Welcome + Mission

An Overview of The Sustainability Foundation

Mission The Sustainability Foundation (SF) is a Washington State non-profit corporation with the mission of promoting balanced development by providing education, resources, research, technology and communications programs.

Overview We have facilitated the development of sustainable building demonstration and research projects and developed training, marketing and communications programs that support sustainable building and its associated businesses. We also provide technical support to projects that provide sustainable educational opportunities.

Projects Built Green Home at Suncadia we provided technical project support to the builder, educational programs, marketing, website creation as well as event planning. We acted as an advisor to the Going Green at the Beach project in Snohomish County. We assisted with the development of a green home building program for the Central Washington Built Green Association, where we contributed green building expertise, assistance in publications and articles, and overall advice for program development.

Training We developed and offer special courses for real estate professionals on marketing green homes presented to independent brokers, an overview of sustainable building materials and marketing green homes for builders and remodelers. Demonstration and education projects typically highlight the following specific environmental improvements that show benefits to property owners and society:

Integration of innovative landscaping and site development techniques to reduce use of potable water on a site.

Reduction in site storm water runoff by employing low impact development and other techniques such as vegetated roofs, and use of pervious and porous paving.

Use of efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances to reduce water usage in buildings.

Installation of efficient and innovative technologies for mechanical and other building systems, such as insulation, Energy Star® appliances, and windows to reduction energy usage.

Promotion of renewable energy for heating and cooling such as passive and active solar, and geothermal.

Reduction in landfill waste streams from construction by practicing on-site construction recycling, use of efficient framing and building techniques, and placing collection and storage areas in buildings.

Selection of recycled content, durable, recyclable, salvaged and sustainably manufactured, harvested or produced materials.

Placement of non-toxic, low-VOC and formaldehyde-free products such as paint or insulation to reduce or eliminate off-gassing into the home or atmosphere.

Improvement in home air quality by selecting innovative materials, using proven mold-prevention techniques, and efficient air filtering and circulation.

Ongoing work at The Sustainability Foundation includes:

Creating marketing and instructional programs that educate the public, developers, real estate and other trade professionals, and regulators about the benefits of sustainable development/building practices,

Promoting and encouraging the development of demonstration projects, in association with educational institutions, that will be used for educational and research purposes upon completion, and

Continual improvement of this web site to feature demonstration projects and provide links to other sustainable development information sources and new products and technologies.

The Sustainability Foundation website enhancement is supported by a Public Participation Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

The Built Green Home At Suncadia

Resource Packets

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