Green building champion Tadashi Shiga reconnects with UW Bothell

Alum Tadashi Shiga (’96) is an evangelist for sustainable living. Shiga’s passion for energy efficiency runs deep, as do his local roots as a third generation Seattleite. With 20+ years in real estate development, it was the 2007 economic downturn that sparked Shiga’s passion for green building. Faced with the market’s uncertainty, he began researching sustainability and energy efficiency for homes, eventually founding Evergreen Certified, the Pacific Northwest’s premier sustainable building consultancy. Evergreen Certified has a client base of 250 builders and provides verifier and rater services for programs, such as Energy Star, Passive House, Net Zero Energy, and National Green Building Standard. In 2018, Shiga received the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties’ Built Green Pioneer Award for his integral role in developing and maintaining environmentally sound design, construction, and development practices in Washington’s cities and communities.

Shiga’s reconnection to UW Bothell was rather serendipitous. In 2017, colleague Chris van Daalen of NW EcoBuild Guild told him about a project opportunity with Dr. Steven Collins' “Citizen Engineer” course. Collins happened to be Shiga’s favorite teacher and mentor while at UW Bothell, so he enthusiastically agreed. Collins was thrilled to reconnect with Shiga, who through Citizen Engineer shared his experiences with green building and the key role engineers play in working with local government to ensure their building innovations comply with local building and energy codes.

Says Shiga, “My experience at UW Bothell was a transformative time in my life. UW Bothell’s faculty, particularly, Professor Collins, whose passion for life and teaching, provided inspiration and tools that have guided me throughout my life. Recently, I reconnected with UW Bothell, and it’s great to see that the magic is still there! I’m looking forward to collaborating with faculty and students on innovative climate and affordable housing solutions. Let’s create a brighter world together. Go Dawgs!”