BULLITT CENTER
Seattle, WA, USA | Living Certified
Seattle’s Bullitt Center represents a deliberate departure from the commercial office development paradigm and a firm commitment to human-powered living. It goes beyond typical measures to facilitate biking and walking. In lieu of SOV parking, the building provides a secure bicycle parking garage and shower facilities, with lockers on each floor. There are three bus lines within two blocks of the building. In addition, the project team worked with the city to remove a road that would have separated the building from the adjacent park, which had the impact of calming traffic in the immediate vicinity and improving access to green space. Human-powered movement within the building is encouraged by a prominently placed and generously scaled open stairway with views of the cityscape, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains, while universal access is readily offered by elevators.
KING STREET (JW Architects’ Office)
Seattle, WA, USA | Zero Energy Certified
As a dense urban infill project, JW Architects’ Office in Seattle offered little opportunity to create exterior public space. Undaunted, they designed their office with community in mind. Each year, the firm partners with a local artist to host a large-scale installation during the summer months, featuring a free public opening with neighborhood-sourced food and drinks and a local DJ. In addition, they keep their doors open to the public for the duration of the installation so people can drop in and view the work. The firm additionally enjoys hosting events organized by local architecture professionals, including the Diversity Round Table Social Hour and Young Architects’ Forum workshops, as well as welcoming neighborhood nonprofits, like Friends of Little Saigon and Plymouth Housing, to use their space for board meetings and events.
