Construction Project Manager, Mark Grismer, was interviewed by Offsite Builder Magazine in the article High-Efficiency, CLT Modular Homes. Learn more about our prefabricated Building Kits and how they offer energy-efficient and fast-to-assemble solutions for multifamily residential buildings.

“When you walk into the prototype home, it feels like you’re in nature,” says Mark Grismer, Construction Project Manager. “And eliminating the steps of screwing on drywall and painting over it significantly reduces the on-site construction timeline. It also eliminates the on-site waste typically generated by drywall installation.” - Mark Grismer

Co-CEOs Aaron Fairchild and Bec Wilder were interviewed by Modern Home Builders Magazine in the article The leader of energy efficiency in the Pacific Northwest, Green Canopy NODE, is developing sustainable, healthy homes for everyone. Learn more about our current construction tech + residential real estate projects, with our partners Mercer Mass Timber and Grow Community. Plus, find out the vision for where the company is headed in the next few years.

"Through harnessing the power of manufacturing, we are hoping to improve on our sustainability targets and regenerative environmental goals." - Bec Wilder, Co-CEO of Green Canopy NODE

Green Canopy NODE’s team was pleased to host its first equity crowdfunding webinar. For those of you that were able to join the call, on behalf of the team, thank you for taking the time and for asking such insightful questions! 

Still, considering investing? Here are some key takeaways! 

Q: What do you plan to do with the money you’re raising or why are you raising money on start engine? 

A: We are raising money on start engine to democratize investing in sustainable housing. We know a lot of people are passionate about finding sustainable housing solutions and until now, only accredited investors could invest in new construction technology.  

Additional capital will allow us to go at an enhanced speed and eliminate more friction for added growth next year. 

Learn about our mission and values here. 

Q: Why is the construction industry slow to change, and what is Green Canopy NODE doing about it? 

Stakeholders in construction tend to work in silos, which is not very seamless or efficient. Combined with the long development timelines, innovation in construction is difficult. Even those that can break ground and innovate face an industry in which adopting new technologies can be a hurdle. The hack we are most excited about is integrating real estate development with a product that creates the speed to bypass long development timelines and expensive customer acquisition costs. We have already proven this out! 

Green Canopy NODE’s Construction-Tech Systems – including a whole house set of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structural and component products – improve the quality and timeliness of construction.   

Q: When is the best time for a developer to explore purchasing Green Canopy NODE’s products?   

Product inquiry usually comes during the pre-development phases of a project. Working with our Real Estate Development Services team, clients can optimize the construction process ahead, reduce timelines and increase project efficiency. We work with clients to build out a thoroughly engineered and manufactured structural solution for their project. 

Interested in knowing more about our Mass Timber model home? Sign up for our newsletter and stay tuned to our progress! 

Q: What is Coming up for Green Canopy NODE? 

Green Canopy NODE made greater progress in 2022 than anticipated. In 2023, the company will launch its fifth real estate investment fund, and it is excitedly working toward opening a new MEP light-manufacturing facility in a new region while continuing to fulfill more product.  

Likewise, we continue to be excited about the opportunity to democratize investing in our company. This is the first time the company has been able to raise capital from non-accredited investors who are interested in our company and what we are doing. Thank you for considering joining our team as a shareholder!  

We invite you to learn more about our StartEngine campaign and invest today.  

Together, we can scale sustainable, healthy homes for everyone! 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E HESTIA program awarded $2.63 Million to a research project in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL), Washington State University (WSU), and Green Canopy NODE. The project’s team will be working together over the next two years to develop ways to create affordable carbon-negative homes.

Keep reading to learn more about why this project matters and get an insider’s perspective from Green Canopy NODE’s VP of Product and Technology, Darrin Griechen.

Q. What is the project trying to do?

DG: Our goal is to research ways in which we can create not just net-zero, but also carbon-negative buildings affordably. Finding the intersection between affordability, net-zero and carbon-negative buildings is no small feat. We believe the requirements to achieve this are two-fold: feasible low-carbon construction and cost efficiency at scale. The research project will develop an innovative approach toward modular design and construction of residential buildings that centers around the reuse, recycling, and reimagination of building components, leveraging advanced manufacturing processes.

Q. How are you going to do it?

The Circular Economy

DG: We are taking a holistic project-solving approach, involving design and materials considerations with a focus on bringing about a circular economy – that is, a systemic approach to eliminating waste by reusing, recycling, and refurbishing materials, and products to expanding their lifecycle as long as possible. Rather than reusing the materials of existing buildings, our goal is to plan for new construction using bio-based materials and create the path for a circular economic cycle, where the materials can be reused or re-purposed once their lifespan in buildings is completed.

Q. What are the main challenges?

DG: We need to challenge those materials and methods that haven't really evolved in the last century. We feel that with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), we have a product that allows us to leverage advanced manufacturing to scale a solution that will be cost-competitive, while also contributing to enabling a carbon-negative home. It is also a material that can be adapted and re-used later in life without a significant amount going into the landfill, thus keeping the carbon it stores from being released into the environment.

Q. Why is this partnership between PNNL, WSU, and Green Canopy NODE the right mix for this project?

DG: This project involves a strategic partnership to realize the vision of sustainability for everyone. PNNL brings considerable experience and knowledge in understanding embodied carbon, energy efficiency, and building science, to name a few. The WSU team has expertise in engineering with composite materials, and structural engineering, alongside testing materials for certification to building codes. Green Canopy NODE intends to leverage our expertise in supply chain, CLT product development, and residential design and construction, to take it to the next level. Together, we strive to provide the needed scientific, engineering, and business foundations to innovate so others can integrate these approaches into their construction projects and scale the impact of affordable carbon-negative homes.

A Cradle-to-Grave Circular Home

A key tenant of this research is that the carbon intensity in residential buildings can be significantly decreased by using factory-built bio-based solutions.  We believe that an all-electric, modular design will allow us to minimize cost while retaining the flexibility to adapt to project needs during construction and over the lifecycle of buildings. These homes would be flexibly assembled on-site and later disassembled and reassembled into new buildings, increasing their lifespan from the traditional 50 years to over 150 years over multiple building iterations. This results in a carbon-neutral lifecycle of the building itself and the used materials.

More details about this research’s process and outcomes will be shared as it develops. Follow us to stay updated on this transformative project!

Green Canopy NODE Co-CEO, Aaron Fairchild, was recently featured for a second time on the Regenerative Real Estate Podcast by Latitude | Regenerative Real Estate in the episode "Seeing Hope Differently”.

The podcast explores our natural and built environments and how they can be used as a force for good. The show sets out to inspire impactful ideas, meaningful change, human wellness, and ecological restoration through interviews and easy to digest conversations.

In Aaron's second appearance on the podcast, and they dive deeper into his ideas about leadership, developing company culture, and hope. Aaron discusses his concept of the "arc of hypocrisy" and how he believes that the kind of hope that inspires action should not be conflated with optimism.

Green Canopy CEO, Aaron Fairchild, was recently featured on the Regenerative Real Estate Podcast by Latitude | Regenerative Real Estate in the episode "Scaling Green Developments with Aaron Fairchild." 

The podcast explores our natural and built environments and how they can be used as a force for good. The show sets out to inspire impactful ideas, meaningful change, human wellness, and ecological restoration through interviews and easy to digest conversations.

In this episode, Aaron discusses Green Canopy’s work with investors that are seeking to do good with their funds while still returning a healthy profit, alongside development ventures that provide affordable housing options and work with community-based and socially justice organizations like Nehemiah Initiative Seattle and Habitat for Humanity.

Listen to this episode to hear more of Aaron’s valuable take-aways that help to illuminate how you can make an impact in your life, career, and with your money.

Green Canopy NODE CEO Bec Chapin was featured in ConstructUtopia, discussing a day in the life as an entrepreneur, infill housing, sustainable building, and challenges for women in construction.

By Sam Lai

Taking Bold Action to Lead by Example: Jordan Morris on Living a Net Zero Energy Lifestyle

Transformation requires celebrated leaders in the community to not only lend their voices, but also to take actions in every day personal decisions, like buying a home. 

Not only are the Seattle Sounders FC committed to social justice and inclusion, they committed to carbon neutrality in 2019. Seattle Sounders FC partnered with Forterra to offset carbon emissions by planting trees along the Green-Duwamish River. This was bold and courageous action, making the Sounders the first, and only, carbon neutral professional sports franchise in US history.

Similarly, the Sounders’ star forward, Jordan Morris, has taken bold action to lead by example with a carbon-free lifestyle at home. Initially, when Jordan started his search for his new home, he was not looking to make a grandiose statement about the environment and climate change. He was looking for a comfortable, healthy, and beautiful place to call home. But when Jordan learned about the benefits of living in a certified 5-Star Built Green, Green Canopy Net Zero Energy home, he was compelled to share his story with others.  He understood that industry transformation requires higher-end market innovation to be validated by cultural leaders before innovation can make price points affordable.

Net Zero Energy homes are still extremely rare, even in the Pacific Northwest. Early adopters are required to make healthy, carbon free, Net Zero Energy lifestyles equitable and more affordable for all community members of all income levels, not just superstars.

For Jordan Morris, actions speak louder than words. He has already earned a reputation for putting his teammates first whether donning Sounders’ Rave Green or the US National stars and stripes. Off the field, Jordan is also building resilience in our environment and community.

Special thanks to the Van Wyck and Porter team for making this video possible.

To learn more about how Net Zero Energy lifestyles can also be affordable, read about the 7-unit affordable rowhouse in Ballard.

Green Canopy had the pleasure of being a part of the 2018 Annual Starbucks Sustainability Fair. This year’s fair was an opportunity to introduce the 6,000+ Partners working at the Starbucks Support Center to community resources aligned to the Partners For Sustainability mission: to educate, engage and empower Starbucks Partners to make sustainable change. Here are a few Partners we got to meet at the Green Canopy booth:

"I’m a bit of an eco-enthusiast... I was intrigued in talking about the ways that architecture impacts home temperature and how the local climate, the lot and the orientation of the structure on the lot can be leveraged to reduce a home’s carbon footprint." — Brian L.

"I'm a project manager for Starbucks in the Design & Construction Services.  I love the idea of a zero energy home, especially in our region of the US.  When utility bills can vary so hugely, it's nice to know that not only would I be keeping them steadier for our month-to-month energy costs, I would be helping to sustain resources and working against a large ecological footprint." — Nicole M.

The Green Canopy Crew enjoyed meeting so many thoughtful Starbucks Partners while finding new and old friends who are using business as a force for good in the world. Here is just a snapshot of those we met:

• Washington Wild

• International Living Future Institute

• Be Zero

• Zero Hour Seattle

• Carriage Houses

• Seattle Zero Waste

• Lime Bike

• The Works Seattle

• Washington Green Schools

• Seattle EcoWomen

Green Canopy CEO, Aaron Fairchild, was recently featured on the Next Economy Now podcast by Lift Economy in the episode "Aaron Fairchild: Rooting Into Perennial Impact Under One Green Canopy." 

The podcast "highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, democratic, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good." Green Canopy is continually inspired by Lift Economy's work to benefit all life.

Listen to this episode to hear more from Aaron about how Green Canopy is influencing the existing construction paradigm while deliberately, methodically and incrementally addressing some of society’s most difficult challenges as we collectively work to create a more resilient and regenerative future.

Aaron offers Green Canopy’s past, present and future outlook, thoughts on culture and management, the phases of the company's growth and the importance of inclusive building for a more enriching world.

For more information on Green Canopy's approach to the current construction industry, listen to "Money is a Means to an End: Scaling Your Business with Aaron Fairchild" by The Construction Leading Edge.

by Aaron Fairchild

Imagine gathering over 200 business leaders in the middle of a massive continent, where humans have lived for tens of thousands of years. The purpose? To advance a nascent movement, using business as a force for good to positively change the world. The location of this gathering? The very birthplace of our oldest instruments. There — in the deep, red earth — in the heart of an arid land, water reaches to the surface forming natural springs. The combination of water and music has charged the region with deep communal and rhythmic energy. It is hard to imagine a better place to come together. That place is Alice Springs, Australia — the location of the first ever, 2017 Australian B Corps Champions Retreat.
 
B Corporations are for-profit companies, certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Behind the Australian B Corps Champions Retreat was a team with a leader — a visionary, validator, an organizer. A master engineer, who understands the elements needed to launch a movement from the ground and elevate it in the uplifting thermals.
 
I had the chance to find this person and talk with her a number of weeks ago and have been dying to write about her ever since. Alicia Darvall was the first Executive Director of B Lab Australia & New Zealand. When she was hired by the Small Giants team in 2014 to head up B Lab Australia, there were 13 certified B Corps in the country. After three short years, the Australian & New Zealand B Corps community has grown to over 230 certified companies. Alicia came to B Lab from, not surprisingly, a background in working with entrepreneurs and organizing festivals. She has over 15-years’ experience in senior roles at fast-growing, high-profile businesses and organizations, such as Moonlight Cinema, Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne Fashion Festival. As ED for Australia & New Zealand B Lab, Alicia provided strategic support to entrepreneurs; coached them to build on their values, engage within their community and stakeholders, and measure their impact.

When I asked Alicia how she was able to grow the Australian B Corps Community so rapidly, her response was simply, “I followed flow without inserting my personal agenda.” Every movement needs its first follower, and Alicia is the ideal first follower. She is creatively inspired and wise enough to remove her ego in the effort to help others thrive. It is no wonder why B Lab elevated her. At the top of 2018, Alicia handed off the Australia & New Zealand B Lab reins to the talented Andrea De Almeida, and accepted the role of Executive Director of Global Partners. Her stated mission at B Lab Global is, “to nurture a creative manner required to build a movement that lasts.” Wow… To do this, she identifies and works with emerging B Lab regions to help them channel their unique cultural flow of energy to create movement and community.
 
In addition to helping new regions progress, Alicia works with B Lab’s network of networks, the B Lab Global Governance Council. In this effort, she helps the Council follow energy flows required to grow and develop, and then sustain their efforts through implementing earned income strategies.
 
After meeting with Alicia, I walked along the sidewalk in a shower of rain. I didn’t try and dodge the raindrops — it had been hot and humid for days and the rain refreshed my skin and soul. I couldn’t help but make the connection between the refreshing rain and our conversation. Alicia is a rare and rejuvenating leader who is tuned into the energy of others and understands that by following flow and not adding ego, amazing things happen. As a member of the B Corps community, Green Canopy is grateful that she is a leader in our network, helping to make our work lasting and transformative. Thanks Alicia!

Green Canopy Cofounder, Sam Lai, was featured by Presidio Graduate School (PGS) in the article, "Net Zero Hero". Sam is an alumnus of the Sustainable MBA program at PGS — the graduate school that "educates and inspires a new generation of skilled, visionary and enterprising leaders to transform business and public policy and create a more just, prosperous and sustainable world." Presidio Graduate School has earned accreditation in the sustainability-sphere and acquired Pinchot University (formerly Bainbridge Graduate Institute).

Sam tells Shawna Cain, "I selected PGS after a process of visiting classes and interviewing students and asking what their experiences were like. I realized that what I wanted was:

1. A tribe. I wanted to be connected to people who cared about what I care about. I didn't want to be just another number, just another competitor

2. I wanted to deepen my commitment and I wanted have a broader view of the way the systems work that perpetuate some of these challenges like climate change that we deal with all the time

Finally, the biggest impact that I think graduate school has had for me, beyond some of the hard skills, is that when you go to Presidio Graduate School you're able to look deep within yourself, and understand how to optimize our own personal growth, and I don't think any graduate school is able to do that the way PGS does​."

Green Canopy's Alexa Ashley further interviewed Sam on his time at Presidio Graduate School and the value he took away from the Sustainable MBA Program:

AA: How did PGS teach you to think in systems?
SL: One of the things we did in first quarter was systems mapping, which is its own discipline, where you look at different components of how the world is structured, how  businesses are structured, environmental systems are structured. You deconstruct them, allowing you to understand the components and then you can see how they’re integrated. So often in business you might be a specialist and you might have mastery in one thing — but you may be working 100% in the wrong direction because you haven’t taken that high-level, systems-level view.

AA: What is the most value that you took away from the Presidio Graduate School MBA Program?
SL: The opportunity to practice and take big risks, and explore ideas, that typically — in the business setting — there just isn’t enough bandwidth or space or willingness from everyone, to just take a wild idea, to play with it, to deconstruct it, and to go all the way with it in a risk-free environment.

I saw lots of people grow from not having much experience in public speaking to feeling comfortable with it at the end of the program. For me, I was able to take storytelling and public presentation and be able to have a very formal structure to bounce off of and play with to where now I feel very confident. I now have a process to be able to get from point A to point B in a very short amount of time because that’s what the process forces you to do. It says, “Okay you have an idea? Okay, test it. Prototype it. Get up and talk about it." That’s a lot of what we do in business. We iterate through ideas very rapidly — and that’s what’s required for progress. 

It’s really encouraging and energizing to see other people that are just as passionate about sustainability and improving our world and that they are professionals engaged in business, and the curation of those two characteristics are unique to the PGS tribe.

Watch Shawna Cain's interview with Sam Lai below and read her article, "Net Zero Hero".

Green Canopy is pleased to be featured in the Winter issue of Modern Home Builder Magazine. The feature titled "Green Canopy Homes: Problem Solvers" was written by Tim O'Conner in the "Smart Homes" section. Here are a few quotes:

"Communities and homebuilders are accustomed to working with companies that have craftsmen but that lack a larger purpose. Green Canopy strives to marry its skill for building quality homes with its belief that homebuilding can improve communities." 

"When Green Canopy Homes builds a new project, it gets the entire neighborhood involved. The company holds community meetings at the onset of every project, often before it takes ownership of the property."

"'We didn't start the company just to make money," Fairchild says, "We started started the company to make money work for positive change.'"

"In building energy-efficient homes, Green Canopy hopes to evoke change throughout the entire market."

"Affordable homes will build on Green Canopy's effort to solve social problems through responsible building. "Our cities are not vibrant if they are only enclaves of the affluent," Fairchild says.'"

Green Canopy is fortunate to have a couple executives who hold Executive MBA degrees from the esteemed University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, including CEO and Founder, Aaron Fairchild and CFO, Andy Wolverton.
 
The EMBA degree is “a rigorous, lockstep MBA curriculum, taught by the best business school faculty, to a select, accomplished cohort” and is designed to coincide with a typical work schedule, while providing a longstanding community and network.
 
After working in his father’s banking business for almost a decade, then gaining insight on energy-efficiency from working at Puget Sound Energy, Aaron decided to start his own business and realized the benefits of earning an MBA. “The EMBA experience showed me how much of a load I can really carry… I saw that I can build a business approach and model that serves investors, and their social, environmental and financial values as much as mine, while we collectively move a market and create positive and meaningful impact for the planet for future generations.” – Green Canopy CEO, Aaron Fairchild

Green Canopy CFO, Andy Wolverton, adds “The program helped me grow professionally in that it gave me another set of questions to ask. Going into a meeting, I had a new perspective and I was armed with examples that I had seen in class or topics that I was learning about that gave me a broader perspective on our business. It directly helped me be CFO in giving me confidence around how to communicate what I’m doing. Whether it’s to our employees or to our investors.”
 
“The program allows the students to go back and add value to their organizations in real-time, in addition to providing long-term benefits. Because I was working at Green Canopy while going through the program and was, every night, reading case studies or articles and then having to think about them, talk about them in class, I was able to come back to the office and apply them right away. Some of the connections I have, who are a well-spring of knowledge that I wouldn’t have otherwise, are now people throughout the city, throughout the region, who I can contact and get advice from.”

The Foster School of Business’s EMBA publication, the Edge recently featured Aaron and Green Canopy in the article, “Building Better Homes for People, the Community and the Planet.” Here are a few quotes:
 
“Through harnessing the collective knowledge of the people I have met along the way and work with today, and coupling that with the education I received through the EMBA, I have come to understand that, while there are limits to everything there is very little that I can’t accomplish.” – Aaron Fairchild
 
“(Green Canopy’s) homes are exceptional in both construction quality and design, and Green Canopy is one of the first urban infill companies in the region to programmatically build net-zero energy, four-and-five-star, Built-Green, and LEED-certified homes.” – UW, Foster School of Business
 
“We’re the only for-profit homebuilder we’re aware of in America that was intentionally and deliberately started to combat and lessen negative impacts of climate change and resource scarcity via in-city homebuilding. We’re pivoting an entire market by engaging the real estate ecosystem continuum: from investors to builders, suppliers to banks, mortgage lenders to appraisers, agents to homebuyers. They’re all a part of the process.”–Aaron Fairchild
 
Read the full article and magazine on the Foster School of Business EMBA website.

Rose Bunao works alongside Jay Miller at Alchemy - a Keller Williams brokerage in downtown Seattle. We are thrilled to see their group represented on both the listing and the sales side of the Green Genius Awards! Not only are these agents up for the awards - but their brokerage is too!

Congrats to Rose and Jay! 

Rose Bunao
Green Genius Selling Agent of the Year Finalist
Redfin Real Estate - Central Seattle

• Sam: What gets you excited about the green building movement?

• Rose: The excitement  I get is when I am seeing a lot more of this  home being  built in our community as I am driving around in Heart of  Seattle and few on the East Side.     I take pride of able to share and show this home to my potential, past and  future clientals”   what Built Green homes offer with a Safer,  Healthier, Environmental Friendly, and the Engergy efficiency.  Knowing that there home they have purchase is going to provide them a better  and newer living experiences and be able to utilized this features.   The New  Sleek Contemporary elevation look to it,  features  and the interior finishes product.   I am always anxious to hold open house on the weekends, looking forward to be  and be able to show this homes to Buyers. 

• Sam: What was your favorite green project? 

• Rose: My favorite green site project are those homes that was Built with the  Great View.   When your on the Roof Deck  over looking  a 360 view of Puget Sound,  and or  360  view of Lake Washington,  with the Combination a 360 Mount Rainier, Cascade Mountain the combination to be able to see the 4 Views on the Roof Deck.     What more can you asked living hear in in the Northwest having a view like that.    Recent  one that I sold that had a 360 View of Puget Sound, and Mt. Rainier, and the Downtown City Scape,  was Builder  ISOLA homes,  on  corner of 30thand Judkins in Leschi -  3003 Judkins Street Seattle.
  

• Sam:  What advice would you give to buyers and sellers of green homes?

• Rose: My advice to  Buyers is buying a green built home is good investment to get into they will never regret , because what the feature it offers.   For the Sellers and Builders,  to keep up the great work ! of building more of this homes, because   they are still a lot of buyers out there awaiting more inventory of this homes to select from. “Supply on Demand” there not enough out there and they sell very quick ! too much buyers not enough homes for sale. 

• Sam: What do you like most about living in the PNW?  

• Rose: I have been living here in Washington for almost 18 years now,  originally from Hawaii, Island of Kauai. I reside on the East Side, of  Issaquah/Preston area on an acreage land with I have a few" Chickens/Hens" as my Pets and they lays fresh eggs daily,  and able to have it on your property.“  I like the nature life of having to see both the Evergreen Mountain forestry environment,  wilderness smell and the cleanness environment and having Lakes, the  Puget Sounds just nearby and have both the combination both of “ City Life” and  “Suburb Nature Life”has been great !  I can never asked for more. Best of Both Worlds. Growing up as a child, up to my teenagers years, on the island of Kauai, in which  offers lots of Nature Life.  We have that here too.   I  Never get  home sick  here in the Pacific Northwest,  where I grew,  it does have the similarity of what  Pacific Northwest Offers as well able to live he  take a trip natural nature environment, to the forest  to go camping,  skiing , Ski Resort is just short distance drive from my home, fishing, crabbing or pleasure boating ride,   but yet still have a Big City  Life ,  nearby is a great combination. Good long Summer, and combination of Winter, Fall, and Spring be able to see color changes during the 4 Seasons. Though it does rain here  a lot in Washington during the winter. Its almost like being on the Island of  Kauai where it does  rains a lot there too.  Kauai is as you known for one of the Wettest Spot on Earth with Plenty of  Record Rains. Which  I grown custom too :) don’t mind at all. 

• Sam: What is your favorite pump up song? 

• Rose:  Jimmy Cliff – “ I Can See Cleary Now “

• Sam: What is your favorite comfort food?

•  Rose: “Beef Stew over  Rice”

This year Redfin is topping the charts in the green home sales department. It is staggering to see the number of Redfin clients who are choosing green homes over other competitive properties. Perhaps it could be because Redfin is a next-generation company that represents an evolution in the way homes are bought and sold. It caters to a clientele that wants to be more involved in their home search and wants information at their fingertips, on their terms. 

But the tech alone isn't enough to qualify a great real estate service. Redfin also employs dozens of experienced real estate agents like Allie Howard and Karlyn Goetz. Allie will be a third time finalist for the Green Genius awards this year and Karlyn is setting new personal records for green home sales. When you are working with advanced buyers who know what they want - your agents have to be just as knowledgeable and these agents certainly know what is important when it comes to energy efficiency, walkability and sustainable construction.

What Redfin has proven is that when you enhance the experience of the hunt, give your clients the right tools, and include a team of full-service real estate agents who are advocates for their customers rather than the typical salespeople - you empower your customers. When customers are empowered - they buy homes that align with their values, rather than something an agent sold them on. They buy green homes.

Redfin is a Green Genius Selling Office of the Year finalist and Allie and Karlyn are both Selling Agent finalists. They have certainly helped to transform the local market.

Solo Lofts - courtesy of Redfin

Allie Howard
Green Genius Selling Agent of the Year Finalist
Redfin Real Estate -  North Capitol Hill, Madrona and Madison Park

• Sam: What gets you excited about the green building movement?

• Allie: Having grown up with a strong connection to nature and an inherent instinct to protect our natural resources, there are many things that excite me about green building. Currently, Greywater recycling and water conservation efforts are in the forefront of my thoughts.
  

• Sam: What was your favorite green project?

• Allie: Solo Lofts in Ballard; not only is it a fantastic Built Green 4-star project, but they also hired Green-centric Brokers to represent them.
  

• Sam: What advice would you give to buyers and sellers of green homes?

• Allie: Green homes have a broad appeal for many types of buyers. In addition to the practicality of using sustainably harvested building material and recycled products, indoor air quality and energy savings are also improved . There are typically better design elements throughout green homes as well, improving the quality of life for the homeowner and helps preserve the resale value of their investment.
  

• Sam: What do you like most about living in the PNW?

• Allie: I love the current of creative energy that flows throughout the Pacific Northwest. The abundance of natural beauty and outgoing attitude of the people who call the PNW home make it a really inspiring place to live and thrive.
  

• Sam: What is your favorite pump up song? 

• Allie: Revolution by The Beatles 
  

• Sam: What is your favorite comfort food?

• Allie: I love Creole and Cajun food, especially when I am down in NOLA with live music in the air.
  

Karlyn Goetz
Green Genius Selling Agent of the Year Finalist
Redfin Real Estate - Central Seattle

• Sam: What gets you excited about the green building movement?

• Karlyn: Honestly, it’s how quickly green homes are catching on. Aside from the eco-friendly features, so many of my buyers love green homes for the clean, modern look and family friendly spaces. Green homes tend to be very ‘livable,’ making the decision to buy green easy!
  

• Sam: What was your favorite green project?

• Karlyn: My favorite project I’ve seen recently is Dwell’s new Emerald Star Home in Ballard.  I love the unique character it has from the use of reclaimed materials. Finding cool original wood floors in 100-year old homes makes me so happy, so why not put them in a new home too?
  

• Sam: What advice would you give to buyers and sellers of green homes?

• Karlyn: Get to know the features of the home that make it unique. Often, buyers know that it’s a green build, but don’t realize the many details that set it apart.
  

• Sam: What do you like most about living in the PNW?

• Karlyn: The water and mountain views!! I’m a city girl at heart, but I LOVE that Seattle is so connected with nature. I’m on Lake Union every morning and in the mountains every chance I get!
  

• Sam: What is your favorite pump up song? 

• Karlyn: Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
  

• Sam: What is your favorite comfort food?

• Karlyn: If I could live off of homemade mac and cheese alone, I would! :)

Last week we posted about local Brokers who are making an impact in the Seattle real estate market. That list could never be complete without a hat's-off to Susan Stasik. Susan has won the Green Genius Awards for Listing Agent of the Year for the last two years - and we are so honored to know her, her work and the work that she does with one of Seattle's most notable builders - Dwell Development,

Dwell's mission is to create livable, walkable, sustainable communities. They are responsible for completeing over 40 Built Green properties in the mixed-income community of Rainier Vista near the light rail - as well as completing the first Emerald Star Built Green Spec Home in Seattle.

That's what the Green Genius Awards are all about - educating a community and transforming the market to consider sustainability when homes are bought and sold. That's Susan's job. 

Susan Stasik
Green Genius Listing Agent of the Year Finalist
Windermere Real Estate  -  Madison Park

• Sam: What gets you excited about the green building movement?

• Susan: I am buying some acreage in Ce Elum’s high country where I hope to some day soon build a home as close to off-grid that I can achieve, so my most-immediate answer would be solar. Building a home that doesn't have to be hooked up to utilities is an amazing feeling. And now so many buyers and builders are using solar and that is an exciting thing to take advantage of. 

• Sam: What was your favorite green project?

• Susan:  Probably our most recent Emerald Star project. From finding the lot at the very beginning to getting the site orientation correct, and all of the details like the 450% efficiency Sanden heat pump, the barn wood, and the energy efficiency. The Emerald Star home was pre-sold, but there was so much geeking-out about the home. It was fun.
  

• Sam: What advice would you give to buyers and sellers of green homes?

• Understand the green features... there's a difference between green enough vs sustainability/health and energy efficiency.

• Sam: What do you like most about living in the PNW?

• Susan: I love Seattle. It is a vibrant, big city with big city issues - but the progressiveness of the city is amazing. You can't get that everywhere. We are lucky.
  

• Sam: What was your superlative in high school – (ie most likely too…)?

• Susan: Most likely to Lead. I had a wide assortment of friends.
  

• Sam: What is your favorite pump up song? 
  

• Susan: Most recently it would have to be the mashup of Rachel Platten & Kelly Clarkston's Heartbeat Fight Song.

• Sam: What is your favorite comfort food?

• Susan: Definitely cheese & bread.

No one is questioning the success of the Seattle real estate market right now - but to folks like Susan Stasik, third time finalist for the Green Genius awards, its not about the quantity of home sales that really make her job worthwhile - its about the quality of the homes being sold; its about the people and the attitude toward better living; its about making an impact that affects more than just your pocketbook. Susan along with the rest of the Green Genius Finalists have more than one thing in common. First and foremost they are all stellar agents who know how to treat their clients, negotiate, and navigate the complex landscape of the Seattle housing market. They are all fierce agents with a passion for their jobs. But they do more than just navigate... they shape our market. 

These Green Genius Agents have managed to really push the needle in real estate while simultaneously helping the Emerald City build a reputation for progressive, sustainable living. They are at the forefront of a national trend, and we couldn't be more excited to award their positive influence.

On September 9th - we will announce the winners of the Green Genius Awards at the Annual Built Green Conference in Seattle. Each winner will receive a cash prize. We are thrilled to award these brokers for all they have done this past year. 

We asked each finalist a number of questions to get to know them before the Award Ceremony. Here is the first of seven posts. Let's see what Jay Miller has to say about green building!

Jay Miller 
JAY MILLER - Green Genius Listing Agent of the Year Finalist
Keller Williams Realty  -  Alchemy Real Estate Group

Sam: What gets you excited about the green building movement?

• Jay: If we can translate the green movement in the same way the EPA has done with MPG stickers for cars, the energy efficiency and lower cost of owning a home (and communicating this to buyers) seems to me to be the most important. What does green in their wallet mean? We are a little numb to Energy Star and efficient hot water heaters, and it’s hard to know what overall impact it has on the home as a whole.

• Sam: What was your favorite green project?

• Jay: I loved all of the green projects I worked on this year of course! My favorite Isola project, the Woodlawn avenue "Licton Springs" because they felt truly stand-alone and AFFORDABLE GREEN.

• Sam: What advice would you give to buyers and sellers of green homes?

• Jay: It's easy to share with a buyer that an investment in a green home today, may seem like it's pushing the norm, but it's GOING to be the norm in 4.5 years when they sell. Setting up yourself to be a competitive green seller in a market that will soon have that as the norm.

• For green builders, while mathmatically, they might sell for more...we haven't seen a recession yet...and there's better insulation against market swings.

• Sam: What do you like most about living in the PNW?

• Jay: That's it's turned into San Diego... but with better weather. The climate, activity & people make the PNW worthwhile. Two years ago I thought my family would have moved because of the weather - but now we are actually staying because of it.

• Sam: What was your superlative in high school – (ie most likely too…)?

• Jay: (Laughs) I’m not sure I was voted for anything, but if I was, it would’ve been in 5th grade.  I may’ve been voted most likely to succeed in business, in Mr Ito's class. I owned 1/2 the class businesses at the end of the year in a class market simulator project.  I don’t think that’s what Mr. Ito had in mind when he set up the project!  

• Sam: What is your favorite pump up song? 

• Jay:  Huh? 
  

• Sam:  You know…like you’re about to step into a heated negotiation…or you’re very, very late coming home from work…or both.  What do you play in the car at ear wrecking volume to get yourself pumped up?

• Jay: Black Eyed Peas - don't stop the party

• Sam: What is your favorite comfort food?

• Jay:  I think a snobby burger is the right fit... Cowboy cheeseburger at Eureka

"Having beautiful product that is also incredibly energy efficient means it costs less to own and we mitigate more greenhouse gas emissions.”

We’re proud to share that we were recently featured in the Summer 2015 issue of Modern Builder + Design magazine! Our own Aaron Fairchild outlined Green Canopy’s mission, process, and motivations in the eight page spread.  He speaks to the importance of recognizing the impact our builds are making on both the environment, and on the community around us. 

“With educational programs, green building and renovation techniques, and unparalleled community engagement, Green Canopy is as much a movement as it is a business. 
Green Canopy Homes’ earth-friendly ethos is not limited to an end product: homes, renovations- and now custom- properties that sell for up to $1.5 million and meet rigorous standards for energy efficiency, quality and beauty. 
The company goes beyond its relationship with individual homebuyers to try to affect change in the market overall- through innovative education channels and partnerships. 
‘We have shifted this local market toward greater awareness of the benefits of resource efficiency and certified green product at the time homes are bought and sold,’ President Aaron Fairchild says.” (p. 63)

The article continues on to highlight Aaron’s goals and specific processes for accomplishing the Green Canopy mission.  He even mentions the Empower Happy Hours! 

We are also so thankful for Ballard Reuse, Northwest Electric & Solar, and Performance Insulation for being a part of this spread with us. 

Check out more here: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/translucent/mbd_2015summer/#/62