World's Greenest Building Breaks Ground in Seattle
Judi Boad, active rain blogger, realtor and very proud Seattle resident posted this article that gives us all hope for a future where we are not so wasteful with our resources.
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A new day is dawning in Seattle. Making a bold statement for a healthier planet, this first of its kind building will take green to a new dimension.
The Bullitt Center, a never before seen commercial structure is breaking ground in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The greenest building ever is going up at East Madison and 15th Avenue.
What makes this structure so unique you might ask. Well, It will provide its own water, process all its own sewage as well as take timber only from certified sustainable forests, and reduce the projects carbon footprint by using concrete, steel, wood and other heavy materials only within a three hundred mile range from the project.
Energy use of this celebrated building will be one third that of other buildings its size and no hazardous materials such as PVC, mercury, or any of the hundreds of other substances considered dangerous.
Over 14 thousand square feet of state of the art solar panels will cover the roof, stairs will entice climbing with opulent Seattle views. The Bullitt Center will use geothermal heat pumps with an in floor radiant heating and cooling system. The building will ventilate at night with computer controlled windows opening on a timer.
Generating as much power as it uses, the center will have narrow floors with high ceilings and natural light to reduce interior heat, and the solar panels will convert sunlight into electricity.
Computerized window shades adjust all blinds to reduce heat and glare in the summer and provide better lighting in the winter.
Rainwater will be collected from a rooftop drain field and run into a cistern, where it will be disinfected and carbon filtered and transported to water and pressure tanks. The tanks will distribute hot and cold water from pipes for drinking fountains, sinks and showers. Gray water will filter into tanks and be pumped to a rooftop garden. While waste water from micro flush toilets will be sent to composting units in the basement.
The buildings life span will be 250 years or more, more than doubling conventional buildings. Exterior walls and windows will hang on the framework, making replacement easy as building materials improve over time.
There will be parking incorporated into the design….for bikes.
Just another reason to love Living in Seattle!
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