THE TERRY THOMAS WINS 2009
COTE TOP TEN GREEN PROJECTS AWARD
An AIA National Award Showcasing Highly Sustainable Projects
SEATTLE – April 15, 2009 – The Terry Thomas, a LEED Gold certified office building designed by Seattle firm Weber Thompson, has been selected as one of the 2009 COTE Top Ten Green Projects by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment (COTE).
The 2009 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. Members of the jury include: Michelle Addington, Yale School of Architecture; Brandy Brooks, Assoc. AIA, Community Design Resource Center of Boston; William Leddy, FAIA, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects; Nadav Malin, BuildingGreen LLC; Kim Shinn, LEED AP, LTLC Engineering for Architecture; and James Timberlake, FAIA, Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP.
Reflecting on the modest construction cost of roughly $160/SF, jury member Michelle Addington states, "There is still a prevailing belief that green design costs money and this project turns that around. To achieve at such a low capital cost sends a great message." Senior Principal, Scott Thompson AIA, LEED AP who led the design team notes, "To be recognized nationally by our peers is a great honor. Beyond validating our past efforts, it inspires us to raise the bar even higher as we continue to pursue sustainable design on new projects. The Terry Thomas is a real world example illustrating how to meet the goals of the triple bottom line."
The $10.2 million project is Seattle's first major new office building in decades to feature passive cooling. Instead of air conditioning, the 40,000-square-foot building is cooled naturally through a number of design strategies including operable windows. In designing The Terry Thomas which houses Weber Thompson's design offices as well as a handful of other tenants, extensive energy modeling during initial design phases was used to influence its courtyard design concept. Initially modeled to save a minimum of 30% of energy costs compared to a typical office building, recently confirmed post occupancy evaluation numbers reveal savings of 50% of energy costs.
The building wraps around a central courtyard with shallow, 38-foot wide floor plates. This design promotes cross ventilation and natural day lighting. On warm days, hot air collects in the courtyard and rises.
In addition, exterior shading devices keep occupants cool by protecting them from excessive solar heat gains. Windows on the building's east and west sides have high-performance shades – or sunglasses, as the architects call them – to filter out heat. In addition, the roof is coated with a light-colored compound that reflects heat upward.
The Terry Thomas along with Weber Thompson's LEED certified Platinum offices have been honored numerous times for its strong design and sustainable features. It received a Commendation in the 2008 AIA Seattle Honor Awards; was named Sustainable Development of the Year by the Washington State Chapter of NAIOP, placed second in the ASID NW Design Award Competition and placed third in the E-commercial (environmentally responsible commercial) category in Eco-Structure Magazine's inaugural Evergreen Awards and selected by The Associated Builders and Contractors Association of Western Washington as winner of the Excellence in Construction Award-Sustainable Building Category.
For additional information, visit The American Institute of Architects COTE Top Ten Green Projects website.
EDITOR'S NOTE: High resolution images of The Terry Thomas are available on request.
# # #
About Weber Thompson
Weber Thompson was founded in 1987 as an architectural firm focused primarily on urban in-fill, mixed-use projects. The firm has since evolved into a highly diversified design agency with capabilities in four complementary design disciplines: Architecture, Interior Design, Community and Urban Design and Landscape Architecture. With special attention to its clients' vision and the environment, as well as careful collaboration between client and design/construction teams, Weber Thompson's primary objective is to design exceptional, sustainable projects that help its clients find success. For more information, visit www.weberthompson.com or contact Weber Thompson at (206) 344-5700 or info@weberthompson.com.