THE BULLITT CENTER
Seattle, Washington, United States of America | Living Certified
The project team for the Bullitt Center specified Prosoco’s R-Guard FastFlash® system as an air and water barrier in the project’s rainscreen assembly as a key component in its Net Positive Energy strategy. When the project team contacted Prosoco about the product’s formulation, the manufacturer revealed that the product contained phthalates, persistent bio accumulative reproductive toxins that are on the Red List. When the Bullitt Center project team explained that they would not use a product containing phthalates, Prosoco developed a Red List Free replacement. They partnered with a local company, Building Envelope Innovations, to conduct performance testing just in time to be specified for the project. Prosoco subsequently removed phthalates from all of its FastFlash® products and adopted the Red List as a framework to eliminate toxic ingredients across its product lines.
Industry transformation starts with project team and manufacturer conversations to prioritize product ingredient transparency and Red List chemical avoidance. This effort consistently progresses the market toward healthier products, buildings, and communities. Image by Nic Lehoux.MULDOON GARDEN
Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America | Pursuing Petal Certification (Materials)
Muldoon Garden is on track to become the first Materials Petal Certified project within the Affordable Housing Pilot Program. The project strategy for the Red List Imperative was to create as simple a materials palette as possible. By creating an elegant design, the project team simplified their materials vetting work significantly, creating much less work for the team by streamlining the submittals, management, and budget. The project architect felt that the materials industry in particular has become overly complicated and thus scaled the project back to the essentials, utilizing a natural and native palette which included natural materials wherever possible. The Living Building Challenge Red List goals on Muldoon Garden brought much attention to the Anchorage region, and has inspired other projects to pursue the Materials Petal.
Muldoon Garden provides 23 units of affordable housing as well as a daycare, offices, a common room, an exterior fitness space, and onsite apple trees and berry bushes. Image by Valier Clark.