by Brianna Crandall — November 28, 2012—The Seattle District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moved on November 26 into new headquarters at Federal Center South Building 1202, a design-build project led by ZGF Architects and Sellen Construction. The 209,000 square foot, high-performance building transforms an industrial brownfield warehouse site into a 21st century workplace and sets a new standard for sustainable buildings of all types.
The $72 million project, funded by 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, is part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Design Excellence program to promote sustainability, help communities, and advance a clean energy economy. GSA aimed to develop a state-of-the-art office building that meets the current and future needs of the Army Corps and its Seattle workforce. It is expected to merit LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and an ENERGY STAR score of 100.
The 1202 building is anticipated to be the region’s most energy-efficient air-conditioned building, using one fifth of the estimated energy for a standard office building in the Northwest. It uses an innovative “Phase Change Material” that releases and stores cold-energy to reduce the building’s cooling needs, and it is reportedly one of the first in the region to combine the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems with structural piles.
Sustainable features include:
- 25,000-gallon cistern stores rainwater from the rooftop for use in toilet flushing, irrigation, etc.
- 90% of the building is naturally daylit through optimization of floor depth and façade.
- 100% outside air is filtered and distributed via underfloor ventilation.
- 300,000 board feet of reclaimed timber was used from an existing warehouse on-site.
- A 50% reduction of impervious surfaces created 4.5 acres of pervious landscape.
The distinctive U-shape of the building configured around a central atrium introduces biophilic design principles such as daylight, views, natural forms and elements into the workplace to enhance employee health and productivity, notes ZGF Architects.
“The Oxbow configuration pays tribute to the historic course of the Duwamish Waterway and honors the Corps’ mission of ‘Building Strong,'” said Allyn Stellmacher, ZGF Architects LLP Design Partner. “It allows light to penetrate deep into the core where the office floor plates wrap around a central atrium with shared conference rooms and building amenities that encourage interaction and collaboration.”
