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GOING GREEN
on Whidbey
Resources for
Remodeling or
Building Your Own
Eco-Friendly Project
Shellie Moore & Linda Beeman
your friendly EcoBrokers®
GREEN
BUILDING : WHAT IS IT & HOW CAN I GET STARTED?
Green building means making smart, sustainable choices that minimize environmental impact and safeguard healthy living. It involves conscious decisions to use products that don’t emit toxins and efficient systems that conserve energy and water. Green built homes are healthier to live in and save on utility costs. They can require less maintenance and may have better resale values.
All of us are confused by multiple and conflicting recommendations about how to achieve an energy-efficient house. How can we sort through the mountains of information, claims and counterclaims to make eco-friendly homes? The short answer is, with help. Rather than being overwhelmed, choose one element that is important to you. If utility use is your priority, you might choose something as simple as CFL light bulbs, an upgrade to Energy Star appliances or even a photo-voltaic system. To improve air quality everything from doormats to no-VOC paint will help.
Like health food, green houses used to be proselytizing, clunky things that saved on energy and resources, but that few wanted to call home. They were the unadorned tofu and sturdy Birkenstocks of the 1970s and 80s. Advances in technology and new thinking about design changed all that. Now green building sings of its connections to the earth, and safeguards the health of you and your children. It’s an ideal way to do well by doing good.
The attached booklet aims to smooth the way for people who want to incorporate energy efficiency, green materials for better indoor air quality and/or earth-friendly principles into their building projects.
South Whidbey has long been a hotbed for green building. You could become part of that process. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or suggestions.
 
© 2008 Shellie Moore and Linda Beeman
Windermere Real Estate/
South Whidbey – (888) 331-6006
shelliemoore@windermere.com lbeeman@whidbey.com
WHO ARE WE?
Linda Beeman’s commitment to green building was reinforced by her move to Whidbey in 2002. With the acreage she bought came the realization that she was responsible for the animals and plants on her land. Since the beauty and quiet of the forest drew her here, those were the elements she wanted to preserve. She built small, using energy-efficient systems, appliances and recycled materials where possible. Three years of organizing an Alternative House Tour on Whidbey kept her abreast of new developments in green building. She’s convinced that
South Whidbey has the potential to become a showcase for environmentally-sensitive building. As a realtor and certified EcoBroker®, Linda encourages clients to consider smaller, more thoughtful homes.
Shellie Moore moved to
Langley with her husband in 1983 because they thought Whidbey would be a healthy place to raise their family. They designed and built a passive solar log home and a straw bale house. Shellie discovered that she loves real estate – walking boundary lines, considering responsible land development, looking at solar paths and building sites, learning about and utilizing sustainable building materials and techniques. Windermere provided her with education, state-of-the-art technology and marketing opportunities. EcoBroker® provided her with training and certification in sustainable practices. Shellie is a careful listener, a patient provider of quality customer service and a wholehearted advocate for her clients.
WHAT THE HECK IS AN ECOBROKER®?
Realtors passionate about green building. Who knew? A few of us on Whidbey have invested in our education to become certified EcoBrokers®. Our mission is to promote responsible development, sustainable design and affordable housing. We’ll work with you to implement these ideas so you can benefit in four ways: 1) Learn how a building’s green features can save in maintenance and utility costs over its lifetime; 2) Live in a more comfortable and healthier space; 3) Increase your property’s resale value, and 4) Make a personal contribution toward reducing energy consumption and safeguarding our environment.
According to Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest, buildings use 40% of all materials and 48 % of all energy consumed in the U.S. “No one has done the metrics but… the U.S. Green Building Council may have had the greatest impact on saving materials, eliminating toxins, avoiding green house gasses and enhancing human health.” You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Consulting U.S.B.G. guidelines when you remodel or build can help reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
RESOURCES
We’ve listed firms and organizations that we know have been involved in green building projects, but realize we’ve omitted many others who do excellent work. Please let us know about them for future printings.
Energy Star
Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star is known to most people for its yellow tags that indicate energy-efficient appliances. Another of its programs encourages voluntary compliance with green building standards. In some cases federal tax credits or rebates from local power companies are available if a home meets Energy Star standards. Great information on insulation and windows is available on their Web site.
www.energystar.gov
Green Communities Initiative
A partnership of the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, along with the American Institute of Architects and top corporate, financial and philanthropic organizations, the Initiative is a multi-year, $550 million commitment to build more than 8,500 environmentally-friendly, affordable homes across the country. It offers financing and technical assistance to developers for affordable housing that promotes health, conserves natural resources and provides easy access to jobs, schools and services.
www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources/green/index.asp
Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
An association of builders, designers, homeowners, tradespeople, and manufacturers interested in ecologically sustainable building. Search its Green Pages online at www.ecobuilding.org for eco-friendly architects, designers, and builders in your area and subscribe to The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com), a grassroots newsletter that offers information on how to make smart choices about how we furnish our homes.
Skagit-Island
County Builders’ Association
Our local builders’ association sponsors Built Green™ programs for single family residences and a communities program for developers and local jurisdictions. Ask your builder for details.
www.sicba.org or www.builtgreenwashington.org
Smart Communities Network
A project of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Network contains information on affordable housing techniques and approaches, including green design overviews and principles, alternative building techniques and products, financing (e.g., energy-efficient mortgages [EEM] and energy-improvement mortgages [EIM]), success stories, articles and publications and other resources.
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbintro.shtml
United States
Green
Building Council
A nonprofit organization that maintains a tremendous amount of information on green building, including its new remodeling guidelines and links to databases on green products and terminology.
www.usgbc.org
Before starting a remodel, how about a home energy audit to see where you might be loosing energy and how you might incorporate some conservation strategies to save money, increase resale value and comfort in your home?
If you’re considering new construction, think about enrolling your project in the Energy Star or Built Green™ certification programs. Talk with certifiers BEFORE you start designing to ensure you reach your goals. You’ll maximize both energy savings and resale value. You can download the National Association of
Home
Builders
Green
Home
Building Guidelines at http://www.nahbgreen.org/content/pdf/nahb_guidelines.pdf
CONSULTANTS
Greenbelt Consulting
Post Office Box 601
Clinton, WA
98236
(360) 341-3433
elliott@greenbeltconsulting.com /www.greenbeltconsulting.com
Providing forest management, environmental planning and consulting services, Greenbelt specializes in pre-purchase property evaluations, low-impact rural home-site development, tree retention/hazard assessment, shoreline, stream, and wetlands management, view enhancement, and mitigation/restoration of disturbed critical areas.
Winter Sun Design
19420 84th Avenue W.
Edmonds, WA
98026
(206) 525-3696
chris@wintersundesign.com
Solar and passive solar consulting, design and sales for your projects. Education events & DVDs also available.
Young Associates Project Services
8981 Coho Way
Clinton, WA
98236
(360) 579-2414
yaproj@whidbey.com
An experienced ally and advocate to help you with land use and development issues, permits, project management, problem solving.
Wise Earth Solutions
Eric Conn
(360) 321-2805
wiseearth247@gmail.com
Consultation on green retrofitting of home and garden for energy efficiency, sustainability and edible landscapes. Also offer passive solar water heaters.
O’Brien and Company
811 First Avenue, Ste. 380
Seattle, WA
98104
(206) 621-8626
info@obrienandco.com / www.obrienandco.com
O’Brien & Company is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability strategies, research, green building design and construction consulting, and education.
Pinnacle Inspections
4310 King Avenue
Bellingham, WA
98226
(360) 920-4234
robert@pinnacleinspection.com / www.pinnacleinspection.com
Energy, Inspection & Building Performance Specialist: ASHI®, RESNET, LEED-H, Energy Star® Certified Rater.
Whidbey Sun & Wind
987 Wanamaker Road
Coupeville, WA
98239
(360) 678-7131
info@whidbeysunwind.com / www.whidbeysunwind.com
Renewable energy systems design, sales and installation for your home or business. Passive Solar, Photo Voltaic, Wind Generators, etc.
Less is more. The average home grew from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2424 sf in 2006. A smaller home is more affordable, energy smart and easily maintained. Design to use space efficiently.
ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS
Ross Chapin Architects
195 Second Street
Langley, WA
98260
(360) 221-2373
inquiry@rosschapin.com / www.rosschapin.com
Ross Chapin Architects provide custom design for residences and neighborhood developments and offer stock plans for cottages and small houses.
Flat Rock Productions
Post Office Box 1087
Langley, WA
98260
(360) 221-4122
dflat@flatrockproductions.com /www.flatrockproductions.com
By combining our clients' dreams with our imagination and experience, we at Flat Rock Productions approach each project with an open mind, believing good architecture can exist in any style.
One of the lowest cost and simplest techniques for reducing heating costs is to orient the windows south to capture sunlight and use the resulting heat directly. You can chart the yearly solar potential of your building site and plan some simple solar strategies for taking advantage of it with the SunKit. http://tinyurl.com/4cyqo5
Organic Architecture Northwest
Post Office Box 984
Freeland, WA
98249
(360) 331-7559
archnw@whidbey.com
John Underhill Ottenheimer practices organic architecture including residential, farming, landscape design and implementation, and land stewardship planning. He specializes in 100% passive solar design.
John Raabe Cooperative Design
5010 Inglewood Drive
Langley, WA
98260
(360) 221-5535
countryplans@gmail.com / www.countryplans.com
Specializing in practical, cost-effective and energy-efficient homes. John sells affordable plans online that are owner-builder friendly.
Do you have a crawl space? When beginning a remodeling project, start from the ground up. Make sure your vapor barrier, insulation, weather-proofing and rodent-proofing are in good shape. If you are doing new construction, avoiding a crawl space can be the best idea. Building on slab is a great way to incorporate radiant heat.
Taproot Design
5548 Bayview Road
Langley, WA
98260
(360) 321-4447
matthew@taprootdesign.com
sarah@taprootdesign.com
www.taprootdesign.com
Sustainable solutions in architecture & landscape design.
Vision Works by Deb Asplund
Post Office Box 268
Freeland, WA 989249
(360) 331-1959
dasplund@whidbey.com / www.debasplund.com
Smaller and greener home design.
BUILDERS
There are so many fine builders on the island who have done eco-friendly homes we could not include them all. The ones listed have done SICBA’s Built Green training.
Clifton View Homes
107 S. Main Street
Coupeville, WA
98239
(360) 678-7000
cvh@whidbey.net
Jade Craftsman Builders
1646 Dow Road
Freeland, WA
98249
(360) 331-2964
dan@jadecraftsmanbuilders.com
Currently working on first SICBA-certified 5-star BuiltGreen® project in
Island
County
Back in the Woods Works / Charles Locke
7340 Dead Goat Road
Clinton, WA
98236
(360) 579-6075
backinthewoods@isomedia.com
Remodeling to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient, decks to expand your living area into the outdoors.
Yonkman Construction
4367 N. Vanderwell Road
Oak Harbor, WA
98277
(360) 675-8127
syonkman@yonkman.com / www.yonkman.com
Yonkman has focused on building low-maintenance, energy-efficient homes throughout its 30-year history and helped develop the SICBA Built Green program.
McRea Partners Inc
3855 Driftwood Drive
Clinton, WA
98236
(425) 941-1626
www.mcreapartners.com / amcrea@mcreapartners.com
Specializing in smart, "green" building, using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that are more energy efficient than traditional framing.
DECONSTRUCTION
Red Barn Millworks
7040 Swantree Lane
Clinton, WA
98236
(360) 579-2930
redbarn@whidbey.com / www.redbarnmillworks.blogspot.com
Deconstructs derelict or no longer needed buildings, salvages the recyclable materials and disposes of those that aren’t recyclable in an environmentally responsible way.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
The Grass isn’t always Greener. “…he covered his lawn in an acidic combination of sulfur powder and aluminum sulfate. Three months later, he raked up the dead grass, leaving a vast expanse of exposed soil. Then he waited through the winter, hovering over his grand experiment. The following spring, moss began sprouting all over the property. “It was like magic,” he said. “I can still hardly believe it. Moss produces spores, and they just blew in from the air. Now I have 25 kinds, none of which I planted.” Jancee Dunn, “Moss Makes a Lush, No-Care Lawn” in The New York Times, May 1, 2008.
Fran Abel Landscape Consulting
Post Office Box 1471
Langley, WA
98260
(360) 730-3924
garden@whidbey.com
Landscape consulting and design for a natural garden – year around interest, wildlife habitat and Northwest native plants.
Lively Landscapes, Luc d’Aignault
(360) 914-6022
livelylandscapes@yahoo.com
Creative, artistic and earth-friendly – rock and land innovations – light clearing, site prep, trails, roads, excavator and dump truck work.
Think global, buy local. All our local hardware and building supply stores have green products available – no-VOC paints, bamboo floors, CFL bulbs, low-E windows, Energy Star appliances, etc. Save gas, support
Island vendors and build community while you build your home.
BUILDING MATERIALS
Ecohaus (formerly the
Environmental
Home
Center )
4121 First Avenue S.
Seattle, WA
98134
(800) 281-9785
www.ecohaus.com
A one-stop shop for sustainable building materials.
Building Source
1694 Main Street
Freeland, WA
98249
(360) 331-0848
Supplier for doors, low-E windows, lighting, cabinets, kitchen and bath design featuring products like Liptus – a sustainable wood product.
Live Edge Wood Works
Woodland Hall off Maxwelton Road
Clinton, WA
98236
(360) 579-5028
liveedge@whidbey.com / www.liveedgewoodworks.com
Specializing in salvaged
Pacific Northwest softwoods, specialty construction and functional art.
Reuse Consulting
2421 St. Clair Street
Bellingham, WA
98229
(360) 201-6977
re-use@comcast.net / www.reuseconsulting.com
Online sales of used building materials.
Skagit
River Steel & Recycling
Post Office Box 376
Burlington, WA
98233
(800) 869-7097
loisy@skagitriversteel.com / www.skagitriversteel.com
Recycled steel for your project + more. SRSR receives, processes, and markets over 50 million pounds of a wide variety of products annually.
An average home consumes an acre of forest. Look into reclaimed wood or milling the trees you clear for your building site. Consider quickly renewable building materials like straw bales or techniques to reduce wood waste like SIPs panels and advanced framing. Products containing recycled materials like Rastra Block made from concrete and recycled Styrofoam might make sense for you.
READING
Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time by David Johnston.
The Green House: New Directions for Sustainable Architecture by Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne showcases the world’s most stunning green houses.
The Natural House Catalog: Where to Get Everything You Need to Create an Environmentally Friendly Home by David Pearson.
The Northwest Green Home Primer by Kathleen O'Brien and Kathleen Smith is a new book that contains hundreds of ideas for building, remodeling and buying green homes.
©2008 Shellie Moore & Linda Beeman
This resource list is provided as a courtesy. It is not a warranty and should be independently investigated. If you wish to be included in our next edition or would like to refer another great resource to us, contact Linda Beeman or Shellie Moore at Windermere Real Estate/
South Whidbey , (888) 331-6006.
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