The 42- and 43-story downtown Bellevue Towers, slated for completion in 2009, are aiming for silver LEED status.
Real Estate
The “Green” House Effect
Live comfortably or save the planet? Now you can do both

In 2001, when self-described environmentalists Ophir Ronen and Io Salant bought their North Capitol Hill home with plans to remodel, they were thinking green. “We wanted to build a self-sustaining house in an urban environment,” Ophir says. The couple installed photovoltaic panels on the roof to generate electricity for the house. They used no-formaldehyde plywood and low-VOC paint, to limit the “off-gassing” of toxic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds into the indoor air, and floors made of bamboo, a fast-growing grass that renews itself quickly, unlike wood.

The Ronens created their dream house, but after living in the house for a few years and having a child, they decided to move to a smaller, more modern home, where they hoped to do similar work. The Capitol Hill house sold for the asking price in six days to a buyer who was attracted to the home’s ecofeatures.

Like organic foods and alternative-fuel vehicles, “green” home construction is a nationwide trend that is gaining traction. Since 2000, 7,250 homes in King and Snohomish counties have been certified as “Built Green,” meaning they have a reduced impact on the environment. “We certify 4 to 17 percent of new construction in King and Snohomish counties as Built Green,” says Aaron Adelstein, director of Built Green King and Snohomish Counties, a program of the Master Builders Association. The association developed a one- to five-star rating system of environmentally compatible building practices for remodeling and new home construction.

“These homes are built [to be] anywhere from 20 to 60 percent more efficient than a traditional home,” says Ben Kaufman, co-founder of GreenWorks Realty in Seattle, which specializes in marketing and selling homes with features such as increased insulation and energy-saving appliances. “You’re saving money on monthly energy use, and it’s a healthier place to live because you’re in a less toxic environment. What you’re seeing is quality versus quantity: higher-quality finishes and materials, in a space that’s just the right size.”

Kaufman points to Martha Rose Construction as a leader in green building. The company builds five-star Built Green homes that exceed Energy Star requirements by about 30 percent—the Energy Star label is awarded to homes that have been independently verified as at least 15 percent more efficient than local energy codes. Its houses have many healthy-home features—such as ventilating systems to circulate fresh air and low- or no-VOC finishes—that promote indoor air quality and help people with allergies and chemical sensitivities. “This type of new home is more comfortable to live in,” says company founder Rose, “and it’s comforting knowing you are helping to save the environment.”

Her construction company also uses durable goods such as real wood (as opposed to particleboard), kiln-dried cedar siding and commercial-grade floorings that are built to last. Though these materials are more expensive, Rose says they enhance the value of a home by reducing operating costs. She estimates her homes have 7 to 10 percent more value than a conventional home.

Built Green’s Adelstein agrees. “Down the road, a greener project will hold its property value more than the typical home,” he says. “It’s an added value.”

Green condos are arriving on the scene too. Vulcan Real Estate is developing several eco-chic properties slated to open over the next few years, including 2200 Westlake, where 90 percent of the condos were sold in the first month after the sales center opened. Occupancy will begin this fall. Adjacent to a proposed streetcar route, the 550,000-square-foot mixed-use project offers retail, residential and hotel components. “The Whole Foods being downstairs was a huge factor in why people chose to live there,” says Alison Jeffries, senior real estate marketing manager at Vulcan. “An organic grocery supports the concept of green living.”

Using environmentally sensitive methods, Vulcan will develop 60 acres of land in the South Lake Union neighborhood through 2020, building commercial, residential, retail, mixed-use and biotech facilities and parks. The company’s next four condominium projects will be built to meet requirements for LEED certification—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the U.S. Green Building Council’s voluntary certification for environmentally responsible, high-performance buildings. 

Another green project going up downtown is 5th and Madison, targeted for completion in the second half of 2007. The 132,000-square-foot, 24-story condominium building in the financial district will feature 126 homes—six suites per floor—priced from $500,000 to more than $1 million. The adjacent 901 5th Avenue Tower office building will be renovated to meet LEED standards using materials such as recycled carpets and windows redesigned to maximize natural light. In effect, the entire block is getting a makeover: The developers call it the first environmentally minded, mixed-use block in Seattle’s financial district.

The development’s residential units will have 101/2-foot floor-to-ceiling windows for city views, as well as dual-flush toilets for water conservation, open floor plans and fresh-air features such as a continuous CO2-monitoring system in public spaces. 

“We think we can design something that’s architecturally as competitive as any nongreen building out there, and in addition, it’s a healthier space to live in and better for the ecological footprint on the environment,” says Greg Smith of Urban Visions, which provides local development oversight for 5th and Madison’s owners, Boston-based Beacon Capital Partners LLC.

On the Eastside, Portland-based Gerding/ Edlen Development is aiming for silver LEED status for its two-building residential development in downtown Bellevue, scheduled to open in early 2009. One block east of Bellevue Square and the art museum, the 42- and 43-story glass Bellevue Towers will hold approximately 500 luxury urban view homes, priced from $450,000 to more than $7 million. Condo features will include high-performance coated-glass windows, recycled materials, efficient faucets and shower heads and energy- efficient mechanical systems.

The project will also feature a block-long eco-landscaped garden with walking paths, a dog run and views of Lake Washington. Gerding/Edlen principal Scott Eaton says the LEED guidelines provide a framework for building in a way that uses resources well, conserves energy and results in healthy homes for residents. Like its Seattle counterparts, Bellevue Towers will offer on-site restaurants, contributing to what Eaton calls a “vertical neighborhood” experience, where most of what residents need is within walking distance.

“We all need simplification in our lives,” Eaton says. “I think there’s a resurgence in an interest in downtown living where you can walk to everything and not be sitting on a freeway.”

Going green will soon be the norm, predicts Built Green’s Adelstein. Over the next five years, 50 percent of homes will be certified as Built Green, he says, and in 10 years, “The people who are not building green will be the exception.” Right now, Adelstein says, three- star Built Green certification can be achieved with no additional cost, particularly if green features are integrated into the project early.

Over time, advocates say, rising energy costs are likely to fuel demand for green home features. But it’s good sense, rather than dollars and cents, that is driving the green trend, they insist.

“Five years ago, there was a misconception: If it’s green, it’s granola—a hippie shack with tufted straw peeking out the doormat,” says GreenWorks’ Kaufman. “Now it’s more about you and your family—protecting and having comfort, being efficient in your resource use and being responsible as a global citizen.” He believes the green movement is gaining momentum. “As more people become educated on the benefits of a green home, they will naturally choose to live this way.”

For builder Martha Rose, green building is a moral imperative to reduce the greenhouse gases produced by homes. “Our homes will help correct the problem,” she says. “As builders, we must change the way we build because our lives depend on it.”