The Bullitt Center is a commercial office building located at the intersection of the Central District neighbourhood, and Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington. It opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2013.
In 2015, the International Living Future Institute certified it as a “Living Building”.
A living building is supposed to help its occupants have a direct connection with light, food and nature and it is not supposed to exploit the earth’s resources more than what is actually required. The Bullitt Center is one such example. It represents what it’s like to exist in the environment and to learn from nature. A non-profit group, the Bullitt Foundation, was behind the building. This foundation is based in Seattle and contributes to urban ecology.
The Bullit Center has six storeys and it is fully leased. Half of one floor is occupied by the Bullit Foundation. Other floors are occupied by the University of Washington, Hammer & Hands, Intentional Futures, Sonos and PAE Consulting Engineers.
The urban lifestyle already affects the environment in negative ways. Excessive pollution, demand for commodities and living a luxurious life at the expense of using all the resources available in the environment can lead upto negative consequences. So, when it comes to taking action for a sustainable future, it should start with the cities first. One of the ways is to build sustainable buildings. The Bullitt Center is a model for all future sustainable buildings.
The Bullitt Center is based on net zero energy, net zero water, net zero carbon, composting toilets, toxic-free materials and 80+ per cent daylighting using high-performance windows. All of this was done keeping in mind that the building is a six-story building and is located in a dense neighbourhood in a city like Seattle. The world has caught up to the Green Building movement but still, the pace is very much slower since the Climate crisis is only getting worse day by day. On the official website of the Bullitt Center, it is claimed that the cost of the building was 23% more than a class-A office building in Seattle. But the high cost was mainly because this was the first time a sustainable building was made. The soft cost of doing such a project for the first time was more than expected. Eventually though, as more sustainable buildings will be built, more soft costs will reduce.
Features:
- Radiant Heating.
- Walkability.
- Solar Panels.
- Building Nurology.
- Vacuum Toilets.
- Heat Pumps.
- Bicycle Services.
- Greywater System.
- Irresistible Stairs.
- Heat Recovery Ventilation.
- Rainwater Harvesting.
- Structural Materials.
- Regenerative Elevators.
- Windows and Shades.
Living Building Challenge:
The Bullitt Centers had its own objectives while it was being built. One of those objectives was to achieve the Living Building Challenge. The challenge is proposed by the International Living Building Institute and has declared that a building needs to produces as much energy as it uses annually. A building also needs to do rain water harvesting for at 12 continuous months and not use the materials mentioned in the “Red List” when it is built.
There are 20 imperatives within seven performance areas, which a living building is supposed to meet. The Bullitt Center made sure it does. The seven performace areas are covered by the building as follows:
- Site: The location is transit friendly.
- Water: Rainwater is stored to be used throughout the building.
- Energy: The solar energy is used to create electricity for the whole building.
- Health: The building also makes sure to look after its occupant’s health by focusing more on promoting walking with inviting stairways and operable windows. It also shared resources for the people in it on the concerned topic.
- Materials: The hazardous materials on the “Red List” are not contained in the building. Those materials are usually found in other building components and can include PVC, cadmium, mercury and other equally harmful substances.
- Equity: There are large windows, of about 30 feet, which offer fresh air and natural daylight.
- Beauty: The building has good architecture, with photovoltaic array, a green roof and a pocket park which only makes it look more aesthetically pleasing.
The Bullitt Center is located within the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict . EcoDistricts are named as such because they are designed keeping in mind the sustainability goals.
