Bullitt Center becomes third certified ‘living’ building to feature PPG glass

The IGUs are part of an advanced curtain wall system, equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, that enables Bullitt Center to draw 80 percent of its lighting needs from the sun. The center’s interior and exterior doors and laminated skylights also are fabricated from Solarban 60 glass.

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) announced that Bullitt Center, Seattle, has become the third building constructed with PPG glass to meet the LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE™ standard, the world’s most rigorous green design and construction standard. Called the “greenest commercial office building in the world,” the six-story, 52,000-square-foot structure features triple-glazed insulating glass units that incorporate two lites of SOLARBAN® 60 low-emissivity (low-e) glass to provide window system U-values as low as 0.17. STARPHIRE® ultra-clear glass by PPG frames the building’s signature design element, an “irresistible stairway” (below) that invites occupants to climb steps instead of riding the elevator by providing panoramic views of downtown Seattle and Puget Sound. (Photography by Tom Kessler)

STARPHIRE(R) ultra-clear glass by PPG frames the building’s signature design element, an “irresistible stairway” that invites occupants to climb steps instead of riding the elevator by providing panoramic views of downtown Seattle and Puget Sound. As the industry’s most transparent commercial architectural glass, Starphire glass can generate visible light transmittance of up to 91 percent in thicknesses from 3 to 19 millimeters.

Jim Hanford, building performance specialist for The Miller Hull Partnership and the Bullitt Center design team, said Solarban 60 glass was chosen for its ability to facilitate the building’s energy and daylighting demands.

“We specified Solarban 60 [glass] because it provided the best balance of thermal performance, solar control and daylighting performance,” he explained. “To allow daylight deep into the floor plate, we knew we would need large glass areas with high visible light transmittance. To offset the heating load penalty of the large glass areas, we wanted to get the lowest possible heat rate loss, and that meant using a product such as Solarban 60 [glass] with argon-fill in the insulating glass units.

“Because we have a long history of using Solarban 60 [glass], on other projects, we knew we would be comfortable with how it looked on the building,” he added.

Bullitt Center is fortified with a rooftop photovoltaic array that generates 230,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, a ground-source geothermal heat exchange system and radiant floor heating and cooling systems. Together with a 56,000-gallon rainwater collection cistern, greywater reclamation, a green roof and dozens of other sustainable design strategies, the Bullitt Center renews or generates, on-site, more than 100 percent of the energy it needs to function.

PPG architectural glass products are included in two other certified living buildings: The Phipps Conservatory Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh and the Energy Lab at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela. There are only seven certified living buildings in the world.

PPG is the first and only U.S. float glass manufacturer to earn recognition through the CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED(TM) program for its products, and it offers more architectural glasses certified through the program than does any other float glass manufacturer. To learn more about high-performance PPG glass, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 1-888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

About the Bullitt Foundation

Established in 1952, the Bullitt Foundation is dedicated to safeguarding the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana (including the Rocky Mountain range), coastal Alaska from Cook Inlet to the Canadian border, and British Columbia. For more information, visit www.bullittcenter.org.

About The Miller Hull Partnership

Founded in 1977, The Miller Hull Partnership specializes in award-winning, performance-based design for public and private buildings that actively engage their communities through simple, innovative and authentic designs. Capabilities include architecture, master planning, interior design and space planning. The firm, which is widely recognized for timeless designs that elevate the ordinary and provide lasting value for public buildings, educational environments and private residences, is a recipient of the National Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects. For more information, visit www.millerhull.com.

About the Living Building Challenge

Administered by International Living Future Institute, the Living Building Challenge requires buildings to comply with 20 imperatives in seven performance categories including place, energy, water, health and happiness, materials, equity and beauty. Certification is based on actual – rather than modeled or anticipated – performance, and projects must meet all assigned imperatives for at least 12 consecutive months prior to evaluation to earn full program certification.  The program’s mission is to encourage the creation of living buildings, landscapes and communities in countries around the world while inspiring, educating and motivating a global audience about the need for fundamental and transformative change.

PPG: Bringing innovation to the surface.(TM)

PPG Industries' vision is to be the world’s leading coatings company by consistently delivering high-quality, innovative and sustainable solutions that customers trust to protect and beautify their products and surroundings. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG provides added value to customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were $15.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.

Bringing innovation to the surface is a trademark and Solarban and Starphire are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

Living Building Challenge is a trademark of the International Living Future Institute.

Cradle to Cradle Certified is a trademark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.