BULLITT CENTER
Seattle, Washington, United States of America | Living Certified
In order to achieve the aggressive energy efficiency targets necessary to meet the Energy Petal, the Bullitt Center’s project team had to use extremely efficient windows. Schuco, in Germany, which was outside the project’s desired sourcing radius, was the only company that produced windows to meet the necessary performance requirements. Goldfinch Brothers Inc., the local glazing contractor for the Bullitt Center, was able to work with Schuco to import the manufacturing technology to Washington State in order to produce the window locally. Through this innovative licensing arrangement, the project team was able to procure technology that allowed them to achieve their energy efficiency targets while meeting the sourcing requirements of the Living Building Challenge, supporting the local economy, and building regional capacity for advanced green building technology.
TE KURA WHARE
Tühoe, Täneatua, New Zealand | Living Certified
By commissioning a Living Building for its new tribal authority headquarters, the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe has created an economic, ecological, and cultural beacon for restorative design not only for its community, but also for the New Zealand construction industry as a whole. The project team’s decision to select intensely local, non-toxic, and natural materials minimized the project’s ecological impact while simultaneously building expertise and capacity in the local community.
The timber used on the project was sustainably harvested near the project site from the Urewer’a, a forest that has cultural significance to the Ngāi Tūhoe. The wood was processed by nearby mills, enabling local members of the tribe to receive training and practical experience, and inspiring a new generation to become leaders in the engineering and construction fields. The project team arranged a series of public workshops to teach community members the art of making clay bricks from local soils. Over six thousand of the natural bricks produced in these local workshops were incorporated into the project.
