Currently a global leader in sustainable development, Seattle is going greener everyday with its newest sustainable building projects. At this very moment, Seattle is constructing a six-story, environmentally friendly building on East Madison Street. I’m not just talking switching to LED bulbs, composting, or using environmentally friendly materials–no, this building will certainly be one of its kind—a true certified “living building.”
What is a “living building”? A building gains this title if it passes the self-sufficiency test of the International Future Living Institute. The Bullitt Center is designed to be essentially, a building that can sustain itself. The building will be energy and carbon neutral, using as much as it produces. If the building passes the green standards, naming it a “living building,” it will be the greenest commercial building in the world.
Is your mind blown yet? Just imagine, a building that is self-sufficient for water and energy. In order to meet standards, the Bullitt Center will collect its own rainwater for drinking fountains, showers, and sinks throughout the building. The building will generate as much energy as it produces with a solar panel rooftop. What’s great about this building is that it is designed to use less than one-fourth of the energy of a similar-sized commercial building.
The Bullitt Center isn’t the only sustainable architecture project going on in Seattle. The University of Washington’s Department of Architecture is currently in the making of a sustainable urban bike station. Rumor has it this facility is being designed for the commuter, equipped with a bike ramp for easy access and offering a comfortable place where commuters can reboot, even shower. I think it’s great that the UW is supporting bicycle commuters. Doing so will make this environmentally friendly form of transportation more convenient for the public and will help promote and encourage bicycle culture.
Sources:
http://arch.be.washington.edu/student-work/urban-bike-station
http://bullittcenter.org/news/photo-updates/gallery/stamets-bcs-2012-9-27_d9732-34-jpg/view