Last month, the first substation built in Seattle in three decades opened between that city’s fast-growing South Lake Union area and Denny Triangle.
The Denny Substation officially debuted on July 20. It is the culmination of a three-year construction and multiyear planning and community engagement process between the facility’s designer, NBBJ, and Seattle City Lights, the city-owned electric utility.
The $210 million substation complex—which ran $100 million over its initial cost projections in 2005 due to rising construction costs and increases in the neighborhood's power needs in the ensuing years—covers more than 120,000 sf within a block and a half of real estate where a former Greyhound bus maintenance terminal once stood. The complex includes the 10,000-sf substation with slanted, stainless-steel walls that pick up color from sunlight and the sky. Translucent glass panels emit a soft glow when illuminated at night. Ambient light is strategically placed to brighten the building’s interior space.
Panels allow visitors to see into the facility, and highlights the centrality of energy in the neighborhood's vitality. Image: Benjamin Benschneider
Translucent and transparent walls, 35 feet high, allow visitors to view directly into the substation. This feature is meant to remind the public about the production and importance of energy and power in daily life. Indeed, what makes this project unique is how it has been designed to be friendly to users and the community at large.
ALSO SEE: Energizing the Neighborhood
There’s an ADA-compliant elevated diagonal walkway, one-quarter mile long, that wraps around the building. The west side of the site includes a 44,000-sf public green with an off-leash dog park and space for food trucks.
Part of the Community Meeting Space inside the Denny Substation. Image: Ryne Hill and NBBJ
Inside the substation are a 3,900-sf Community Meeting Space, and a 2,900-sf Energy Inspiration Space, with a pantry, offices, immersive theater, activity zone, and exhibition space. The substation has its own public art program that incorporates permanent artworks, temporary pieces, and ongoing cultural and artistic programming.
The Denny Substation, powered mostly by hydroelectric energy, is projected to be Net Positive, generating 105% of the energy needs and projected to achieve an Energy Use Intensity level of 15.5, on par with Seattle’s Bullitt Center, one of the country’s greenest office buildings. The substation is targeting Petal Certification from the Living Building Challenge.
An off-leash dog park is part of the public space within the substation's premises. Image: NBBJ
An interactive kiosk allows visitors to illuminate a post, thereby emphasizing the interaction between residents and power sources. Image: NBBJ
Related Stories
| Apr 8, 2014
Gehry, Foster unveil plans for Battersea Power Station redevelopment [slideshow]
Phase 3 of the massive redevelopment of the London landmark will include more than 1,300 residential units, a 160-room hotel, and 350,000 sf of retail space.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 26, 2014
Zaha Hadid's glimmering 'cultural hub of Seoul' opens with fashion, flair [slideshow]
The new space, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, is a blend of park and cultural spaces meant for the public to enjoy.
| Mar 25, 2014
Sydney breaks ground on its version of the High Line elevated park [slideshow]
The 500-meter-long park will feature bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces.
Sponsored | | Mar 21, 2014
Kameleon Color paint creates color-changing, iridescent exterior for Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral
Linetec finishes Firestone’s UNA-CLAD panels, achieving a one-of-a-kind, dynamic appearance with the first use of Valspar’s new Kameleon Color
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 13, 2014
Do you really 'always turn right'?
The first visitor center we designed was the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for the Everglades National Park in 1993. I remember it well for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing dialogue we had with our retail consultant. He insisted that the gift shop be located on the right as one exited the visitor center because people “always turn right.”
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
| Mar 7, 2014
Chicago's 7 most threatened buildings: Guyon Hotel, Jeffrey Theater make the list
The 2014 edition of Preservation Chicago's annual Chicago's 7 list includes an L station house, public school, theater, manufacturing district, power house, and hotel.