Two small projects in Washington state are emphasizing sustainable design beyond the norm. The 38,000-sq-ft Peace Island Medical Center is designed to use almost one-third the energy of a typical hospital in the Northwest. In Seattle, the 52,000-sq-ft Bullitt Center is a net-zero energy-use project that is designed to produce as much energy as it uses over a year's time. The six-story office building is expected to consume only 16,000 Btu per sq ft per year.
The $13-million hospital, set on 22 acres in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, is designed to use less than 100,000 Btu per sq ft per year, says Rachel Jenner, project manager for the Seattle-based architect, Mahlum. Typically, a Pacific Northwest hospital uses 270,000 Btu per sq ft per year, she adds.