The Bullit Center: Encountering Innovation
Last week, several members of the MRM team toured the amazing Bullitt Center, the first commercial Living Building in the country, located on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. The building was developed by the Bullitt Foundation and will serve as its new global headquarters. The building is designed by Miller Hull, a firm focused on socially responsible architecture. Stay tuned because the grand opening is planned for April 2013!
So, what’s a living building?
Developed by our local Green Building Chapter, it raises the bar from building greener projects that create less harm to our planet to creating projects that are restorative. Key imperatives include the site, net-zero energy and water use, health, nonhazardous materials use, bias towards locally sourced products, equity and beauty (and maybe a little whimsy).
The project’s key ultra-green features of this six-story, 50,000 SF project include:
- Built for longevity with a 250-year projected life
- Designed for adaptability (commercial space could also function as living spaces in the future)
- Rooftop solar renewable energy and ground source heat pumps
- Tight building envelope
- Irresistible central staircase to promote walking
- Centralized data servers for whole building use
- Tenant specific energy management systems with conservation incentives
- FSC wood throughout including construction materials
- Daylighting strategies and smart programmable windows
- Red List Materials and Finishes
- Minimal water use composting toilets
- Extensive rainwater collection systems
- Rooftop and adjacent rain gardens
- A new community park / gathering space
The tour was inspirational and informative. It, and our recent successful LEED for Homes, Platinum new-construction project, reminds us that we must continually stay current about green building innovation. And we are fortunate to work with architects and clients who demand socially responsible remodeling and building techniques. What seems like idealism to some is now becoming more mainstream.
Your project, no matter the size, can benefit from our experience and dedication to green building.
