SEATTLE, WA – Over 350 regional leaders in high-performance building development and management gathered at the W Hotel in Seattle last night for Seattle 2030 District’s 2017 Vision Awards. The Vision Awards honor local leaders who are transforming Seattle’s urban environment into a city that is resilient, vibrant and sustainable through design and construction. Awards are given in the following categories: Leadership, Energy, Water, and Transportation.
“We have a tremendous opportunity in Seattle to not only reduce our impacts, but also to model how cities can engage the community to develop meaningful solutions to the environmental challenges that we face. Seattle 2030 District members are pushing the envelope on green infrastructure, building efficiencies and creative commuting options. I am proud that Seattle 2030 is able to provide crucial support and expertise that helps turn ambitious goals into reality.” Susan Wickwire, Executive Director Seattle 2030 District.
Over the last six years, District members have been turning to Seattle 2030 for resources to help them meet the 2030 goals for energy, water and transportation. In order to better meet these needs, the District launched new initiatives in 2017 including a tenant pledge to heighten the role that building occupants play in improving the efficiencies of the buildings where they lease space. Their new workshop series is bringing together community groups and civic leaders who are committed to developing neighborhood stormwater plans. Staff and members are also working closely with the City to develop incentives for deep green investments in existing buildings. This year’s Vision Awards winners represent efforts that strike a balance between innovation, affordability and cutting-edge design that respects historic preservation.
Vision Award for Leadership – Union Stables, Lease Crutcher Lewis
The Union Stables project is being recognized as a major renovation of a historic building. Located in Belltown and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Union Stables originally housed 300 horses used to pull streetcars and fire engines. Sustainability and historic preservation were core concerns of this project. The building has achieved a 70% reduction in energy use below the national baseline and through a combination of low-flow fixtures and a green roof is managing a combined 52% in potable water and stormwater. It has also achieved a measurable reduction in transportation emissions. Lease Crutcher Lewis is a Salmon-Safe accredited construction company.
Vision Award for Energy – Dunn Motors Building, Hunters Capital
Dunn Motors Building has reduced its energy use while preserving a 1920’s building that was part of Seattle’s Auto Row along the Pike/Pine corridor. District member Hunters Capital wanted to preserve much of the look and feel of this iconic structure and by doing so, create a connection to the past. The building opened in 2016 and is achieving a 55% reduction in energy from national baseline. One of the first buildings to go through the new 2015 energy code, they voluntarily installed a 5.4kWh solar system on the roof. The system will produce 5,500 kWh annually and save $3,493.00/year in energy costs. The building was also included in the Seattle City Light Build Smart program.
Vision Award for Water – Data 1, Stephen C. Grey and Associates
Data 1 is LEED Gold registered, and this Salmon-Safe certified building’s landscape features biofiltration retention planters that treat the 160,000 gallons of heavily polluted rainwater runoff from the Aurora Bridge annually. Previously, runoff from the bridge was carried down the bridge columns to the surface of Troll Avenue, then into a storm drain, flowing untreated into Lake Union. Two future phases of remediation are planned on nearby properties with the goal of treating over 2 million gallons of polluted runoff annually. The stormwater goals were achieved in collaboration with our Green Stormwater program. The building will be fully occupied by the end of the year.
Vision Award for Transportation – Dental Dental of Washington
Within the two months following their move from Northgate, Delta Dental employees reached a drive-alone rate of 15% – about half the downtown average. One strategy implemented was daily parking rates. The MyCommute program, powered by LUUM, has given employees the flexibility to get the most out of their commute. In June alone, 29,212.4 lbs. of CO2 have been avoided by their employees because they chose alternative commutes. Delta Dental is a tenant of 400 Fairview, a member building developed by Skanska and winner of the Leadership Award at the first Vision Awards. The building is managed by Blanton Turner, also a 2030 Member. Achieving this reduction would not have been possible without the cooperation of a management company that is committed to the 2030 goals.
The Seattle 2030 District is composed of 55 million sq. ft. of Seattle’s downtown core with 45% of the properties participating in meeting the organization’s pollution reduction goals. The organization is an interdisciplinary public-private collaborative working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in downtown Seattle. With the Architecture 2030 Challenge for Planning providing our performance goals, we seek to develop realistic, measurable, and innovative strategies to assist district property owners, managers, and tenants in meeting aggressive goals that reduce environmental impacts of facility construction and operations. Visit the Seattle 2030 District’s About Us page to learn more about the organization’s reduction targets for energy, water, and transportation.
