• Photo courtesy of Nic Lehoux.

Bullitt Center

Seattle, WA

Business Type

Commercial office building

Size

50,000 square feet

The Bullitt Center is the world’s second largest commercial Living Building in an urban setting, achieving net positive energy, net zero water and net zero wastewater each year. The Bullitt Center has hosted over 60,000 visitors since it's opening.

Sustainability

Certifications

  • Net-Zero Water
  • Living Building
  • Architecture 2030
  • Net-Zero Energy

Special features

Net-Zero Energy:

  • EUI (Energy Use Index) rating of 10kbtu/sf/yr
  • A 242kW photovoltaic array produced 60% more energy than the building used in 2014
  • Geo-exchange system harvests energy from the earth to provide efficient heating and cooling
  • Radiant floor heating and cooling system
  • Through our in-house research, the building “plug loads” are expected to be reduced 78% through the use of cloud-based servers, thin client work stations, and laptops replacing desktop computing equipment
  • Achieved 83% energy efficiency

Net-Zero Water:

  • 56,000-gallon cistern for rainwater harvesting
  • Greywater reclamation
  • Composting, vacuum-flush toilets that save water
  • Rainwater filtration for potable uses
  • Green roof and constructed wetland
  • Achieved 80% water efficiency

Media Coverage

Buildings: Bullitt Center Pioneers Sustainable, Multi-story Design in Rainy Seattle

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Seattle Times: Green buildings get a boost in WA, but policy and demand still lag

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Fox 13 Seattle: Earth Day 2022, An inside look at the greenest building in the world

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Market Watch: 8 Cities That are Leaders in Going Green

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Blog Coverage

5 Years of Influence and Inspiration: The Bullitt Center Turns 5

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Bullitt Center featured in Architect Magazine

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The Time is Right for Zero Energy Buildings

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A holistic approach to thermal comfort

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Net-Zero Energy is here

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Water-saving solutions create new ecosystems

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Benchmarks and ratings: How to identify leaders in sustainable design

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“Negawatts:” A win-win for the Bullitt Center and Seattle

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Bullitt Center earns Living Building certification

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Do you remember your first… Living Building?

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