Watershed
The award-winning sustainable design of Watershed is a regenerative seven-story office building that cleans more than 400,000 gallons of highly polluted water before it drains into nearby Lake Union.
Project highlights: Watershed
- Architecture Firm: Weber Thompson
- Owner: HessCallahanGrey Group
- Location: Seattle
- Project site: Previously developed land
- Building program type(s): Office – 10,001 to 100,000sf
As one of the few buildings enrolled in Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program, this building looks to move beyond incremental changes to achieve a better environment. Watershed is a regenerative seven-story office building making a profound positive effect on Seattle’s waterways, which suffer from a significant stormwater runoff problem that is affecting wildlife. Through strategies such as a series of bioswales that step down the site’s hillside, the building cleans more than 400,000 gallons of highly polluted water before it drains into nearby Lake Union. Inside its lobby, which is open to the public, visitors and tenants are kept informed of Watershed’s high performance through a digital dashboard, regular reports, and tours.
AIA Framework for Design Excellence principles
Explore Watershed’s integrated building systems in Fig. 1 Design for Integration.
Stormwater Innovation (Design for Ecosystems + Equitable Communities)
Seattle has a stormwater problem. Untreated runoff from bridges, streets, and roofs transports toxic chemicals directly into the water surrounding Seattle. This creates a habitat crisis for the wildlife that share the urban waterways, specifically migrating salmon and their orca predators. Rather than adding to the problem, the Watershed team set out to design a regenerative project. It celebrates a story of community water conservation, reclamation, and treatment through the design of the building and its public outdoor spaces. Verdant bioswales stepping down a hillside, a large cantilevered shed roof, a reactive glass facade perched over an engaging streetscape: These design decisions provide the opportunity for a new office building to positively impact the neighborhood and region. The bioswales filter stormwater from the adjacent streets and Aurora Bridge while providing a green respite to the public. An annual 400,000 gallons of highly polluted runoff is cleaned before draining into Lake Union.
Rainwater Harvesting & Reduced Water Use (Design for Water + Economy)
The overhanging roof captures on-site rainwater (200,000 gallons per year), conveying it via a cascading downspout system to a sculptural steel scupper before storing it in a 20,000-gallon cistern for nonpotable uses. The rainwater is filtered and reused for toilets, urinals, and minimal on-site irrigation. With efficient plumbing fixtures and tenant participation, this contributes to an 88% reduction in potable water. This is measured and monitored as a requirement of Seattle's Living Building Pilot Program, a unique land use incentive program that rewards actual building performance with additional height, area, and expedited permits. Reinforcing a connection to the water cycle, the exterior lobby opens to the sky, welcoming falling rain and connecting us more immediately to the weather. On the wall, a quote from Benjamin Franklin reminds us: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” The project received Salmon Safe certification and anticipates the Living Building Challenge Petal Certification in 2023, with a focus on materials, place, and beauty.
Living Materials (Design for Well-being + Resources)
Construction materials were vetted to avoid toxic chemicals, encourage manufacturer transparency, reduce embodied carbon, and support the regional economy through local sourcing. A refined natural material palette supports this requirement while connecting to the Pacific Northwest ecology.
Education, Inspiration, and Feedback (Design for Energy + Economy + Discovery)
With an energy use intensity measured at 28.2 kBtu/sf/year, this speculative market-rate building proves that high-performance architecture doesn’t need to be expensive. The impact of this project affects more than its occupants; it shows how a new building can reach beyond its site and contribute to community and ecosystem health. The public can clearly see the ecological function of the building. The bioswales, sculptural channels, water feature, and digital dashboard inform occupants and visitors about progress toward annual water and energy use goals. Tenants receive regular reports so that they can adjust their use to meet the building’s targets. Educational signage, interpretive art, and tours inspire others to evaluate their environmental impacts and develop their own high-performance projects.
The project team conducted extensive community outreach during the entitlement and design review process, along with additional voluntary outreach to nearby stakeholders, community councils, and adjacent property owners, to present early design ideas, address concerns, and answer questions. In response to specific concerns, the project team set back the building massing to give back views to the public right of way, provided additional privacy to the north with smaller punched windows, added a green screen landscape element to beautify the north façade with a biophilic response, and included sculptural channels to provide activation in the water capture story. The building program includes only 14 vehicle stalls but over 100 bike racks and shower and locker facilities, economically benefiting the development while promoting human-powered transportation. Its proximity to the 27-mile, award-winning Burke Gilman Trail decreases dependence on cars, and the project owner implemented a rigorous transportation management plan. The open-air lobby is open to the public, and an active feature stair promotes chance encounters among office tenants, while a mixing zone provides an opportunity for office workers and retail patrons to connect. A digital dashboard in the lobby provides alternate transportation information, including bus routes and schedules.
Design Intent
Who does the project serve? Identify the stakeholders who are directly or indirectly impacted by the project.
The project positively impacts Seattle’s lakes, upland streams, and the greater Puget Sound. Various groups, including Indigenous peoples of the Coast Salish nations, actively fish in these waters. Swimmers and boaters on Lake Union benefit from the cleaner water resulting from this project. The Fremont neighborhood benefits from the active retail, additional eyes on the street, and greater diversity of building uses. The improved watershed strengthens the neighborhood's growing identity and leadership in sustainable and ecological design. Nearby residents, business owners, office workers, and people using the Burke Gilman Trail for commuting or recreation are also positively impacted.
Describe the stakeholder engagement process over the course of the project.
The team conducted extensive community outreach in both small and large group settings during the entitlement and Seattle design review process, which included an early design guidance meeting and a design review recommendation meeting, both of which invite in-person and written public comment and inform the board’s formal approval. Public comment was invited again when the master use permit decision was published.
Identify project goals that support equitable communities and describe how those goals were developed.
In addition to the required design review, the project team enlisted a public relations consultant to conduct voluntary outreach to nearby stakeholders, community councils, and adjacent property owners to present early design ideas, address concerns, and answer questions.
Describe the project team's explorations or design strategies that respond to the above-stated goals.
The project responds to specific concerns of massing impacts and privacy by setting back the building on the west edge to preserve homeowner views to the public right of way and water. The design provides enhanced privacy for the residential neighborhood to the north with smaller punched windows, a green screen landscape element to beautify the north façade with a biophilic response, and sculptural channels to activate the building and showcase the water-capture story.
Describe stories or evidence that demonstrate how the project successfully contributes toward more equitable communities.
In addition to the required design review, the project team enlisted a public relations consultant to conduct voluntary outreach to nearby stakeholders, community councils, and adjacent property owners to present early design ideas, address concerns, and answer questions.
Every community is unique, and every project has unique has unique opportunities to respond to issues of equity and inclusion. Describe any exemplary practices or outcomes for this project.
Watershed sits within the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle: a historical countercultural community that celebrates arts and the solstice and has proclaimed itself “The Center of the Universe.” The building is two blocks south from the infamous Fremont Troll statue, a landmark resulting from a community art competition in 1989 (won by Steve Badanes and Jersey Devil Design/Build). The sculpture is a commentary on growing American car culture and a frequent tourist destination.
Watershed reflects and contributes to the neighborhood’s community identification through educational artwork built into the bioswales and a celestial theme in the design of the entry gate. The project also strengthens the neighborhood's growing identity and leadership in sustainable and ecological design. Three recent Seattle Living Building Pilot projects are within a half-mile of each other, creating a center of gravity for deep green construction.
The bioswales and connected outdoor terraces of the Troll Avenue hill climb provide places of respite for all ages and mobilities. Each sitting area is easily accessible from the sidewalk. A generous plaza marks the southwest corner of the site, surrounded by stadium-style seating set in the landscape.
The first and second floors are designed to accommodate a variety of commercial uses, including office, mercantile retail, and restaurant, which offer the neighborhood future flexibility to meet the demands of the micro-economy.
The Burke Gilman Trail, an award-winning, 27-mile commuter and recreation trail one block to the south of the project, connects to many Seattle-area neighborhoods with their own identities and demographics.
The sourcing of local materials for the project supports a regional supply chain and industry jobs and trades. Reduced toxins in material selection supports environmental justice, in particular for communities near the product manufacturing facilities.
The stepped bioretention system, integrated into Watershed’s right-of-way improvements, treats toxic runoff from surrounding streets and the adjacent bridge. This supports a healthier ecology of the local waterways, impacting numerous species including five types of salmon, a keystone species in Puget Sound. Protecting these salmon also benefits the local orca populations as salmon is a large part of their diet. The landscape design and planting palette feature diverse native species and pollinators to support nearby animal habitats and connect to an extensive neighborhood “pollinator pathway.” As part of the Living Building Challenge Urban Agriculture Imperative, the project includes four beehives on the roof that contribute to local pollination and provide honey to building occupants. Visible stormwater systems and educational signage (highlighting stormwater capture, reuse, filtration, and evaporation) invite the community to engage as they visit and pass by the site. While the stormwater systems do require maintenance, they are preventative measures and reach beyond the project site, reducing the need for larger-scale environmental cleanup downstream. As part of Watershed’s Salmon -Safe certification, specific materials (including copper, zinc, and galvanized metals) were excluded from the exterior material palette due to their negative impact on local aquatic ecologies.
Explore the untreated neighborhood runoff, Lake Union stormwater basin, and the salmon migration routes in Fig. 2 Design for Ecosystems.
Design Intent
How does the design minimize negative impacts on animals?
The project supports pollinators for miles in every direction through the landscape planting and four honeybee hives hosted on Watershed’s roof. Rainwater pooled in bioretention cells encourages evaporation and provides a year-round water source for bees and insects. The exterior light fixtures in the landscape were selected to balance adequate and safe lighting levels for pedestrians while protecting dark skies.
How does the project support biodiversity and improve ecosystem services?
Stormwater management supports five species of salmon as well as trout on their annual spawning route through the Fremont Cut. This waterway is located roughly 200 feet from the project and is particularly impacted by the dedicated municipal stormwater system. Pollinator plants in the landscape design support local bees and other pollinator species along with the urban beekeeping system on the roof (which also contributes to the Living Building Challenge Place Petal Urban Agriculture Imperative). Layers of planting, like a native Northwest forest floor, restore this portion of the regional landscape.
Metrics
0% of site area was vegetated (landscape or green roof) pre-development.
15.3% of the site area is vegetated (landscape or green roof) post-development.
There was a 15.3% increase in vegetated area post-development.
95.8% of the vegetated areas are planted with native species.
Watershed reduced potable water use in the building by 88% from a local baseline. Of the stormwater that falls on the site, 88% is reused. Throughout each year, about 200,000 gallons of rainwater are collected in a 20,000-gallon cistern, which is then treated and reused for toilets and irrigation. The on-site irrigation demand is minimal—less than 10% of the project’s annual water demand—and was reduced as plants became established.
“This office building successfully took on the task of making a positive impact on the local water system, something you don’t necessarily see elsewhere in office space projects. The idea of a building taking on creating more of a positive impact than it needs to be is impressive to me.”—Jury comment
To reinforce the connection to the water cycle and weather, a light well in the exterior lobby is open to the sky. On the board-formed concrete wall, the poignant quote in weathering steel from Benjamin Franklin serves as a reminder: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” The project received Salmon Safe certification and anticipates Living Building Challenge Petal Certification (with a focus on materials, place, and beauty).
The swales temporarily divert the off-site stormwater runoff for filtration before returning the water to its original path within the municipal infrastructure. Water flows through the site much like it would have in forested land pre-development.
Explore Watershed’s water mitigation and reclamation in Fig. 3 Design for Water.
Design Intent
Describe how the project's stormwater and potable water strategies contribute to site and community resilience.
The treatment of the Aurora Bridge and alley runoff currently supports the nearby aquatic ecosystem health and will for years to come. By using harvested rainwater, the building is less reliant on municipal water systems for toilet flushing and irrigation and is reducing demand at the regional water treatment facility, contributing to resilience through the decentralization of water resources.
Describe the quality of the water that runs off the site.
Academic researchers at the Washington Stormwater Center conducted rigorous laboratory studies in recent years to show the effectiveness of bioretention systems like the one at Watershed in reducing salmon mortality from toxic roadway runoff. Natural systems, such as swales, were shown to remove suspended solids and toxins, including the chemical identified to cause mortality in salmon, 6-PPD-quinone. Watershed’s stormwater capture and reuse system also removes toxins that have settled on bare roof surfaces via filtration and UV sterilization.
Describe how and where the project's black water is treated.
This project connects to a conventional municipal sanitary sewer. It does not treat black water on-site.
Metrics
Water use intensity (gal/sf/year)
Benchmark: 12.7
Predicted: 4.1
Measured: 1.6
Reduction in potable water use (from benchmark)
Predicted: 67.5%
Measured: 61.2%
Total annual water demand met using potable sources
Predicted: 58.4%
Measured: 87.6%
100% of stormwater is managed on-site.
Please explain if a mandatory metric is unavailable or a metric requires additional interpretive information.
Measured Potable Water Use excludes initial two-year establishment irrigation in the city right of way, in alignment with Seattle Living Building Pilot Program rules.
Estimated Water Runoff Quality
- project includes engineered stepped bioretention cells that provide stormwater detention, slowing, and natural filtration, beyond conventional bioswales; therefore, "mechanically filtered and released" was selected.
As a speculative development, Watershed needed to be financially viable and appealing to office tenants. The cost premium for Living Building Challenge, specifically anticipated for energy and water systems and materials vetting, was offset in the pro forma by the building’s additional height and area, which was allowed through Seattle’s unique land use incentive program.
“Our intent is to show that it is possible to meet cutting-edge sustainability goals while still meeting the needs of the most demanding technology tenants,” said the developer client. Remarkably, the office spaces were 72% pre-leased prior to completion in 2020 and are currently 100% leased. This project has proven that buildings that prioritize human health and wellness are more economically resilient.
The electrochromic glass added first costs but also reduced the cooling load and tonnage of rooftop equipment. It also reduced ongoing utility costs while improving thermal comfort, increasing the value for tenants, and contributing to higher rent per square foot in leases compared to other commercial properties in the neighborhood. The leasing team dubbed this building “class A+.”
Design Intent
How does this project contribute to local and/or disadvantaged economies?
By replacing a low-rise, underutilized industrial building with a seven-story commercial development, the project provided the “highest and best use” for the owner and the neighborhood. The building adds office workers and visitors, retail and restaurant employees, and patrons to the area, supporting density, urban livability, and municipal investment in infrastructure. The local material sourcing supports the regional economy and job creation in manufacturing and trades.
How did design choices reduce system sizes and minimize materials usage, allowing for lower cost and more efficiently designed systems/structure?
The project makes creative use of outdoor space that is chargeable to tenants but exempt from floor area allowances in the land use code and does not need ventilation, heating, or cooling, reducing systems capacity.
The selection of the castellated steel structure with a buckling restrained braced frame reduced the overall volume of concrete and building weight. The foundation wall of the site’s former building was reused, saving approximately 100 tons of concrete, and helped manage the schedule and costs for the contractor.
Early in the project, the design team removed a cumbersome loading dock and minimized the vehicle parking garage in the building program, both of which maximized usable (and rentable) space on the site.
Cost
Confidential as project team does not have permission to share.
The measured energy use of Watershed is 28.2 kBtu/sf/year, proven by 12 months of utility data—even better than the predicted modeled performance of 32.0 kBtu/sf/year and 67% more efficient than a benchmark building.
The building’s mechanical systems include decoupled ventilation and heating/cooling, with a dedicated outside air system (DOAS) with high-efficiency heat recovery and a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system serving both tenant office space and IDF/server rooms to maximize heat recovery.
In addition to high-performance HVAC, the curtain wall includes an electrochromic glazing system on the south and west primary facades that automatically tints to reduce peak cooling loads from solar gain and increases daylight potential and thermal comfort.
Detailed tenant design guidance was developed based on several rounds of energy modeling and sensitivity analysis. This helped establish energy targets for lighting, HVAC, and receptacles. Tenants receive regular energy reports from the landlord; some use dashboards for real-time feedback to adjust their energy use.
A digital dashboard in the lobby informs tenants and visitors of the building’s performance based on annual energy use goals.
Design Intent
There was uncertainty about the density and use patterns for a multi-tenant office building. The modeling had to be predictive because of post-occupancy targets. The project assumes the worst-case scenario for tenant density, approximately 140 sf/person. The team developed a letter for leases, detailing hours of operation, set points for mechanical systems, and tenant energy budgets for plug loads, HVAC, and lighting.
The roof is solar-ready, providing an option to meet city compliance measures if efficiency, commissioning, and tenant behavior interventions were exhausted. The renewables were not necessary for compliance, but PV can be added to improve on-site energy generation.
Metrics
Is the building all-electric? No.
In its measured usage, including on-site renewables, did the project achieve its 2030 Commitment reduction target (70% reduction by 2015, 80% reduction by 2020)? No.
The project's total carbon (embodied + operational) over 10 years in kg CO2e is 4,281,028.
There is a 68% reduction (inclusive of renewables) from benchmark, measured.
0% of total energy is derived from renewable sources, measured.
There is a 62% reduction (inclusive of renewables) in operational carbon from benchmark, measured.
Please explain if a mandatory metric is unavailable or a metric requires additional interpretive information.
The measured energy reported includes electricity and gas from base building systems and all occupied spaces. Power from the unoccupied retail spaces has been excluded as this has only been used for construction activities related to various tenant improvement projects (as opposed to diesel power generation or similar). This is the approach taken by the Living Building Pilot Program and the city of Seattle.
Well-being in Watershed is achieved through extensive outdoor connections, the elimination and mitigation of toxic materials, improved ventilation, and encouraging human-powered mobility.
At-grade patios, roof decks, and an exterior entry lobby and feature stair provide robust outdoor connections and opportunities for social interactions and chance encounters. Operable windows provide individualized thermal control that supplements the mechanical HVAC.
Complying with LBC Materials Petal, the core and shell and tenant improvement teams vetted 1,300 products and materials to minimize Red List ingredients and control VOCs for wet-applied interior products.
The DOAS system also includes MERV-13 filtration, demand control ventilation, and an additional 30% of ventilation air beyond what is required by ASHRAE 62.1 (considered the optimal level for cognitive performance), without incurring much of an energy penalty for outside air treatment. Although not a requirement for LBC, the ASHRAE 55 Thermal Comfort Standard and tool were used during the design. In addition, the electrochromic glass improves both visual and thermal comfort at the perimeter zone by actively adjusting the SHGC and visual light transmittance (VLT) to reduce glare and operative temperature.
An occupant satisfaction survey was completed, per the LBC Beauty Petal, with overwhelmingly positive responses.
Explore how Watershed promotes a connection to the outdoors in Fig. 4 Design for Well-being.
Design intent
Was a chemicals of concern list or other third-party framework used to inform material selection? If so, how?
The design team exhaustively researched Red-List-free products and materials during design, starting with the Living Building Challenge v3.0 Red List. They then worked with the general contractor and sustainability consultant during construction to vet all commodities not typically specified in the design phase and products with unknown sources before subcontracts were executed.
How did the project advocate for greater transparency in building material supply chains?
Many of the specified products had Declare labels and/or provided a complete ingredient list to support transparency and toxin reduction in the material supply chain. Several products either renewed or pursued a Declare label during the vetting process. Advocacy letters were sent to manufacturers for various reasons, including if their product required an exception to Red List requirements.
Metrics
0% of the regularly occupied area is daylit (sDA 300/50%).
0% of the regularly occupied area is compliant with annual glare criteria (ASE 1000, 250).
0% of the regularly occupied area has quality views.
46% of the regularly occupied area has access to operable windows.
Please explain if a mandatory is unavailable or a metric requires additional interpretive information.
This is a core and shell commercial building. Some information above is from a single tenant improvement within the building; however, we do not have access to all tenants so some prompts under Daylighting, Views, Occupant Control, and IAQ Management are difficult to answer.
sDA and ASE were not calculated using the LEED metrics. We used daylighting analysis as an iterative design tool to influence floor-to-floor heights and floor plate shape/window relationships.
Area with access to occupied windows was estimated based on the average floor layout of core and shell building without knowing final configuration of tenant improvements.
All building and landscape materials were rigorously vetted by the design and construction team. The primary goal was to remove Red List chemicals, which required manufacturer outreach and advocacy. The minimal exterior palette favored natural and local materials, reducing carbon emissions due to product travel distance to the site while supporting the local and regional economies. Salvaged and recycled materials further reduced resource extraction. Salvaged items from the previous building included wood timbers reused for exterior benches, cedar formwork for cast-in-place concrete reused for wall covering in the elevator lobby, light fixtures, a bike rack, wheel stops, and signage. A one-time carbon offset was purchased for the calculated embodied carbon equivalent.
A portion of the existing concrete foundation wall was reused as temporary shoring, eliminating about 100 tons of concrete waste, minimizing excavation and construction dewatering, and reducing the construction schedule. This also led to the minimization of vehicle parking and loading, resulting in a pedestrian- and bicycle-focused building with optimized back-of-house spaces and efficient floor plans.
Design Intent
Did embodied carbon considerations inform the design? How?
A number of decisions were made in both the design and construction to reduce embodied carbon. The choice of a castellated steel structure versus more common post-tensioned concrete slabs helped reduce building weight, volume of concrete, and corresponding emissions. This effort was supported by local materials sourcing and the reuse of salvaged materials where possible (such as the existing foundation of the prior building on-site, which was one of the biggest impacts).
Did the idea of circularity/circular economy inform the design? How?
The site’s existing building was thoroughly examined for any salvageable materials. The design and construction team salvaged materials via the core and shell construction (a concrete foundation used for shoring, wood timbers reused for exterior benches, light fixtures, a bike rack, wheel stops, and signage). Additionally, one of the tenant improvements features “upcycled” ceiling panels, ceiling fans, artwork, and entry lobby signage salvaged from its former office, and it highlights these items on building tours.
Describe any special steps taken during design/construction to make disassembly, deconstruction, or reuse easier at the building's end of life.
While the building is intended to have a more than 100-year lifespan, the steel construction above the concrete podium is well-suited for future reuse by disassembling the bolted connections of steel members and steel recycling at the plant.
Metrics
0% of project floor area was reused or adapted from existing buildings.
Was embodied carbon modeled? Yes.
30.8 kgCO2e/sf is the project's embodied carbon intensity.
100% of the installed wood is FSC certified.
Watershed strengthens the mixed-use Fremont neighborhood located outside of Seattle’s downtown core. It contributes economically by increasing vibrancy and surrounding property values, introducing new office tenants and local retailers. Locating the building in Fremont further supports hybrid office work because of its adjacency to residential areas.
The first two floor levels have flexible use—as office, retail, or restaurant—providing options for a variety of tenants over the building’s life.
Proximity to a bike- and pedestrian-friendly street grid, public transit, and the Burke Gilman Trail and Lake Union means the building can be accessed multi-modally in case of a natural threat or disaster.
The daylighting, operable windows, and rainwater catchment make the building less reliant on mechanical and municipal systems. The building is solar-ready; a future photovoltaic array was a contingency in case post-occupancy energy targets weren’t met and could potentially make the building more self-sufficient in the future.
Design intent
In what ways does the design anticipate climate change over the life of the building?
The VRF mechanical system is flexible and scalable, with space available on the rooftop for additional equipment if needed. With both operable windows and mechanical cooling/ventilation, outdoor air can be filtered if air quality is poor (a recent concern in the Pacific Northwest summers given the increase in forest fires).
How does the design anticipate restoring or adapting function in the face of stress or shock, such as natural disasters, blackouts, etc.?
Daylighting and operable windows support passive survivability in the case of a stress or shock.
Metrics
Research score: 40
Resiliency score: 33
The building cannot be used as a safe harbor to support the community during a crisis.
Through passive sustainability, the building can function for 72 hours. This is a best estimate based on thermal envelope, daylighting, and natural ventilation.
Because Watershed participated in the Living Building Pilot Program with the city of Seattle, 12 months of operational energy and water data were submitted to prove compliance with the required better-than-code targets. This meant intensive commissioning, measurement and verification, and participation from the tenants. Energy and water sub-meters enabled more detailed tracking by landlord and tenants, setting up the building for improved future performance.
The digital dashboard in the lobby displays real-time building energy and water metrics to visitors and explains the exemplary performance features of the building. A physical plaque made of steel and wood will proudly display the LBC certification, Salmon Safe certification, and Living Building Pilot Program compliance.
The project incorporated design features intended solely for human delight and the celebration of culture, spirit, and place. There is a water-themed quote in a light well where rain will be felt and heard. The entry gate features a pattern inspired by the celestial themes recurring in the Fremont neighborhood. There are interpretive signs throughout the landscape explaining the four aspects of the water story: collection, filtration, evaporation, and conservation; brass raised textures on these signs allow people to create rubbings using crayon, graphite, or chalk.
Design intent
What lessons learned through this project have been used to improve subsequent projects?
Watershed has earned industry acclaim and national media attention and has been featured in numerous tours and case studies. This coverage raises public awareness about deep green commercial buildings and what is possible within tight financial parameters. The project also provides a model for stormwater management and treatment. The next phase of bioretention systems uses a similar design developed by the project’s civil engineer and was scaled up to clean an additional 1.25 million gallons of bridge runoff. Following Watershed’s lead, other private developments are working to support local ecologies beyond their property lines.
If a post-occupancy evaluation was conducted, describe the process and outcomes.
A post-occupancy survey of building occupants was conducted in early 2022, distributed to tenants by the property manager via email, and collected via an online survey provider. The questions included: How well does the project celebrate a sense of local culture, spirit, and place? How well does the project tell its story of commitment to water quality and conservation? How well does the project materiality reflect the neighborhood’s industrial past? How well does the project foster a connection between occupants and nature? How well does the project integrate design features intended solely for human delight? Seventy-four percent of responses were “very successfully.”
If a post-occupancy performance testing was conducted, describe the process and outcomes.
A blower door test was conducted as a local code requirement without a specific target. Post-occupancy thermal imaging was not conducted.
Metrics
Post-occupancy evaluation score: 90
Transparency score: 90
Commissioning score: 20
Feedback score: 100
Please explain if a mandatory metric is unavailable or a metric requires additional interpretive information.
While we did not pursue LEED, and monitoring-based commissioning was not conducted, the team did provide continuous M&V for post-occupancy energy and water tracking.
"Other" includes post-occupancy energy and water data, plus stormwater, materials, and transportation stories from the project are "published" (displayed) on a dashboard in a public lobby.
Project team & Jury
Year of design completion: 2018
Year of substantial project completion: 2020
Gross conditioned floor area: 59,011 sq. ft.
Number of stories: 7
Project site: Previously developed land
Project site context/setting: Urban
Annual hours of operation: 2,600
Site area: 20,292 sq. ft.
Total annual users: 501
Building Envelope: Allana Buick & Bers
Curtain Wall: Mission Glass
Display Design: RMB Vivid, Inc
Electrochromic Glazing: View Glass, installed by Mission Interactive
Engineer - Civil: kpff MEP Design, Built Ecology: WSP
Engineer - Structural: DCI Engineers
Engineer: Transportation: Heffron Transportation, Inc
Landscape Architecture: Weber Thompson
Living Building Consultant: Skanska
MEP Subcontractors: Sequoyah Electric, Emerald Aire, JH Kelly
Specifications: Applied Building Information
Steel Fabricator: Metals Fabrication CompanyConcrete: Turner Concrete
Katie Ackerly, AIA, Chair, David Baker, Oakland, Calif.
Julian Owens, Assoc. AIA, Jacobs, Arlington, Va.
Seonhee Kim, AIA, Design Collective, Baltimore
Avinash Rajagopal, Metropolis, New York
The COTE® Top Ten Award is the industry’s best-known award program for sustainable design excellence.
Explore ten projects setting the standard in design and sustainability, presented by the Committee on the Environment.