The middle of a bustling metropolis is the last place we expect to find the epitome of off-grid living. Yet that’s exactly where Seattle plans to build what will be a gold standard for self-sufficiency, if current plans are successful.
According to TIME, a Seattle-based sustainability advocacy group is funding the construction of a six-story, 50,000-sq.-ft. office building they claim will be the greenest commercial building in the world. Scheduled to open this fall, the Bullitt Center will expose its professional tenants to a plethora of ultra green fixtures meant to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), a standard that’s far more demanding than LEED Platinum.
Created just three hours away in Portland, Ore., the LBC requires new construction to have net-zero energy and water systems. Additionally, the program evaluates the building site, indoor health, materials used, and overall beauty of the finished product to ensure that all characteristics are in harmony with the surrounding environment. So far, LBC has certified only three buildings worldwide, all of them in the U.S. and all exponentially smaller than the Bullitt Center, reports TIME. Another 140 projects in eight countries are vying for the designation.
To give the Bullitt Center a chance at qualifying, its designers have left no clean technology untapped. The location at the intersection of Capitol Hill and the Central District will support a pedestrian-, bicycle- and transit-friendly lifestyle. Rainwater will be collected on the roof, stored in an underground cistern and used throughout the building. An ambitious solar array will generate as much electricity as the building uses, while geothermal wells will help keep tenants warm.
The building will not contain any “Red List” hazardous materials, including PVC, cadmium, lead, mercury or hormone-mimicking substances, all of which are commonly found in building components.
Oversize windows and high ceilings will account for 82 percent of all lighting, while the building’s electronic “brain” automatically opens and shuts the windows based on temperature needs, eliminating the need for air-conditioning units. Perhaps most impressively, the building’s bathrooms will feature only composting toilets. Toilet contents will be decontaminated before being shipped off-site to be used as fertilizer.
The building will cost $30 million to construct, which translates to about $265 per sq. ft. That sounds expensive, but it pales in comparison to some of NYC’s best-known skyscrapers. And they don’t boast the incredible energy savings of the Bullitt.
Photo credits: John Stamets/BullittCenter.org