Living Buildings®, Water Systems + the Bullitt Center May 27, 2014Larch 498: Soils and Hydrology Leann Andrews, RLA, ASLA PhD Candidate College of Built Environments University of Washington

The Living Building Challenge™ Rigorous performance-based sustainable building certificate program Created in 2006 by the Cascadia Green Building Council + the International Living Future Institute™ Required to meet sustainable ‘green’ standards in design, materials, beauty, equity, construction and operation, and be self efficient for energy and water

The Living Building Challenge™ Water is one of the 7 performance ‘petals’ in the Challenge

The LBC™ Water Requirements 100% of the building’s water needs must be supplied by captured precipitation or other natural closed loop water systems that account for downstream ecosystem impacts, or by recycling used building water Water must be appropriately purified without the use of chemicals 100% of stormwater and used project water discharge must be managed onsite to feed the project’s internal water demands, or released onto adjacent sites for management through acceptable natural time-scale surface flow, groundwater recharge, agricultural use or adjacent property needs

The Bullitt Center [The Bullitt Foundation]

The Bullitt Center the greenest commercial building in the world

The Bullitt Center E Pike St E Madison St 15 th Ave McGilvra Place ParkBullitt Center

The Project Team The Bullitt Foundation  funding Schuchart  general contractor Miller Hull Partnership  architect Berger Partnership  landscape architect 2020 Engineering  water systems Point 32  development partner PAE Consulting Engineers  MEP engineering Foushee  general contract, tenant improvements Luma Lighting Design  lighting Dept of Planning + Development  created Living Building Pilot Program Seattle City Light  created ‘metered energy savings’ model Seattle Public Utilities  worked on stormwater and greywater treatment Seattle Dept of Transportation  closed 15 th Dept of Parks and Rec  efforts to redevelop McGivlra Place Park Seattle-King County Public Health, WA State Dept of Public Health  greywater

The Bullitt Center [ecotrust] 80% Capacity: The Bullitt Foundation Hammer + Hand Intentional Futures Cascadia Green Building Council International Living Future Institute PAE Consulting Engineers Point 32 UW Integrated Design Lab … Certification Process began November 2013

Pre-Development Conditions

Comparable Convention Design

Living Building Design

Basis of Water Design Overall Site area  10,000 SF ( but a 14,300 SF solar panel awning) Contributing roof area  7,000 SF Design Occupancy  166 daily occupants visitors at a large event Average potable water needs  8,194 gal/mo Collected rainwater  4,363 gal/inch of rain Cistern capacity  56,000 gallons Days of storage  100 days of no rain 100% of building’s water needs supplied by rainwater 69% of total site water is used in building- rest either evaporates or is treated on site before going into stormwater pipes (and Puget Sound)

3 Part Integrated Water Management

Schematic Water Flow Diagram

Water Elements Rainwater treatment 500 gallon day use tank 56,000 gallon cistern (conventional pipes in 1,557 gal/day)

Water Elements Low flow foam flush composting toilets (<1 cup water/flush) Waterless urinals 33 gal/day (conventional 913 gal/day)

Water Elements 10 basement composters designed to support 15,000 deposits/day Each composter produces 90 gallons (12 CF of compost/year)

Water Elements 3 rd story constructed wetland (479 SF wetland can treat up to 500 gallons of water/day) Water is recirculated 3 times through the wetland

Water Elements Gravity flow to ground level bioswale + 20’ deep gravel trench (dry wells) 375 SF treats and infiltrates 345 gal/day

Water working in Tandem with other building systems

Water Maintenance Tasks Rotate compost, add wood chips to balance moisture  1x/day Leachate removal (King County Liquid Waste takes to a bird sanctuary)  every 6 weeks Manure removal (transport to make ‘loop’ compost)  yearly? Irrigation upkeep (repairs, adjust settings, flush system etc.)  1x/month Plant upkeep (weeding, replacement etc.)  1x/month Clean gravel/plants of toxins  ?

Water Policy Questions What is the appropriate policy approach within a municipality for using rainwater for potable uses when there is a public treatment facility in place? -water purification w/o chemicals -closed-loop system so Water District status -zoning, health What policy changes should take place to accommodate sustainable innovations?

Thanks! Leann Andrews, RLA, ASLA PhD Candidate College of Built Environments University of Washington