This post is by Jared Silliker, a new contributor to the Building Green Blog.

Want some inspiration in our current housing crunch? I’ve had the good fortune to tour a couple Central District projects designed and built by the architect/developer duo of Brad Khouri and Graham Black. And the back stories are just as impressive as

Urban Canyon

the finished products.

To start, both Khouri, who runs b9 architects, and Black, owner of gProjects, bicycle to all their projects and strive for designs that integrate with the neighborhood’s character and scale. They are big fans of the design review process, which they say encourages better and more profitable projects.

While Khouri designs efficient and smart use of space for these human-scale homes, Black concentrates on salvaging building materials for reuse. A couple projects, for instance, use reclaimed wood from old Fort Lewis barracks that dates to the 1930s. And Black employs all his own builders in order to maintain quality and pay competitive rates. The final result are modern homes that fit and work–efficient on resources and high on function and style.

And with the market bearing down, the best inspiration may be that the homes are selling. There’s plenty of evidence to build green, but clear market success will most quickly drive more quality sustainable projects.

AIA Seattle is hosting a case study and tour tomorrow at the Urban Canyon (pictured above), Khouri’s and Black’s latest project at 19th and Pine, which is the first 5-Star Built Green multi-family development in Seattle. The Alley House, a Madison Valley urban infill residence seeking LEED Platinum, by Urbanmix and Cascade Built, will also be highlighted. Check out www.aiaseattle.org as space is limited.

If you think solar doesn’t work in Washington, a tour tomorrow is itching to prove you wrong.

The Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club invites you to tour a home tomorrow that is heated by solar power.  It also happens to be owned and lived in by a politician - Steve Bernheim of the Edmonds City Council.

Eric Teegarden of Sunergy Systems, the engineer who designed the installation, will lead participants along the tour. Meet at 1:30 p.m. at 21221 Pioneer Way, Edmonds 98026, to attend the tour. Call (425) 771-7715 with any questions.

RED ALERT! Hanford tours are open for registration and they are going FAST! If the idea of touring Hanford has been moldering around in your head, wait no more! The Department of Energy just announced 48 Hanford tour dates in April, July, August and September. Registration opened at midnight last night…. And they’re already booked until the August session. These go fast!

Tours last five hours and run three times a day at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. They’re free, though participants must be 18 with valid identification to attend.

For more information or to sign up RIGHT NOW, press here .