Blakely Hall, the New Town Hall of Issaquah Highlands, Earns LEED Silver and Green Globes Award
Issaquah, Washington — October 19, 2005 — Blakely Hall, a community center and town hall for Issaquah Highlands, earned its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification and Green Globes Certification in September. Blakely Hall is Weber + Thompson's first project to acquire either certification, and it is the first building in the United States to earn a Green Globes designation.
Blakely Hall is the heart of Issaquah Highlands, a 2200 acre master planned community. It hosts group meetings, classes and workshops and special events such as weddings and city meetings. As the centerpiece of the community, it was important that Blakely Hall embody the same values that form the foundation of Issaquah Highlands, such as smart growth and sustainable development. The developer, Port Blakely Communities, decided to take these concepts even further by pursuing a LEED Silver certification and a Two-Globe Green Globes rating that will leave a legacy for future generations.
"The client's commitment to sustainability is the number-one driving force behind successfully earning certification," states Weber + Thompson principal Kristen Scott, AIA. "Port Blakely was intent on developing a green community center for Issaquah Highlands."
To achieve these certifications, Weber + Thompson integrated several sustainable design strategies into the project. Through studies with daylighting models, Weber + Thompson made the best use of natural daylight rather than relying only on incandescent lighting, resulting in a daylight factor of two percent for 85 percent of the project. Low-flow toilets and fixtures, waterless urinals and water-wise landscaping reduce water usage by 42.45 percent over baseline fixture performance requirements.
The Hall utilized local materials whenever possible, such as the heavy timbers that come from Port Blakely's tree farms showcased in a series of exposed heavy timber trusses and columns in the main hall. In addition to being local, many of the interior materials contain significant recycled content, including the Squak Mountain Stone countertops that are made entirely of recycled materials by Issaquah's Tiger Mountain Innovations. Implementation of a construction waste management plan by Rafn, contractor for the project, helped divert over 97 percent waste to uses other than landfill.
Blakely Hall is 7000 square feet, comprised of offices for management staff, a dramatic central space with a fireplace (and popcorn machine), flexible meetings rooms, community Internet computer stations, and a demonstration kitchen and dining room. Construction was completed in March of 2005. The cost of the land and the building is $2 million. Weber + Thompson is currently designing several LEED projects in the Puget Sound and Spokane. These projects include the firm's new office building in South Lake Union, which will be completed in the beginning of 2007 and is pursuing a LEED Gold accreditation.
About LEED
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemŽ is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.
About Green Globes
Green Globes™ is an interactive, web-based, commercial green building assessment protocol system managed by the Green Building Initiative. Originally offered in Canada, Green Globes provides a self-assessment tool that allows designers, contractors and architects to document their projects' green attributes and track their progress under seven categories: project management, site, energy, water, resources, emissions and effluents and indoor environment. Green Globes also offers independent third-party verification for those wishing to certify their property.
About Weber + Thompson
Seattle-based Weber + Thompson is a full-service, West Coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design and planning. Led by Principals Blaine Weber AIA, Scott Thompson AIA, and Kristen Scott AIA, this award-winning company has an experienced staff of over 65 design and construction professionals. Since 1987 Weber + Thompson has developed a diverse practice with projects that include master planned communities, high rises, high-density urban infill, residential, hospitality, senior housing, and commercial office projects. Weber + Thompson seeks effective results through a thoughtful and collaborative design process.
For more information please visit www.weberthompson.com,
or contact Weber + Thompson at 206-344-5700
or info@weberthompson.com.