Photo Courtesy of Gerding Edlen

Pine + Minor Apartments, Seattle

The 89,800-sq-ft, seven-story, mixed-use project, which includes many eco-friendly design features, includes 120 residential units, 3,000 sq ft of retail space, a 28-stall below-grade parking garage, a bicycle storage room, lounge and other amenities.

The building has a green roof, high-efficiency facade with a rain screen, reflective glazing and insulation as well as a real-time, Web-based energy monitoring system. About 97% of the project's construction waste was diverted from landfills.

The team installed vertical sunshades on the building's west facade to help reduce solar heat. Work included installing low-flow water fixtures, and, in keeping with the owner's values, only environmentally friendly paints, adhesives and sealants were used.

The $19.4-million structure is also 20% more energy efficient than the government requires and is LEED- Platinum certified under the U.S. Green Building Council.

The team's challenges included working in a tight location with limited access for materials delivery. To resolve the issue, the team implemented a strict and coordinated delivery schedule and encouraged subcontractors to use offsite fabrication whenever possible. Communication with neighboring operating businesses was also key in helping to limit disruptions.

Another hurdle arose when, shortly after placing the flooring order, the overseas manufacturer told the team that the lead time would be extended by several months, which meant delivery would be delayed.

The team worked with the flooring manufacturer to find another factory in a neighboring country to produce and deliver the material one month ahead of a new delivery date. Once the material was on site, multiple flooring installation subcontractors worked together to make up for lost time and finish the installation.

Key Players

Owner/Developer Gerding Edlen

General Contractor Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty Co.

Lead Design Firm Perkins + Will

Structural Engineer KPFF

Civil Engineer Coughlin Porter Lundeen

MEP Engineer Rushing