Preserving History & Environmentally Sensitive Practices Renew, Re-use, Reduce and Recycle are the familiar goals of building green and Soleil is avidly committed to these practices. We also believe in preserving history, when allowable, and building to integrate homes with the integrity and character of the neighborhood. Soleil is Built Green™ Every home Soleil develops qualifies as Built Green™. Its newest projects are all 3- or 4-Star rated. Built Green is an environmentally-friendly, residential building program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, developed in partnership with King County and Snohomish County. Created to promote and reward green building practices, Built Green provides a certified Star rating system to acknowledge a builder’s use of sustainable materials and practices in residential construction. Restoration & Rehab Soleil goes out of its way to restore and rehab a property knowing that these practices will benefit the environment and also add value and beauty to the home. To preserve the historic flavor of a building, we’ll sooner rehab the existing structure and build behind it, rather than tearing it down and compromising the character of a street or neighborhood. It may cost extra time and require more labor but we’ll harvest wood flooring, absorb the cost of hand-demolition to save doors, repair versus replace significant architectural elements, all in order to re-use materials and reduce construction waste. Additionally, re-using and restoring adds wonderful aesthetic accents to our rehabbed homes. Recycling & Salvaging Stained glass, period lighting, reclaimed hardwood floors, restored architectural elements-these are just a few examples of the building materials Soleil recycles, salvages and installs in its homes. We also partner with salvage companies such as EarthWise to go the extra mile to support green practices and add vintage elements to our homes. Our Cottages - Preserving Neighborhood Flavor Our cottage projects have been specifically designed to integrate harmoniously into their single family neighborhoods. These in-city developments meet the need for more urban housing as well as fitting the character and feel of the neighborhood. Built on a smaller scale than the townhouse, our cottages are only 17-20 feet high versus 35 feet high, benefiting the whole dynamic of street appearances and property values in the area. Energy Efficiency, Renewable Resources, & Other Environmentally Sensitive Practices Soleil utilizes a variety of green practices to promote energy efficiency such as installing Energy Star™ appliances, hydronic heating systems, HardiBoard siding, and bamboo flooring—all fostering environmentally sound practices. When landscaping, we’ll reduce stormwater runoff by installing permeable asphalt or GrassCrete®. We’ll also use drought-tolerant plants to reduce watering needs.