Sustainable Sites
Water Efficiency
Energy and Atmosphere
Materials and Resources
Indoor Environmental Quality
Sustainable Sites
The Terry Thomas Building is a prime location for the new Weber Thompson offices. Located right on the new South Lake Union Streetcar line, the building is close to restaurants, shops, grocery stores, bus stops and within walking distance of downtown in one direction and the burgeoning South Lake Union Park in the other.
With such a central location, employees are able to take mass transit, or bike and walk to work, lessening their reliance on the car. The wealth of amenities in the area encourages them to interact with the neighborhood 24/7.
Water Efficiency
Throughout the building, low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals are used with the goal of saving approximately 30% water during everyday operation.
Energy and Atmosphere
Numerous strategies were employed in the space to reduce energy consumption and improve performance. At times, when these strategies are in effect, the building starts to feel alive with lights going on when it gets darker outside, or breathing through opening vents when the CO2 levels get too high.
- Overall design of the building and window layout maximizes the available natural light reducing the need for overhead lighting in work areas.
- Lighting is controlled by daylight and occupancy sensors and set on timers to efficiently measure and deliver light. These strategies allow us to reduce the wattage/sq ft to 35% below the base line of one watt/sq ft.
- All equipment is Energy Star rated including appliances, desktop computers, computer monitors, printers and copy machines.
- All the CRT computer monitors were replaced with Flat Panel LCD Monitors to create a projected 59% plug load energy savings.
- 50% of the office's energy consumption will be green power.
Commissioned heating and electrical will ensure that all these systems are working as efficiently as designed. In order to accurately measure our energy consumption and gauge the effectiveness of our strategies, sub-metering was installed for our office space.
Materials and Resources
Weber Thompson's offices have a restrained use of materials, combined with a rigorous vetting of the material's sourcing. The exposed structure of the building minimizes the use of additional finish materials. Interior materials were limited only to what is functional to express building systems, promote airflow and reduce future material waste. There are no materials that do not contribute to the building's overall performance.
- Flooring from the existing demolished building was creatively reused as an art piece in our Reception Space.
- Wood siding left over from the construction of the core & shell building was reused as windowsills throughout the office space.
- Interior wood doors are FSC certified made with wood harvested from sustainably managed forests.
- Materials high in recycled content such as steel, glass, particleboard, Homasote panels, acoustic ceiling tiles and carpet is used throughout.
- All carpet meets the criteria of the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Plus Program.
- Workstations and task chairs are green guard certified.
Systems throughout were chosen for their ability to be used for more than one function:
- Light reflector panels are also acoustical control over workstations
- Tack-able panels are for display and for sound absorption
- Conference room ceilings are light reflectors, sound absorbers and aesthetic surface treatments
- Carpets describe work areas and provide additional sound control.
Recycling is also an important part of Weber Thompson's daily operation. A recycling program that is easily accessible involves collection and sorting of all recycled materials including composting.
Indoor Environmental Quality
The quality of the indoor environment was of the utmost importance to our employees, as it put their health and well-being at the highest priority. Thermal comfort, day lighting and fresh air were the most important considerations in the design.
- The circulation paths in the building are along the glass on the outside of the building and on the courtyard. This mitigates extremes in light, temperature and solar gain, and optimizes ventilation at the workstations.
- Operable windows, sunshades and perimeter radiant heating allow individuals or small clusters of people to control the temperature of their space.
- Workstations have a maximum height of 42" to allow all employees to have direct outside views.
- Indirect light minimizes glare and provides soft, even lighting, while high efficiency task lights provide individual control of light levels on the work surfaces.
- Predominantly light colors are used (white walls, white furnishings, white work surfaces, and light colored partitions) to enhance day lighting.
- CO2 sensors throughout the offices control exterior louvers delivering fresh air into the space.
- Adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and primers are low VOC and no Urea-Formaldehyde was allowed in any interior products (including furniture).
- Finally, the office space has contracted with a janitorial service that will use green seal products to retain the desired air quality.