Watershed exceeds ambitious sustainability requirements with a measured 28 EUI (67% less energy used than a baseline office), an 88% reduction in potable water usage, and reuse of more than half of the onsite stormwater (rainfall). (Photo by Builtwork Photography)
Watershed has met the stringent requirements of Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program and achieved Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). One of the world’s most rigorous certification standards for deep green projects, Watershed, is one of 87 projects in the world to achieve Petal Certification and only the third project to meet Seattle’s Living Building Pilot program requirements. Located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, this regenerative seven-story commercial office and retail building was developed by The Hess Callahan Grey Group and Spear Street Capital and designed by Weber Thompson.
“We are incredibly proud of Watershed and the monumental team effort behind its success.” states Principal Joanna Callahan of The Hess Callahan Grey Group. “The project demonstrates the strong market demand for highly sustainable projects and shows that ‘deep green’ development is good for both the planet and for business.”
As part of Seattle’s climate mitigation strategies, the Living Building Pilot Program provides height and floor area incentives for buildings in exchange for meeting high-performance green building requirements, including Petal Certification. Watershed exceeds these ambitious sustainability requirements with a measured 28 EUI (67% less energy used than a baseline office), an 88% reduction in potable water usage, and reuse of more than half of the onsite stormwater (rainfall).
Celebrating a story of community water conservation, reclamation, and treatment through the biophilic design of the building and its public outdoor spaces, Watershed contributes to cleaner water in the adjacent waterways, the Ship Canal and Lake Union, a major salmon migration route.
Watershed focused much of its design expression in support of the following three Petals:
Place Petal – Restoring a healthy interrelationship with nature.
Watershed supports wild bees with four rooftop beehives. (Photo by Builtwork Photography)
Under the Place Petal, Watershed works to support wild bees with four rooftop beehives, and native plantings along a pollinator pathway, directly speaking to the urban agriculture imperative. The plantings also support a series of cascading bioswales, cleaning over 400,000 gallons of toxic stormwater runoff annually. Effectively filtering out a lethal toxin found in stormwater runoff, the project is protecting migratory salmon populations in Lake Union.
Materials Petal – Endorsing products that are safe for all species through time.
An emphasis was placed on selecting materials that reflect the local context and water story through their creation, fabrication, or textural form.
Embracing the Materials Petal, over 1,300 construction materials were vetted to avoid toxic chemicals, encourage manufacturer transparency, reduce embodied carbon, and support the regional economy through local sourcing. An emphasis was placed on selecting materials that reflect the local context and water story through their creation, fabrication, or textural form. The team also salvaged and reused 40% more materials than the LBC requirement, and the construction team recycled 98% of construction waste.
Beauty Petal – Celebrating design that uplifts the human spirit.
Engaging pedestrians with art, four steel and bronze interpretive art pieces offer a moment of reflection. (Photo by Builtwork Photography)
Watershed incorporates elements of beauty and education throughout the project. Engaging pedestrians with art, four steel and bronze interpretive art pieces offer a moment of reflection, and as interactive pieces, the rubbings reveal the story of water. Nodding to the neighborhood’s self-proclaimed identity as the “Center of the Universe,” the beautiful, celestial-themed steel gate provides entry to an open-air lobby connecting the project to the community.