2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Bullitt Centre
Certified 'Living’
Seattle, WA, USA
Cascadia
L5
Building
Commercial Office
10,076 sf
50,798 sf
10,076 sf
7/1/2011
4/1/2013
Yes
10 tenants
60+ per day
NAME
STATUS
LOCATION
BIOREGION
LIVING TRANSECT
TYPOLOGY
OCCUPANT TYPE
PROJECT AREA
BUILDING AREA
BUILDING FOOTPRINT
START OF CONSTRUCTION
START OF OCCUPANCY PERIOD
OWNER OCCUPIED
NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS
NUMBER OF VISITORS
total project cost (excluding land)
total project cost (including land)
designed lifespan of building
energy use intensity (EUI) of typical
Seattle office building
EUI of leed platinum office building
securing all energy credits
Bullitt Centre designed EUI
Bullitt Centre EUI when fully tenanted
(estimated)
Bullitt Centre actual EUI in year one
number of 400-foot-deep geothermal
wells
number of solar panels on the roof
kilowatts of installed generating
capacity
kilowatt-hours generated in 2014
kilowatt-hours used in 2014
toxic chemicals avoided in building
materials
size of rainwater storage cistem
walkscore
$27,000,000
$32,500,000
250 YEARS
60
32
16
12
94
26
575
244
243,671
152,878
362
52,000 GALLONS
100
6. Utility-supplied for potable
use due to regulatory
requirement
Systems Fed
Year End Cistern Level
Collection Strategies
Systems Fed
Grey Water
Systems Fed
Black Water
Systems Fed
Estimated Total Water Use
Per Capita
Simulated/Designed Water
Use
Design Tools and
Calculation Methods
50,730 GALLONS
POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS
47,626 GALLONS
RAINWATER COLLECTION ON THE
BUILDING'S ROOF MEMBRANE AND
DIVERTED INTO A CISTERN IN THE
BASEMENT
ALL POTABLE & NON-POTABLE
SYSTEMS
29,384 GALLONS
RECIRCULATING GRAVEL FILTRATION
SYSTEM & GREEN ROOF
APPROXIMATELY 7,200 GALLONS OF
LEACHATE
COMPOST TO BE USED BY KIND
COUNTY
APPROXIMATELY 470 GALLONS/YEAR
10,750 GALLONS/WEEK
HAND CALCULATIONS
POTABLE WATER
• Rainwater is collected on the roof, below the solar panels.
• Downspouts deliver that water to a 56,000-gallon concrete cistern in the
basement.
• The water is filtered numerous times to remove large materials, viruses,
bacteria, and chlorine.
• Any rainwater not collected is funneled to pervious pavement and
landscaping around the building.
• The Bullitt Center was able to meet national and local requirements for safe
drinking water.
• It is fully plumbed but currently cannot meet the "net-zero" water
requirement until final approval is given to the center.
• The rainwater collection system is designed to reduce surface runoff and
provide a sustainable source of drinking water.
WATER
7. • The Bullitt Center received permission from state, county, and local
regulators to design a rainwater collection system and on-site waste
treatment system.
• The center created a composting toilet system connecting all six
floors.
• The toilets use a biodegradable soap-like substance and a small
amount of water to create a low friction flow of material to the
composter.
• The composting system constantly mixes the waste with wood chips
and filters to the bottom.
• Stabilized leachate is pumped out, and carbon dioxide is directed to
heat recovery ventilators in the roof.
• The leachate is further treated and then used in a bird sanctuary.
• The biosolids are collected by the county and turned into fertilizer.
• The design team hopes that more multi-story buildings will adopt
this innovative system.
WASTE WATER GREY WATER
• The Bullitt Center has a greywater recycling system that filters,
stores, and treats greywater on-site.
• The greywater is treated in a constructed wetland on the third-
floor terrace.
• The wetland is a green roof with hearty vegetation.
• Up to 500 gallons of greywater can be filtered per day.
• The treated water is then deposited on a green planting strip,
where it nurtures vegetation and infiltrates into the natural
aquifer.
• This is a first-of-its-kind system in Seattle and acts as a precedent
for closed-loop sustainable water use.
• The greywater recycling system, along with evaporation and
stormwater mitigation, allows the Bullitt Center to restore 61% of
the water it uses naturally back to the ecosystem.
31%
69%
BULLITT CENTER
CONTROLED STORMWATER DISCHARGE
COLLECTED,STORED,TREATED AND
USED,RETURENED TO GROUND
39%
61%
DOUGLAS FIR FOREST
STOME WATER RUN OFF
EVAPOTRANSPERATION,INFILTERATION
TO SOIL AND GROUND WATER
8. ENERGY
• The Bullitt Center is a leading example of energy
efficiency measures and onsite energy production.
• In 2014, the Bullitt Center produced 60% more energy
than it used.
• Tenants have energy budgets that they must meet and
pay zero energy costs if they come in below their
allotment.
• The building hosts frequent "energy parties" where
tenants come together and discover ways to increasing
efficiency.
• One such method was to replace desktop computers with
smaller laptops and install automatic desk laps.
• The Bullitt Center produces as much electricity as it uses on an annual basis.
• The center has 575 solar panels that produce a surplus of energy in the
summer months.
• The building is connected to the grid and can give excess energy to the city in
the summer and take needed energy from it in the winter.
• The panels are oriented to maximize production in the summer months.
• The center produced a surplus of 90,793 kWh of electricity during the
performance period and operated with an EUI of 94.
SOLAR
9. • PEX hydronic system with 26 closed-loop geothermic wells
• Wells located 400 feet below the building to manage
heating and cooling.
• Tubes containing a glycol-water mix run beneath concrete
floors.
• Fluid pumped to a mechanical room, heated to 90 degrees
F, and circulated for space heating.
• In summer, system reverses to dump excess heat back to
the earth.
• Four heat pumps in total, three for space heating and one
regulating water temperature.
• Wells strategically placed in an area with a constant
groundwater flow to disperse heat within 12 inches,
preventing pollution into Puget Sound.
HYDRONIC SYSTEMS :
• Heat recovery ventilator employed to optimize heating and cooling
efficiency.
• Ventilator crosses warmed or cooled indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
• Temperature transfer between indoor and outdoor air maintains a passive
loop.
• Prevents energy loss associated with ventilated air.
• Enhances overall energy efficiency and sustains a comfortable indoor
environment.
• Elevator designed with regenerative mechanism and motor for energy
capture.
• Energy captured during deceleration redirected to other building
components.
• Elevator boasts approximately 60% higher efficiency compared to standard
models.
• Keycard-only access reduces elevator use, minimizing energy demands.
• Aesthetically pleasing 'Irresistible Stairway' encourages stair use over the
elevator.
• Commitment of the design team evident in energy-efficient elevator
design.
• Holistic approach combines technology and user behavior for
sustainability.
HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATORS :
ELEVATOR :
10. • Seattle's Department of Planning and Development grants
regulatory flexibility to the Bullitt Center.
• Flexibility granted through the Living Building Pilot Program.
• Program encourages innovative, performance-based designs.
• Allows departures from the Land Use Code to promote sustainable
construction.
• Aims to learn from the Bullitt Center and similar projects pursuing
the Living Building Challenge.
• Intends to update Land Use Codes based on insights gained from
these pilot initiatives.
• Overall goal is to promote and incorporate more efficient buildings
citywide.
40
25
7
5
4
4
15
TYPICAL CONSUMPTION BY
END USE: TYPICAL BUILDING
HEAT PLUG LOADS
COOLING FANS
PUMPS DOM HOT WATER
LIGHT
76%
11%
6%
3%
0%
1% 2% 1%
TYPICAL CONSUMPTION BY END
USE: TYPICAL BUILDING
TOTAL SAVING TENANT SAVING
LIGHT FANS
PUMPS DOM HOT WATER
SPACE HEATING ELEVATOR
• Design team collaborates closely with manufacturers for supply chain
and origin details of Bullitt Center materials.
• Pharos Project chemical database utilized to investigate and assess
chemical components.
• Challenges in identifying all materials due to the complexity of global
supply chains.
• Bullitt Center releases all material information, aiming to set a
knowledge base for transparency.
• Revelation: Some manufacturers used hazardous chemicals due to
industry standards without exploring alternatives.
• Approximately 360 hazardous substances, including PVC plastics,
mercury, and cadmium, were excluded from the building.
• Emphasis on "state of the shelf" material selection to avoid specialty
and expensive options, promoting existing products and reducing
harmful chemicals in construction.
• All wood in Bullitt Center is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified,
sourced within 1,000 km.
• Timber framing from the second floor up, using glued-laminated
timbers for efficiency and strength.
• Limited concrete use due to carbon intensity; steel and timber
combination enhances building resilience against winds and
earthquakes, reducing risk and increasing sustainability.
REGULATIONS : MATERIALS :
STRUCTURE :
