by Brianna Crandall — September 23, 2015—NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, recently announced Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate as the recipient of its 2015 Sustainable Development Award. The award is given annually to honor a commercial real estate developer for an outstanding project that incorporates innovative sustainable solutions, resulting in an environmentally efficient and economically successful property.
NAIOP selected Vulcan for its development of the Stack House Apartments and Supply Laundry Building — a historic landmark restoration and adaptive re-use project. The creative project encompasses a full block in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, immediately north of the central business district (CBD).
At the outset of the project, Vulcan made a commitment to maintain and enhance the block and character of the neighborhood through ultra-sustainable building practices combining new and old technologies, historic preservation, and a mix of market-rate and affordable housing. The architect for the project was Runberg Architecture Group, and the landscape architect was Berger Partnership.
Both leasing velocity and rental rates are evidence of strong market acceptance of the project. The Stack House Apartments southeast building, which features 90 of the 278 homes, was 91 percent pre-leased before the first tenant took occupancy in August 2013; the entire apartment community was 95 preleased leased within seven months of the October 2013 completion.
The commercial building is 100 percent leased to Amazon.com and Rigoletto, an Italian restaurant. The project also attracted a small urban grocery store that is a significant amenity both for the residents of Stack House and the surrounding community, where there are 2,700 residential units within just three blocks.
“Vulcan has an extensive history of developing iconic sustainable projects that set the bar within the industry,” said Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP President and CEO. “Their approach proves that efficiency and sustainability are tied directly to profitability, and their innovative tactics are advancing both commercial and residential real estate. Clearly, Vulcan is at the forefront of sustainable development, and NAIOP is proud to recognize them for their commitment and achievements.”
Landscaping features include vegetated roof areas, a public plaza and courtyard spaces, and large-scale biofiltration swales that intercept and clean storm water runoff. Photo courtesy of RunbergEnergy efficiency and sustainability
The Stack House Apartments and Supply Laundry Building project incorporates high-performance features, including:
- A variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heating / ventilation / air-conditioning (HVAC) system is specified as the Supply Laundry Building’s standard mechanical system; it can efficiently transfer heat and cold air from one area of the building to another and is designed to give the tenants more control over cooling and heating, but also requires far less energy than a traditional HVAC system.
- A reverse-cycle chiller is 2.5 times more efficient at heating domestic hot water than a traditional gas-fired boiler system. The chiller transfers ambient heat from the garage via an air source heat pump to heat domestic water, greatly reducing energy demands.
- Large-scale biofiltration swales in 12- and 18-foot-lengths intercept and clean storm water runoff from a 435-acre storm water drainage basin on nearby Capitol Hill. Filled with native sedges and rushes, the healthy plants and soil remove approximately 92 percent of the street runoff contaminants of 190 million gallons of storm water annually, before discharging to nearby Lake Union.
Historic preservation and codes
The Supply Laundry Building is a 34,000-square-foot historic brick structure that was originally built in 1906 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The team preserved and restored the brick masonry exterior and iconic smokestack, which is one of the project’s key design elements. The office and retail space also features a recent public art installation entitled “Hampers” by Seattle artist Whiting Tennis, which pays tribute to historic Seattle’s female laundry workers via a grouping of wicker baskets cast in bronze, echoing those used throughout the 20th century.
Vulcan entered into a partnership with the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development and Preservation Green Lab, an affiliate of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to pilot a performance-based energy code compliance path. The performance-based path gave Vulcan greater flexibility in meeting energy code requirements without compromising historic preservation priorities. Vulcan agreed to exceed minimum code performance (through actual post-occupancy performance measurements), setting a goal to reduce the building’s energy use by more than 50 preleased compared to an established national baseline performance.
Certifications and honors
As a result of Vulcan’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency, the Stack House Apartments and Supply Laundry Building have been recognized with the following certifications:
- U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum certification for each of the two Stack House apartment buildings.
- Targeting LEED-CS (Core & Shell) Gold certification for the Supply Laundry Building.
- A Walk Score of 94, and as many as 40 preleased of the Stack House residents live within walking distance of their jobs.
The Sustainable Development Award will be presented at NAIOP’s Commercial Real Estate Conference 2015 on October 14 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
