City Green Building
Case Studies

Spotlight on Green City of Seattle Facilities
The case studies on City of Seattle capital improvement projects offered below highlight a variety of green building approaches, design strategies, materials, and lessons learned that can help with your next project.

     
 

Park 90-5
Formerly a coffee-roasting plant and a meat-packing facility, Park 90-5's buildings A and C were sustainably revitalized by the City and now house several specialized Seattle Police Department functions.
     
  Seattle Central Library
Designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, and future-proofed by City Librarian Deborah Jacobs, the library achieved LEED™ Silver certification, has been embraced by Seattleites and tourists, and is expected to serve a very long time.
     
  Seattle City Hall
Designed to last 100 years, with the ability to adapt to changing services and technology, the new City Hall expresses Seattleites' values--it is healthy, open and transparent; achieves great resource savings; and features a living roof.
     
  Seattle Justice Center
Also designed for a 100-year life span, the new Justice Center features interior spaces illuminated with daylight, an open space design that provides views, a thermal buffer wall to save energy, and a multi-functional living roof.
Link to Cascadia GBC Case Study.
     
Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center
The City of Seattle’s first project to pursue a LEED™ Gold certification is a demonstration project to educate visitors about sustainable building and the ecology of the Piper’s Creek watershed.
     
  Cedar River Watershed Education Center
The primary water source for the greater Seattle area, this watershed was designated an ecological reserve to address declining fish and wildlife and assure water supply. The sustainably built center will educate visitors on the human and natural infrastructure for water.
     
  Southwest Precinct of Seattle Police Department
Sustainable building strategies used will lower operation and maintenance costs an esteimated $83,000 per year.  Highlights include canted wall and overhang to provide sun protection and operable windows with fritted glass.
     
  Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center
Expected to host over 900,000 visitors each year, this replacement for the Flag Pavilion is the first City building completed before Seattle adopted a sustainable building policy to apply for LEED™ Silver certification.
Link to Cascadia GBC Case Study.
     
 

Seattle Municipal (Key) Tower Remodel
Remodel to City's office tower highlights green conference center.  Other improvements: energy efficiency upgrade based on a penguin flipper: entrance makeover to improve Civic Center connections, accessibility, energy use.
Last Updated: June 26, 2006