The Bullitt Center - described as the greenest, most energy efficient commercial building in the world - features 18,000 square-feet of metal wall panels from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation.

Located in the heart of the Central District in Seattle, WA, the Bullitt Center is a six-story, 50,000 square-foot net zero energy building. The office facility was constructed to meet the goals of the Living Building Challenge, a green building certification program that claims to define the most advanced measure of sustainability in commercial construction today.

The Bullitt Center features 18,000 square-feet of Metal Sales 20 gauge TLC-1 wall panels. The panels have a long life span, are 100% recyclable and contain a high percentage of recycled material. These sustainable attributes contribute to the goals of the Bullitt Center consistent with its participation in the Living Building Challenge.

Imperative 11 of The Living Building Challenge requires that manufacturers disclose the contents of their products to ensure that they are not on the Red List, a “worst in class” group of materials and chemicals that have been identified to be phased out of production due to health/toxicity concerns.

The Bullitt Center project team needed to specify products made without Red List materials and chemicals while meeting structural and aesthetic goals. Metal Sales wall panels satisfied both requirements.

The design team held aesthetics as a key feature of the building. Each exterior wall of the building has floor-to-ceiling windows. Filling the space between the windows are Metal Sales panels in a Galvalume® finish that are installed vertically and create a clean, angular aesthetic. The metal wall panels and windows work together to create vertical lines that give the building perceived additional height.

Strict manufacturing tolerances led to the selection of Metal Sales as the metal wall panel provider. “We are very pleased with the quality of the Metal Sales product,” said Brian Elbert, President of Northshore Sheet Metal Inc., who served as installer. “Many manufacturers produce a similar panel, but the Metal Sales panel was flatter than what most of their competition offers. A variety of things go into making a good looking panel beyond the simple statistics of material thickness, finish and shape. Machine adjustments and quality control also affect the results, and Metal Sales delivered in every respect.”

The Bullitt Center opened during the summer of 2013. The project team includes architect, The Miller Hull Partnership, LLC, Seattle; engineers, DCI Engineers, Seattle; developer, Point32, Seattle; general contractor Schuchart, Seattle; and metal panel installer, Northshore Sheet Metal Inc., Everett, WA.

For more information about the Living Building Challenge, visit www.livingbuildingchallenge.org.

For more information about Bullitt Center, visit www.bullittcenter.org.

Photos courtesy of John Stamets.