Best 15 Green Building Material Companies in Washington
Images courtesy of Shelterra Group LLC, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc., Asiri Designs, and Rammed Earth Works.
If you want to build green in Washington, the first step is sourcing the best materials and then getting the job done correctly by contracting a reputable company.
These two steps are essential for a durable, long-lasting, eco-friendly home or office. Therefore, to give your project the best chance of success, you should identify the best green building material companies in Washington to work with.
Selecting the best supplier for your green building materials and an appropriate contractor can be daunting due to the many factors that come into play. There is much to consider from assessing the company’s portfolio and services to considering the most cost-effective option.
Unfortunately, you may not know where to start if you’re new to sustainable building.
In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss the best 15 green building material companies in Washington to make your search easier. I’ll cover all the essential information you need to know, including what makes each company’s offering unique and why they’re sustainable.
With this list, you’ll make an informed decision that saves energy and money in the long run. Let’s dive right in!
Rammed Earth Construction Companies in Washington
Rammed earth is among the green building materials gaining popularity today. It has a 40th of concrete’s carbon footprint and boasts a high thermal mass.
Rammed earth is made by mixing silt, gravel, sand, and clay with water to form a homogeneous paste.
In some instances, rammed earth is stabilized with 5 to 10 percent cement to make it durable and strong. The mixture is then rammed into place between formworks to create structurally sound walls or floors.
The best rammed earth construction companies in Washington include:
1. Shelterra Group LLC
Shelterra Group LLC is one of the best green building material companies in Washington, specializing in rammed earth.
Established in 1999, Shelterra Group LLC is a family-owned contracting company that focuses on building with earthen resources to minimize the adverse effects of the construction industry on the environment.
With decades of experience in using sustainable building materials, this company boasts extensive experience necessary to construct durable, energy-efficient green buildings.
Shelterra Group LLC also offers consulting and design services for clients who want to build with the aid of skilled professionals.
The company’s primary goal is to build with integrity to satisfy the customer’s needs. It achieves this by listening to a client’s needs and giving thoughtful considerations in line with the standards of green building.
Shelterra Group LLC creates its structures to be energy-efficient, durable, enjoyable, and cost-effective.
The company’s main services include:
- Building: Affordable housing, custom homes, and accessory dwelling units using rammed earth.
- Remodeling: Home improvement and renovation services, including kitchens, baths, cosmetic updating, and new room additions.
- Repair: Diagnosing and repairing existing green structures. They repair water damage, dry rot, attic air-sealing, crawl space drainage issues, and leaky doors and windows.
- Maintaining: Offering preventative property care and maintenance. These services include roofing, gutters, HVAC, windows, decks, and siding.
These services will help you build and maintain sustainable structures that conserve energy, reduce costs, and protect the environment in Washington.
2. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Established in 1998, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. provides high-quality engineering services to residential and commercial clients throughout the U.S.
Although the company is headquartered in Klamath Falls, it’s licensed in all 50 states of the United States. Therefore, you can contract it to design and build your sustainable abode in Washington.
With a focus on ensuring structural integrity and energy efficiency, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is dedicated to providing its clients with quality services that exceed their expectations.
The company takes pride in its work that protects lives and property.
The best part is that this company combines existing and emerging technologies to create customized solutions that are sustainable, beautiful, and safe.
PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. services a diverse clientele base ranging from first-time homeowners to municipal and government entities.
What sets this company apart is that it’s a HUB Zone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone). As a result, it qualifies for government Set-a-Side projects.
What’s more?
Its creative touch home design approach uses state-of-the-art software to create immersive 3D renderings that allow clients to visualize their projects before construction.
Ultimately, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. delivers quality services at competitive prices.
3. Asiri Designs
Asiri Designs is a custom home designer servicing Oregon, Washington, and the rest of the Pacific Northwest.
The company specializes in designing floor plans for structures built with sustainable materials like rammed earth.
Asiri Designs considers local materials, vernacular precedents, and building techniques to create the best floor plans for clients.
The company starts by consulting the client to understand their needs. With the client’s needs at hand, it proceeds to assess the landscape to define its orientation before designing a suitable structure.
The best part is that they provide detailed drawings for better visualization of the structure before construction.
Overall, Asiri Designs produces design plans rooted in sustainability and energy efficiency. Its designs help clients build their dream homes without compromising the environment.
The company stands out by designing based on the following phases:
- Pre-design phase: The first phase entails gathering relevant information. This is where they conduct zoning and analyze local building codes and site surveys for topography. The information obtained here is relevant for creating a rough schedule and budget estimates.
- Schematic design phase: Exploring different concepts and possibilities based on the client’s needs. It involves assessing different floor layouts and generating ideas for exterior and interior materials based on topography and the client’s needs.
- Design development phase: It involves finalizing floor plan layouts with precision, creating a lighting plan, designing interior casework and cabinetry, and coordinating with engineers to generate the best designs.
- Construction document phase: Generating comprehensive documents necessary for construction. These documents and drawings are fully annotated, specific, and dimensioned.
- Construction observation phase: Visiting construction sites to ensure the drawings are implemented correctly with high-quality materials. Asiri Designs designers on the site also respond to questions that might come up during the process.
4. Rammed Earth Works
Rammed Earth Works is one of the best green building material companies worldwide. It specializes in rammed earth panels for better insulation and heat retention.
With over 40 years of experience in the construction industry, this firm has what it takes to manufacture the best rammed earth panels to satisfy diverse needs.
Rammed Earth Works manufactures standard rammed earth panels 3 inches (7.62 cm) thick, 5 inches (12.7 cm) high, and 12 inches (30.48 cm) long.
Alternatively, you can request customized sizes to fit your specific needs.
This company is unique because it provides panel guides to ensure seamless installations. These guides are meant to ensure first-time installers are successful in the installation process.
Moreover, the guides facilitate easy repairs and maintenance practices like panel adjustments, stacking, and engineering.
Rammed Earth Works provides a sample of its panels to clients before shipping. The sample is meant to ensure clients are satisfied with the quality of their orders before shipping. This way, any dissatisfied clients can opt to make changes or cancel their orders before the shipment.
The company has a unique precast manufacturing approach that starts with color selection to determine the appropriate soil.
After selecting suitable soil, samples are made to ensure clients are happy with the final product before manufacturing. This saves both time and money.
Adobe Building Companies in Washington
Adobe bricks are made by mixing clay, sand, water, and straw, then trampling the mixture to form a homogenous mixture.
The mixture is then formed into bricks using formworks.
Instead of firing the bricks the conventional way, they’re left to dry naturally in the sun, a process that takes three to five weeks.
Adobe building companies in Washington include:
5. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.
PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. comprises structural engineers specializing in sustainable building materials like adobe.
Founded in 1998, the company offers its services throughout the United States and Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Ontario provinces in Canada.
The company’s main goal is to keep expanding its knowledge in sustainable construction materials to reach many people intending to build sustainably.
Its mission is to ensure the highest professionalism and timely service delivery at competitive rates.
PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. has a unique approach that entails teaming up with innovative and famous architects, contractors, developers, and more to deliver superior services.
Since this company operates throughout the U.S., one main challenge it might encounter is building structures that meet local building codes in every state. To address this challenge, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. works with local contractors to merge code enforcement and design in each state.
Cob Building Companies in Washington
Cob is made by mixing sand, gravel, clay, straw, and water.
The ideal composition for long-lasting cob is 35% clay and silt, 30% gravel, and 35% sand. The composition can vary slightly by +/-10%.
Cob is a green building material because its ingredients are sourced locally and don’t require transportation.
Moreover, since cob is a renewable material, it can be recycled or biodegraded at the end of its lifecycle.
The best cob building companies in Washington include:
6. Down to Earth Design
Down to Earth Design is a green building material company specializing in natural building to enhance sustainable living.
With over two decades of experience, this company is among the best providers of sustainable building services in the U.S. It designs and builds residential and commercial structures using cob.
Down to Earth Design uses natural materials to build energy-efficient and long-lasting structures.
The company designs structures compliant with U.S. building codes and suitable for any climate.
Its unique construction approach enables owner participation, where clients are included in all aspects of the building process from start to finish. Doing so ensures that clients are satisfied with the final results. It also helps save time and money.
You can contract Down to Earth Design for custom home designs that meet specific requirements.
All projects undertaken by this company incorporate the following metrics:
- Passive solar designs
- Natural daylighting
- Super-insulating walls
- Interior natural clay plasters
- Lime plasters on the exterior
- Living roofs
- Renewable energy sources
- Sustainable and healthy building materials
Bamboo Building Companies in Washington
Bamboo is an eco-friendly building material because it doesn’t require much energy to nurture.
Moreover, bamboo replenishes more quickly than trees. Therefore, it reduces the need for cutting trees for construction.
The best bamboo building companies in Washington include:
7. American Bamboo Company
Founded in 2010 in Seattle, Washington, American Bamboo Company is a premier supplier and builder of bamboo fences across the U.S.
The company’s unique approach involves handcrafting its bamboo products to ensure precise customization for all clients.
American Bamboo Company has an in-house team of experienced bamboo crafters who work on every project without subcontracting. This ensures dependable and trustworthy results.
By focusing on minimizing the carbon footprint of its products and educating the public about the benefits of bamboo, the American Bamboo Company facilitates the creation of a greener and healthier environment.
The company’s main services include:
- Bamboo removal: Experienced staff follow bamboo’s rhizomes to their terminus for efficient removal.
- Bamboo containment: It fosters the c-barrier containment bamboo planting approach since it combines trenching and containment for the best results.
- Bamboo installations: Installing bamboo fences for those looking to make their homes private and secure.
8. Bamboo Supply Company
With over 31 years of experience, Bamboo Supply Company is a go-to place for your bamboo needs.
The company specializes in bamboo poles, stakes, fences, thatching, and Moso poles.
Bamboo Supply Company believes bamboo is an ecological building material due to its resilience, excellent compression, and flexion.
Whether you want to build a bamboo gazebo or decorate your home interior or garden patio, Bamboo Supply Company has you covered. It has everything you need to get the project done.
The company has a team of helpful staff ready to assist you with your bamboo selection while answering any questions. Its main products include:
- Black bamboo
- Bamboo matting
- Thatch panels
- Flat bamboo slats
- Bamboo garden edging
- Bamboo roll fence
- Natural bamboo poles
- Natural large-diameter bamboo poles
Straw Bale Construction Companies in Washington
Straw bales (wheat, rye, rice, and oats) are compressed and used to build walls, siding, roofs, and insulation for eco-friendly housing.
The best straw bales construction companies in Washington include:
9. Living Shelter Architects
Established in 1992, Living Shelter Architects is one of the few companies in the Pacific Northwest region offering straw bale construction services.
The company boasts over 20 completed straw bale projects and hands-on workshops on straw bale building techniques.
Living Shelter Architects believes in educating people about straw bales and other sustainable building techniques.
It specializes in Nebraska and in-fill wall system straw bales building techniques.
What sets this company apart is that it’s LEED, LFA, and CPHC-certified.
10. Many Hands Builders
Many Hands Builders provides straw bale building and consulting services in Washington, Oregon, and North California.
The company helps shed light on the many facets of straw bale construction, from building codes to design and materials.
Since most people buy straw bale house plans with the “permit ready” tag, it can be confusing whether they should use the plans in their state without amendments. This is where Many Hands Builders come in handy as it helps answer questions like:
- Are the straw bale plans suited to your location?
- Are they “legacy” plans?
- Are you required to hire a professional contractor?
11. Richaven Architecture and Preservation
Richaven Architecture and Preservation specializes in sustainable designs tailored to clients’ needs.
The company offers straw bale design services aiming to minimize the impact of the built environment on the planet.
Its sustainability efforts focus on material conservation and reducing carbon impacts while generating jobs for the community.
Wood Plastic Composite Companies in Washington
Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are green building materials because they minimize deforestation.
WPCs are made by combining wood fibers, plastic, and other additives to make wood.
The best wood plastic composite companies in Washington include:
12. Composites One
Composites One positions itself as the leader in composite distribution throughout the U.S.
The company aims to provide reliable services by equipping its service providers with the necessary resources and knowledge to serve customers.
Moreover, Composites One employs some of the safest drivers throughout the U.S. to ensure the safe delivery of all orders.
It supplies wood plastic composite products ideal for the following industries:
- Construction
- Aerospace
- Recreation
- Defense
- Transportation
- Marine
13. Dow
Dow is a company that supplies construction materials throughout the U.S. It’s among the few companies that supply high-performing composites.
Dow has a unique approach toward WPCs that involves using phenolics, molding compounds (EMCs), and other thermoplastics to create high-quality products.
These additives create high-performing composites ideal for high operating temperatures and excellent efficiency.
The company’s products come in handy for the following applications:
- Vinyl
- Blow-molding bottles
- Rigid containers
- PVC plastics
- Foam pipes
- Window and door frames
- Decks, siding, and rails
14. Danner Corporation
Based in Auburn, Washington, Danner Corporation is a manufacturing firm specializing in composite systems and structures.
With over 60 years of experience, the company provides the foundation for effective and reliable composite production.
Danner Corporation offers innovative solutions that reduce energy consumption while providing high-quality composites for various applications. It offers the best in terms of component designs and the latest tooling, aiming to meet industry demands.
Some of the company’s composite lamination and assemblies include:
- Fiberglass
- Carbon fiber
- Double-tooled pressed parts with CNC trim
- Complex assemblies
15. Innovative Composite Engineering (ICE)
Innovative Composite Engineering creates complete composite solutions ranging from initial design and development to custom volume production.
ICE is among the ISO-certified composite companies in Washington offering composite products with excellent mechanical and thermal properties.
The company’s engineering team is well-versed in using advanced programs to ensure well-rounded production.
The team handles the design, engineering, tooling, testing, manufacturing, and product analysis.
The above full-spectrum services turn any conceptual design into reality.
The company’s main products include:
- Tubes
- Bladder molded
- Compression-molded
Final Thoughts On Green Building Material Companies in Washington
Washington is home to many green building material companies with different sustainable solutions.
From rammed earth and adobe to bamboo and straw bales, the state has it all when it comes to eco-friendly construction materials.
Now that you know the best green building material companies in Washington, choose one that meets your needs and budget to start building a more sustainable tomorrow.
