If you are not familiar with the Green built lingo, you will have no idea why LEED Platinum is so important. So go ahead and take a look here, at the website from the US Green Building Council and catch up.
No time? Well, here is the super abbreviated explanation- LEED (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has a checklist to rate the sustainability and green-ness of any building. It is a points based system, where buildings earn points by demonstrating energy conservation, wise water use, recycled materials, etc. The goal is to create a uniform standard for green building practices.
The ranking system goes Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum. Platinum is the most difficult to attain. So it is a very big deal for a building owner to make the commitment. And the WPUDA did!
The WPUDA is the Washington Public Utility Districts Association and they recently decided they needed to have their headquarters in Olympia, near the Capitol. And then they took a very big step and decided to shoot for the stars and design it for Platinum standard.
On the outside, the building is quite simple, and on the inside too. In fact, there is very little to give away the secret. Except for the solar panels on the roof, which provide approximately 50% of the building's electricity needs- including all heating. And the photo-voltaics are tied into the grid so they generate power for the rest of us to use too. Very cool stuff, if you are into solar.
One of the features that is sure to get lots of press is the water feature at the front of the building. If, during the hottest days of summer, you were to walk past the little streambed, you would see no water. And that is how it is designed. It only pulls water from the gutters! And when its storage tank is full enough, on comes the pump and Voila! Water feature. But during the dry moments, it will simply be dormant. Very green!
I was impressed with the openness of the building. Very open and airy. In fact, that is how they were able to get some of the points- views and natural light. You can see from one side of the building to the other for the most part. And the glass is very low E. It doesn't allow a lot of solar gain, but channels light far into the building. Don't ask me how- I thought glass was glass!
Another thing I really liked: the solar panels! There is one hanging right inside the front door. It is all polished aluminum with this blue 'stuff'. But I forgot to snap a picture. But if you happen to be nearby, go inside and take a look. It looks like a nice modern art piece.
If you have a chance to take tour of this building, I recommend it. I learned a lot about the newest evolutions of green building. Especially that much of the new stuff is doable for the smaller buildings. It is not just for the Government publicly funded ones anymore.
Here are a couple links you should take a look at for more info:
WPUDA
Mountain Construction, this is the company that built it, and they have great photos on their site.
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