The Bullitt Center in Seattle, which some say is the world's "most efficient" office building is not only influencing how other structures are built, it is contributing to revisions of codes and public policy.
The building’s design was made possible by Seattle’s Deep Green Pilot Program that allows builders to deviate from standard codes to build more sustainably. For example, the building was allowed to add two to three feet to the height of each floor to allow more daylighting. Neighbors objected to the additional 10 feet in overall building height, but the program permitted the non-conforming design.
Some of the building’s code deviations have been incorporated into the city code. For instance, the city council and the mayor had to approve changes to the building code to allow permits for “sustainability features.” This move allows the building’s solar canopy to extend all the way to the property line.
Bullitt Foundation, the environmental group that owns the building, recently signed a first-in-the-nation agreement with the local utility that will allow the foundation to sell Seattle City Light the energy it is saving or “negawatts.” The arrangement, known as MEETS (metered energy efficiency transaction structure) could be a pioneer in drawing investment funds to energy-efficiency projects.
Bullitt is also seeking final approvals from the county and state to turn the building into its own water district. That designation would allow tenants to drink rainwater collected on site and treated in the building’s basement.
(http://grist.org/business-technology/how-one-building-is-changing-the-world/)
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Sep 21, 2018
More than 130 organizations petition OSHA to create heat protection standard for workers
Includes mandatory rest breaks, heat-exposure monitoring, record-keeping injury requirement.
Codes and Standards | Sep 20, 2018
North Carolina law banning use of recent climate science could worsen Hurricane Florence impact
Policies may have undermined ability to make coastal regions more resilient.
Codes and Standards | Sep 19, 2018
AIA endorses building owner participation in cap-and-trade programs
Would spur more energy conservation in buildings and cut carbon emissions.
Codes and Standards | Sep 18, 2018
ConsensusDocs Coalition publishes new Lean Addendum
Industry-first document to facilitate lean tools without need to sign multi-party IPD agreement.
Codes and Standards | Sep 14, 2018
IAPMO seeks comments on proposals for 2021 plumbing and mechanical codes
Deadline is Jan. 3, 2019.
Codes and Standards | Sep 13, 2018
As ICC prepares to vote on codes for tall wood buildings, opposition is still strong
Influential body will vote in October on new provisions to allow 18-story wood-framed structures.
Codes and Standards | Sep 12, 2018
Saltwater incursion into Miami’s aquifer may make city uninhabitable later this century
Rising sea levels likely to claim drinking water before land is under water.
Codes and Standards | Sep 11, 2018
Smart Surfaces Coalition will help cities reduce urban heat island effect
Surfaces can reflect away heat and help prevent flooding.
Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2018
Certified Green Buildings may have an advantage in capital markets
Research supports financial case for certification.
Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2018
NIST releases report outlining steps to bolster disaster resiliency
Offers immediate occupancy building codes and performance standards strategies.