Now known as the “world’s greenest office building,†Seattle’s Bullitt Center, currently undergoing the process of obtaining Living Building certification, opened to the public on Earth Day.
Designed by Miller Hull Partnership, the six-story, 50,000-square-foot building is not only known as one of the greenest office buildings in the world, but also defied the building regulations in the Capitol Hood neighborhood that are known for preventing the development of green buildings.
The Bullitt Center has earned its honorable title through photovoltaic solar panels for electricity generation, a 50,000-gallon underground stormwater cistern that supplies and treats all of its water, and composting toilets that allow it to manage its own waste. It is also built with 100% toxic-free materials, and the design allows plenty of natural light to illuminate the interior throughout the day. It is expected to be able to avoid electricity and water bills for 250 years.
What’s particularly interesting is that the mechanical and electrical rooms will have large glass windows to display the self-sufficient process, giving tourists and sustainable design enthusiasts the opportunity to learn a little more about it. There will even be codes to scan with a smartphone to learn about each element, and a kiosk will provide live measurements for air quality, energy use, PV power production, and water use.
The overall goal of the Bullitt Foundation is to demonstrate how a carbon-neutral office space can be a favorable decision both aesthetically and commercially. The project is ambitious to say the least, and is definitely encouraging to architects who want to progress and keep up with the emerging green building movement.
Image: Miller Hull
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