SEATTLE—May 5, 2005—High Point’s redevelopment plan won one of four awards given by the City’s 2005 BuiltGreen Seattle Design Competition. The competition recognizes healthier, environmentally friendly home design and development. The award was given at the BuiltGreen Annual Conference on March 17.
“We are proud of High Point’s innovative plan and the healthy effects it will have on the environment and the residents,” said Tom Phillips, High Point Redevelopment Manager.
Mithun, SvR, Nakano Associates, Seattle Housing, and residents worked together to create the award-winning redevelopment plan. When complete, High Point will feature 1,600 new, affordable and market-rate homes, each built to the highest three-star Built Green standard.
BuiltGreen is a residential green building program developed by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. A year and a half ago, there were only 12 BuiltGreen certified homes in Seattle. Now, Seattle has 79 BuiltGreen certified single-family and multifamily projects with a total 189 units. The addition of High Point’s 1,600 units will increase this significantly.
To qualify for the highest three-star rating in the Communities category, the project must achieve at least 350 points. High Point, with its numerous green features, earned 512 points. Perhaps the most significant is the natural drainage system, designed to protect and enhance the water quality of Longfellow Creek. The site will mimic the functions of nature by filtering and cleaning water through specially designed planting strips and a large water detention pond. The 34 city-block scale at High Point is by far the largest urban application of this model in the country.
In BuiltGreen’s Multi-family category, 300 points are needed to qualify for the highest three-star rating. High Point earned 452 – far exceeding the standard. All homes will include healthy features such as high-efficiency heaters, quiet whole-house fans, airtight drywall installation, and reduced-emission paints and cabinets.
Seattle Housing will also build 35 “Breathe Easy Homes” designated for asthma sufferers, which incorporate many of the most progressive green construction and landscaping know-how and materials available today. SHA is partnering with other agencies to educate residents on maintaining an asthma-free environment.
The competition’s $10,000 award will be given to the High Point neighborhood to fund a to-be-determined sustainable community amenity.