Sustainability
Green Building at Issaquah Highlands
Port Blakely Communities has pioneered sustainable development practices at Issaquah Highlands, proving smart growth can be achieved without sacrificing profitability. From storm-water practices that preserve salmon-bearing tributaries to recycling on-site materials, we've been among the first to challenge conventional suburban development practices.
The high-density community at Issaquah Highlands promotes sustainable land use by clustering development into a limited area. The development is concentrated on just 780 acres, with the 1,450 remaining acres permanently dedicated to open space.
To promote sustainability, Port Blakely engineers pioneered innovative development practices during site preparation and construction at Issaquah Highlands. Site and landscape materials are conserved, reduced, reused, and recycled to reduce job site waste and landfill deposits. During site preparation, for example, more than two million yards of top soil was moved from construction sites to local parks; crushed rock from on-site sources was used in utility trenches; and local boulders were moved to nearby parks or were crushed for road culverts and utility pipe bedding.
We also established new water conservation practices specifically tailored to the region by creating a water-wise landscape that utilizes indigenous plants, promotes groundwater recharge, and is drought tolerant. These strict landscape standards promote bio-filtration and aquifer recharge. Water is also conserved through a computerized weather monitoring system for landscape irrigation. Because of this system, Issaquah Highlands uses only about 26% of the water used by similar communities for landscape purposes.
Over the course of its development, Issaquah Highlands has served as a prime example of sustainable development for developers, planners, architects, and public officials.