on the Shoreline DGIP as soon as the Council approves it, so it can serve as fodder for other cities that are considering similar actions. Another great incentive example is the Housing Design Demonstration Program on Bainbridge Island that rewards amazing projects like the Grow Community with additional density and code departures in exchange for high-performance building.

Kudos to leaders in both groups that have leveraged their unique qualities to harness the power of partnership! With Built Green and the Guild’s history of collaboration, and the strength of the regional market for sustainable homes and buildings, the future is looking really green!

green-partnerships-lead-to-progress-and-innovations