Whatcom County's 1st LEED Gold Certified Home!

The Marshak home located at 1807 McKenzie Ave. in Fairhaven was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for achievement in green homebuilding and design. LEED for Homes is a green home certification system for assuring homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants. LEED certified homes complete a technically rigorous process that includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections to verify that the home is built to be energy and water efficient, environmentally sound, and a healthier place to live.

The Marshak home is the FIRST home to be certified LEED Gold in Whatcom County.  The home was built by Aiki Homes, which is known for their expertise in building LEED homes.  Aiki Homes has a LEED home in process currently in Fairhaven, which is aiming for Platinum, the highest LEED rating. Green homes have substantially lower utility bills [1]and may qualify for advantageous financing, lower insurance rates and government incentives. Through their commitment to green homebuilding, Aiki Homes is helping to keep homeownership affordable.

“Aiki Homes continues to influence and inspire the design/build community in Bellingham by pioneering Zero Waste strategies and efficient construction techniques demonstrated in the Marshak home.  They are strong advocates for green building and continue to positively collaborate with local government in efforts to streamline green building.”

-Nick Hartrich, Green Building Program Manager, Sustainable Connections

Specific information about the home Located on an infill lot a few blocks from Downtown Fairhaven, The Marshak home is within walking distance of public transportation, shops and other conveniences. The home focuses heavily on reducing energy use.  The two bedroom project features a 1.8 kilowatt solar PV (photovoltaic) system, solar hot water, radiant heat, low-e argon windows, high efficiency lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, blown-in and spray foam insulation, No VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, Low VOC finishes and sealers, marmoleum and concrete flooring and energy efficient appliances.  

About USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 20,000 member companies and organizations and a comprehensive suite of LEED® green building certification systems. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations all sharing the Council’s commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. For more information, please visit www.usgbc.org.

About LEED® for Homes

LEED® for Homes is a third-party certification system for building and designing high-performance green homes that are energy-and-resource-efficient and healthy for its occupants.  Developed and administered by USGBC, LEED for Homes awards points to projects in eight categories of environmental performance: Innovation & Design Process, Location & Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Awareness & Education. To date, more than 2,200 homes have been LEED-certified, and over 14,600 are registered and under development.  For more information, visit www.thegreenhomeguide.org.