This Wednesday, Master Builders Association of Pierce County (MBA) will kick off the Tacoma-Pierce County Built Green Program, where, beginning at 10 a.m., Mayor Bill Baarsma and others will speak at an on-site
Built Green remodeled home located at 3215 North Cedar.
The mission of Tacoma-Pierce County Built Green is to work in partnership to create safer, healthier and more efficient homes, reduce impacts of construction and development, and improve and protect the valuable community and natural resources of Tacoma and Pierce County.
A team of local building industry professionals worked with OBrien and Company, Inc., a nationally-acclaimed consulting firm, to design a program to achieve that mission.
MBA of Pierce County developed the program with financial assistance from the Washington State Department of Ecology, City of Tacoma Solid Waste Management, Puget Sound Energy, and Fannie Mae Corporation, and with additional assistance from Tacoma Power.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Built Green Program features both a remodeling and a new construction component.
Homeowners who wish to improve the environmental quality of their existing home can do so with a Built Green remodel, while those looking for a new home will have the opportunity to work with both custom and speculative builders who will incorporate green building techniques into the homes they build.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Built Green Program is a self-certification program. Builders and Remodelers will be able to complete a checklist with over 200 Built Green Action Items to choose from. Depending on the items checked, construction projects will be awarded a 1-, 2-, or 3-star rating.
Because the program is menu-driven, Built Green homes and remodels will be unique.
Builders will be encouraged to market the specific Built Green features they include in their homes directly to consumers.
In addition, the program does promote energy efficiency, good indoor air quality, site ecosystem protection, water conservation and green building materials.
MBA is a non-profit trade association comprised of more than 850 builder and associate member companies whose purpose is to promote – through membership involvement, legislative action, networking and education – the opportunity for affordable housing to all while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
MBA represents people in every phase of the home building process: developers, builders, remodelers, suppliers, financial institutions, sub-contractors and sales & marketing professionals.
MBA is a local affiliate of the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW).
