Meet Tom Hill

Tom Hill will be sharing his knowledge and expertise concerning the International Green Construction Code at the next Sustainability Symposium on July 20th. Tom was kind enough to provide a brief autobiography and summary of qualifications:

Tom Hill is currently the Building Official with the City of Olympia and has been with Olympia for over twenty years.  During this period he has also served in the capacity as Development Services Manager, and Development Engineering.

Having graduated from Christian Heritage College in San Diego, he continued his education at U.C.S.D Scripps in Marine Biology and upon moving to Washington State, the Evergreen State College in Environmental Studies.

Tom worked in the State of California during the period of time that State was transitioning into greater local energy code regulations and worked with efforts to find alternative sources and means to comply.

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I look forward to hearing what Mr. Hill has to say on July 20th.

Sustainability Symposium Round II

Come join the discussion on the future of Building Codes and their relationship to Green Building on July 20th at the Evergreen State College, Sem II A 1105 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. 

 

With Tom Hill, City of Olympia Building Official, and a panel of local government and building industry experts:

  • Christine Edmark, Thurston County Plans Reviewer
  • Daimon Doyle, Northwest Energy Team & Chair, OMB Built Green Committee
  • Drew Phillips, CEO Berschauer-Phillips Construction Company
  • Kinley Deller, Waste Reduction Specialist with King County Green Tools (invited)

 

Be sure to register at: Vision2Action.us Get on it, space is limited!

Click here to download:
Vision2Action_IgCC_poster.pdf (280 KB)
(download)

I'm Not Much of a Gardener

Living in a downtown apartment doesn't help matters either. But when I found out Grower's Gold was offering free seed packets at the 2012 South Sound Green Tour Resource Hub at 4th and Capitol, I was tempted to grab a few for posterity.

If you're unfamiliar, Grower's Gold is Washington's premier horticultural supplier. Look for their seeds and soil in garden and hardware stores all around the Pacific Northwest.

I may not be able to plant my free seeds, but what's stopping you?

I'd Like to Take a Moment...

...to talk about the Bigelow House and the role of Historic Preservation in Green Building.

1866_bigelow_house

The Bigelow House, an important cultural landmark in the city, will be a prominent site on this year's South Sound Green Tour, sponsored by the Olympia Heritage Commission and Thurston County Solid Waste.

You may ask "How can a 150 year old house be considered 'Green' enough to be showcased on the Tour? Won't it be drafty and cold?"

Possibly, but retrofitting a historic building is always worth the costs. Why? Because of embodied energy.

If you remember Newton's Laws, he posits energy can never be created or destroyed, only changed in form, like from a tree into a house. What this means is that no new house can ever use less energy than an already standing structure, because 150 years ago a man took the time to convert the potential energy of some wood and stone into a well-crafted structure. 

Sure you can build something new, but ignoring the embodied energy of a historic house is just wasteful. So, historic preservation.

But that's a whole other story.

Come see the Bigelow House and learn about Energy Efficient Historic Preservation on the South Sound Green Tour, April 21st and 22nd!

Community Workparty Saturdays @ the Downtown Commons

You're invited to help with projects, share skills, build community, and connect with local experts in environmental practices.  Spend a pleasant and rewarding Saturday with us!

When:  This Saturday from 11 am – 3pm  (and every Saturday)
Where:  The Downtown Commons, 911 Adams St. SE, Olympia WA
What: Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes for outdoor work, work gloves if you want them
Why:  Tasty, healthy snacks provided. If you're staying the whole time, please bring a lunch to eat or share

Saturday March 3

Landscape Architecture Design Workparty!  Help us measure the Commons site and neighborhood for a long term landscape design with local landscape architect Markthor MacFarlane of ArchEco Design.  This will be the basis of a "Master Plan" for the site and block and a vision 30 years in the future, working backwards to develop detailed designs for projects planned this Spring.

Commons_site_render-sm

Upcoming Saturday Workparties

Flagstone Pathway: Work beside Todd and Kari Harris of Stone People to create a long-lasting flagstone pathway.
Soil Amending and Bed Preparation: Develop beautifully balanced and rich soil in preparation for a bountiful growing season.
Green Tour Hub cleaning, lighting and repair:  Help set the stage for a successful EcoBuilding event – prep work at the old Schoenfeld’s Furniture store, 4th and Capitol

Community Workparties Saturdays @ the Downtown Commons

You're invited to help with projects, share skills, build community, and connect with local experts in environmental practices.  Spend a pleasant and rewarding Saturday with us!

When:  Saturdays from 10 am – 3pm
Where:  The Downtown Commons, 911 Adams St. SE, Olympia WA
What: Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes for outdoor work, work gloves if you want them
Why:  Tasty, healthy snacks provided. If staying the whole time, please bring a lunch to eat or share

Saturday, February 25th

Laying flooring: You'll learn how to use salvaged flooring to save money and divert waste
Spring Cleaning: Mingle with new friends in the house and gardens as you help us fix, tidy and prepare for our Spring Building season.

Upcoming Saturday Workparties

Site Measurement: Gain experience in laying the groundwork for professional quality site design with local landscape architect Markthor.
Flagstone Pathway: Work beside Todd and Kari Harris of Stone People to create a long-lasting flagstone pathway.
Soil Amending and Bed Preparation: Develop beautifully balanced and rich soil in preparation for a bountiful growing season.
Green Tour Hub cleaning, lighting and repair:  Help set the stage for a successful EcoBuilding event – prep work at the old Schoenfeld’s Furniture store, 4th and Capitol

10 Trends from National Builders and Realtor Conferences

1) Economic recovery is slow due to high unemployment, glut of distressed properties and tight money for building. Construction financing is tight and FDIC is exploring for ways to help relieve the market of distressed properties.

2) Real estate is currently the best value in the United States that it has ever been and the rest of the world is starting to figure it out. We are starting to see international money in our markets.
 
3) Green building, both in new construction and remodeling, is expected to quadruple by 2016. Consumers are most aware of energy and indoor air quality features. On average builders believe it is about 5% more costly to build down as materials are becoming more available.
 
4) Remodeling will be big for the next several years and is a stronger industry than new home construction at this time. Expect to see incentives for buying, retrofitting and renting property. Rent to own incentives may also be more popular.
 
5) Expect to see less land development but those that do are making lots smaller and locating near alternative transportation options. 

6) Builders are providing more flexibility with less space. Floor plan designs include open flexible family spaces with entertaining kitchens. Master suites are smaller and many are on the first floor.
 

7) The Integration of indoor and outdoor living spaces is very popular. Consumers want less lawns and more low maintenance entertainment spaces.
 

8) Many homes are designed for aging in place. A majority of baby boomers report that they want to stay in their existing homes or buy a home in the same community that will allow them to age in their homes. 
 

9) Multi-generational housing is very popular with 18% of baby boomers having adult children at home. Close to 8%, have aging parents in their households.
 

10) On the design front, mid-century modern is coming back into vogue. There is more emphasis on natural lighting and sighting of homes. Color trends are showing palettes in the same family; hot once again are reds, blues, greens and naturals.

Please contact me for more information on any of these trends.

I'm also updating my database so please send me any updates!

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Brenda Nunes
http://brendanunes.kellerwilliamsseattle.com
brendanunes@kellerwilliamsseattle.com 
425-785-6286 (Direct)

More Rain Gardens, Less Run Off

This article by Crosscut recently explored the moves many jurisdictions are taking - or trying to take - toward more stringent Low-Impact Development regulations. My favorite line is:

"Environmentalists say the low-impact building techniques can actually save money in some circumstances, a point developers do not dispute..."

I love the economics of sustainable thinking. Take a read for yourself.