Green Building Materials Fact Sheets
Locally researched fact sheets on green building materials that have environmental benefits and add little or no cost to project construction. Contain information on the overall environmental issues associated with each material, as well as local suppliers and cost information.
GreenSpec Directory
Information on more than 1,750 green building products carefully screened by the editors of Environmental Building News and organized by CSI division.
Guide to Used Building Materials in Washington State
A guide developed to help contractors, design professionals, homeowners and apartment managers successfully work with a used building materials store. Includes: a checklist for salvaging materials from a project, a list of building materials that used building materials stores commonly take as a donation or buy for resale, a list of materials that these stores generally do not want, a directory of used building materials stores in Washington and local project examples of materials they used and money saved and a checklist for using used materials on a project.
PVC Alternatives Database
Track down alternatives to building materials made with PVC.
Recycled Content Building Materials Product Guide (PDF, 286 kb)
A listing of building products containing recycled materials. Organized by CSI divisions to aid in designing your specifications. Also contains a list of useful Web resources and a list of local vendors that sell the products.
Reusable Building Materials Exchange
An easy and convenient way for contractors and home remodelers to exchange small or large quantities of reusable or surplus building materials.
Sustainable Resource Guide
A local guide developed to facilitate the selection of sustainable building materials and methods.
Environmental Building News
A monthly newsletter featuring comprehensive and practical research and reporting on a wide range of sustainable building topics. Independently published and advertising free ensures editorial freedom and avoids bias.
Environmental Design and Construction
A bi-monthly magazine covering the green building industry. Through concise, insightful and solution-driven editorial, this magazine reports on the innovative products, strategies and technologies that are driving the industry's success.
Green Roof Project - Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
The purpose of the Green Roof Project is to demonstrate to homeowners, contractors and architects in Puget Sound how to install “green” or ecoroofs on homes.
Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound
This technical manual provides low impact development (LID) goals, objectives, specifications for individual practices, research and data. Techniques included in the manual are rain gardens, permeable paving, vegetated roofs, minimal excavation foundation systems and roof rainwater collection systems. The guide is targeted for engineers, planners, landscape architects, technical staff to policy makers and developers.
Natural Approaches to Stormwater Management
This guide contains case studies of local projects that have successfully implemented the wide variety of LID approaches.
Puget Sound Action Team
Comprehensive guides and tools on implementing LID in the Puget Sound area.
Reining in the Rain
A 12-page book with instructions on how to create rain gardens, architectural drawings and cost comparisons between conventional in-ground water storage and treatment systems and rain gardens. Learn how the City of Bellingham saved 75 to 80% in construction costs using this low impact development approach to redevelop existing property in a manner that protects Puget Sound waterways.
Seattle's Stormwater, Grading and Drainage Control Code (PDF, 274 kb)
The full text of Seattle Municipal Code, Chapter 22.802.
Street Edge Alternatives Project
A street design that uses grading, soil science, plant selection and layout combined with traditional drainage infrastructure to function more like an undeveloped ecosystem. View the before and after photos of a block in a north Seattle neighborhood that was transformed by this street design.
Vol. 2: Construction Stormwater Control Technical Requirements Manual (PDF, 5,675 kb)
Details numerous construction stormwater BMPs and explains when and where they are required in Seattle.
Vol. 3: Flow Control Technical Requirements Manual (PDF, 1,885 kb)
Provides details on accepted methods of flow control and size and design requirements to meet Seattle's code.
Vol. 4: Stormwater Treatment Technical Requirements Manual (PDF, 3,685 kb)
Describes accepted methods of treatment and when they are required.
Green Building Organizations
Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
A Northwest organization of construction professionals and individuals interested in sustainable or "eco" building. Check this site for information on your local chapter's activities.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Information on the USGBC and their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) green building rating program.
U.S. Green Building Council 's Cascadia Chapter
Meetings offer members and potential members a place to network, learn about green building in the Puget Sound area, get updates on chapter and national business and hear how local professionals have implemented LEED™.
Seattle Department of Planning and Development
The City of Seattle CITY Green Building staff provide customized tools and assistance that to help successfully incorporate green building techniques for remodeling, construction and development projects.
BUILT GREEN™
Built Green™ is a local standard for developing high-performance, sustainable, residential buildings. Project teams use the Built Green™ green building rating system as a tool for applying an integrated approach to the design, construction and maintenance of green buildings. Built Green provides a framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals in the areas of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and homeowner education. A building project earns points in each of these environmental areas to achieve a Built Green™ one, two or three star rating.
Street Edge Alternatives Project
A street design that uses grading, soil science, plant selection and layout combined with traditional drainage infrastructure to function more like an undeveloped ecosystem. View the before and after photos of a block in a north Seattle neighborhood that was transformed by this street design.
BetterBricks
A non-profit initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance that provides services at no cost to Pacific Northwest architect and engineering firms to help them put high performance building ideas into practice.
Implement - Seattle's Sustainable Building Tool
In five clicks, this Web site ranks strategies for increasing the energy and water efficiency of various building types within a format named the Seattle Matrix. These recommendations are based on the Seattle regional climate. Each strategy has first cost and annual operating cost information. Currently the tool has three building types developed: Office, Fire Station and Tenant Improvement (more building types are planned). The tool also contains best practice information, case studies and links.
Seattle City Light - Sustainable Building
Learn about the numerous City-owned projects participating in the LEED™ program, the City's Sustainable Building Policy, City-funded financial incentives and assistance, and download the many LEED™ tools developed to help projects achieve LEED™ certification.
Sustainable Building Toolbox - Washington State Department of Ecology
Provides direct links to organizations, databases, resources and other information to promote sustainable design and construction in Washington State
