Sustainability
As the first affordable high rise in Seattle in over 50 years, The Rise on Madison / Blake House has a lot to prove. The project aims to raise the bar by creating a model for environmental, financial, and social success that others can implement going forward. Towards this goal, Bellwether units have undergone a performance optimization study to examine systems within the building vis a vis lifecycle cost.
Additionally, the health of a building and its residents are closely linked. In order to create the healthiest building possible, designers looked to Passive House principles. Triple-pane windows and Heat Recovery Ventilators throughout mean that occupants are breathing only the cleanest air and are safe from harmful particulates that tend to hang at the 3.5 ft level, aka the height of children, of wheelchairs, and of beds. Daylighting also plays a central role in the design of the project, as research links exposure to sunlight to an increase in mental health.