May 24, 2007
King County fetes region’s 10,000th ‘built-green’ home at White Center’s Greenbridge community
The "green-building boom" of environmentally friendly home construction hit a major milestone today with the designation of the 10,000 th "built green" home in King and Snohomish counties.
"Our goal with the Built Green program was to make building homes in an environmentally sustainable manner commonplace, and we've definitely succeeded," said County Executive Ron Sims, who has worked with the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties to develop the program.
"Last year alone, there were 3,107 certified ‘built green' projects completed in 2006 – which is more than twice as many as in 2005. Today, nearly 30 percent of new residential housing in King County is registered with the Built Green program," Sims said. "This trend proves that home buyers recognize the value of green-building design and energy efficient homes."
Sims led a celebration today at Greenbridge, a mixed-income, master-planned community in White Center. When completed in about five years, the mixed-income development will ultimately consist of 1,000 homes for approximately 3,500 residents.
"We aren't just building energy-efficient housing for families with varying degrees of economic resources – we're building a whole new community," Sims said. "Greenbridge is a shining example of how government and its citizens working together can incorporate a sound environmental idea into everyday living."
The project was made possible by a demonstration ordinance from King County allowing for one of the first mixed income, mixed-use sustainable construction projects in the region.
Sims said Greenbridge was designed to improve the local environment, to conserve natural resources and to reduce energy consumption.
"Outside, there are solar electric panels on the rooftops, an environmentally friendly stormwater drainage design and drought-tolerant landscaping.
"Inside, we have energy-efficient Energy Smart appliances, energy-saving lights and substantial insulation that all help this community reduce its ‘carbon footprint,'" Sims said. "This redevelopment project is a model for the sort of green building that we should replicate elsewhere in King County as we take on the challenge of addressing global warming.
"To think back when this area was covered with old military duplexes – many of them in poor repair, then to see today this affordable housing community that is rising from the very same location is really inspiring," Sims said.
A non-profit partnership between the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties and those two county's governments, Built Green has been recognizing environmentally friendly housing since 1999.
Sims presented Sam Anderson, the executive officer of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties with an award to thank his organization's continued support of sustainable development efforts.
"Over the past seven years, Built Green, in partnership with King County, has become a national leader in green building and helped to transform the local building market," Anderson said.
"Our association takes great pride in having achieved the 10,000 th certified home landmark, and we could not be more pleased to see such a worthwhile project certified on this special occasion – one that will provide much-needed affordable housing in our community," he said.
King County Housing Authority Board Chairman Peter Orser, Jeff Foster, Principal, GGLO, Arellano/Christofides and John Gilson from Walsh Construction were also on-hand Thursday to celebrate the 10,000 th Built Green home.
"Peter Orser had the courage and vision to believe that we could accomplish something really wonderful for the White Center community," Sims said. "And King County departments worked together and exceeded expectations of what low-income housing could be created for residents."
"Conserving natural resources is critical for the region," Orser said. "By developing a demonstration ordinance and Built Green standards that allowed KCHA to take advantage of innovative, green design and development techniques, King County and the Master Builders Association were invaluable partners."
The King County Green Tools Team, led by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks and DDES, was critical to the project. The team has expertise in project management, architecture, design, landscape architecture, engineering, resource conservation and budget analysis. With their varied backgrounds, the team members promote the use of green building practices in all buildings that the county constructs, remodels and renovates.
More information about the Greenbridge project is available at http://www.kcha.org/HOPEVI/index.html. More information on the Built Green program is available at http://www.builtgreen.net/.