Green Home Builder interviews Mike Frey
Green Home Builder asks Mike Frey, Vice President of Noyes Development, questions about the current and future state of green home building.
Green Home Builder: Noyes Development has built a strong reputation for quality and community-focused design. Which recent projects best reflect this philosophy, and what features or approaches made them stand out in today’s competitive Pacific Northwest market?
Mike Frey: Two recent projects that stand out as examples of Noyes Development’s commitment to quality and community-focused design are Finnley Woods and Highlands at North Bethany. Finnley Woods was created with a clear goal: to make it possible for more people in the community to enjoy the comfort, performance and craftsmanship of a Noyes home. By designing these contemporary farmhouse residences in a more affordable package, we opened the door for a wider range of buyers to experience the benefits of sustainable, high-quality construction.
Nestled in the trees with green space views and outdoor living opportunities, Finnley Woods delivers both beauty and function. Every home features advanced systems such as ducts inside the conditioned space, variable-speed heat pumps, tankless water heaters, advanced framing, rainscreen siding assemblies, energy-coated windows, EV outlets, solar-ready construction and precision air sealing with AeroBarrier. Many floor plans include an optional separate living space to meet the needs of multi-generational households, a growing priority in the Pacific Northwest.
Another way Finnley Woods promoted and strengthened the community was through a partnership with the parks district. Part of the property was used to enhance the local trail system, creating a connector between two existing trails. Noyes took responsibility for grading and paving the trail, streamlining the process and giving homeowners and surrounding neighbors early access to this beautiful nature trail, improving walkability and allowing the community to enjoy the trail system much sooner than would have been possible if the parks district had built it themselves.
Highlands at North Bethany was designed to integrate community amenities from the very beginning. During the development phase, Noyes dedicated 1.5 acres to the parks district for a neighborhood park, completing grading, retaining walls, fencing and other improvements before its June 2022 opening. We also partnered with the parks district to create a trail connection into the Greater North Bethany Trail Plan, enhancing walkability and strengthening ties between neighbors and the surrounding area.
Today, Highlands at North Bethany is home to a vibrant mix of cultures and backgrounds, with most homes backing to natural areas or offering greenspace views. Combined with excellent schools, outdoor amenities and proximity to employment hubs, it’s a neighborhood built for long-term success.
GHB: Sustainability is a growing priority for homebuyers. How is Noyes Development incorporating green building strategies, such as energy efficiency, material selection and moisture control, into your current and future communities?
MF: At Noyes Development, quality has always been our foundation. In 2010, we undertook a comprehensive review of our construction practices and confirmed that the core of true high-performance building is, in fact, quality-driven work. From there, we sharpened our focus on four key values—sustainability, comfort, efficiency and durability—and our entire team has rallied around them. Every home we build is designed to perform at least 30% better than code. Building above code is important to us because it delivers real, measurable benefits: greater year-round comfort, healthier indoor air and remarkably low utility bills. These features demonstrate lasting value to homeowners and also benefit the world at large through a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
We integrate sustainable building strategies into every step of construction—high-performance insulation and air sealing, high efficiency variable speed heat pumps, Energy Recovery Ventilators, durable low-VOC materials and rigorous moisture control assemblies designed for the Pacific Northwest’s climate. All of our homes are solar-ready, making them well positioned for a net-zero energy future. Our commitment isn’t just about meeting today’s sustainability standards, it’s about setting a higher standard for tomorrow, creating homes that remain comfortable, healthy and efficient for decades.
GHB: The housing market continues to adjust to shifting interest rates, buyer expectations and inventory levels. How is Noyes Development adapting its approach to meet these changing market dynamics?
MF: The housing market is always evolving, and we see each shift as an opportunity to fine-tune our approach. While interest rates, buyer expectations and inventory levels change, our core philosophy remains the same: build homes that deliver lasting value through quality, performance and thoughtful design. We’ve found that in uncertain markets, buyers are more focused than ever on what they’re truly getting for their investment. These standards ensure lower utility bills, greater comfort and healthier indoor air features that remain valuable regardless of market conditions.
On the design side, we’re prioritizing flexibility and functionality in our floor plans, including options for multi-generational living, private work-from-home spaces, primaries-on-main and strong indoor–outdoor connections with an emphasis on outdoor living. From a development perspective, we are highly selective in our choice of location and we’re strategic about community planning by integrating parks, trails and natural areas to enhance long-term desirability. We are proactive about managing timelines and costs through early coordination with partners and local agencies.
In short, our adaptation is not about chasing short-term market trends, but about reinforcing the qualities that make our homes and communities stand out in any market cycle: quality-driven construction, sustainable performance and a design approach that supports how people truly live today.
GHB: As Vice President, you’ve seen the industry evolve over the past two decades. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for homebuilders in the Pacific Northwest over the next 12–24 months?
MF: The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful area, and the Portland Metro region has tremendous potential. As other parts of the country face extreme weather, we enjoy a mild climate. We’re near the coast, near the mountains, surrounded by greenery and nature, but we still have an urban core with great restaurants and entertainment options. Downtown has suffered some setbacks in recent years but many stakeholders are working on revitalizing the area. Nearby suburbs are also wonderful communities with high-quality employment and diverse housing options.
There seems to be more political will for solving some of the challenges the area has been facing, including finding ways to simplify bringing homes to market in order to help alleviate the housing crisis. Local companies and homebuilders can continue to invest in our community as part of a public-private partnership that is gaining momentum. Our participation will be critical in restoring Portland to the popular destination it was not long ago.
GHB: Looking ahead, what upcoming projects or innovations are you most excited about, and how will they influence Noyes Development’s direction in the years to come?
MF: We continue to explore opportunities to diversify our product line without sacrificing our values or our brand. We can’t necessarily match the housing needs of every type, but we can certainly meet a lot of needs in the local market. We will continue to build our classic high-end luxury homes and will create more opportunities for homes at mid-tier price points that are constructed without sacrificing our signature quality. We have begun offering remodeling services, so people have a reputable, knowledgeable local resource for updating their existing homes, especially if they share our passion for quality, health, comfort, sustainability and efficiency.
We’ll continue to push for innovative, low-impact options that we can incorporate into our homes, while carefully testing them to ensure they will serve our customers well long-term. For example, the model home in our Creekside at Westview subdivision is net-positive and features a PointGuard battery backup system with bi-directional or vehicle to home capabilities, providing incredible resiliency for a homeowner. The home also features smart home monitoring and management from RIoT Technology as part of some product testing we are participating in currently. We have our eyes set on additional fire hardening processes as a forward-thinking step in an area that has not experienced such events, but could in the future. We’re also really looking forward to some improved water heating technology in the next 5-10 years. So much of what we can do relies on manufacturers and suppliers bringing new products to market with reliable supply chains and attainable pricing.
Mike Frey drives the vision for Noyes Development’s home construction and oversees the general operations for the company. He can be contacted at mike.frey@noyesdevelopment.com.
Green Home Builder featured Noyes Development’s Creekside at Westview in the Sept/ Oct issue of Green Home Builder
This is the full version of the Green Home Builder Interview, to see the magazine version,
