Tag Archives: bullitt center

In the shadow of the greenest office building in the world along a busy street destined for bus rapid transit, Capitol Hill adds an electric vehicle charging station

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(Image: Electrify America)

By Jethro Swain

Already home to the greenest office building in the world and still set to be transformed by 2024 into a transportation corridor optimized for public bus transit, Seattle’s efforts to add more infrastructure for electric cars are driving a new construction project in the surface parking lot of a Capitol Hill bank.

Electrify America, a nationwide electric vehicle charging station company, is constructing a new Seattle charging station in Capitol Hill at 1300 E Madison St in the parking lot of the Bank of America branch currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Madison station is projected to open this summer, Electrify America told CHS, and it will have four DC (direct current) fast chargers that can charge capable vehicles at up to 150kW. Electrify America stations normally have at least one (often two) CCS and one CCS-CHAdeMO style chargers, the two of which together cover almost all types of electric vehicles. Many of their chargers in metropolitan areas, including the majority of the ones around Seattle, also include a level 2 charger.

Electrify America is an expanding company that has 556 live locations across the country with 143 more coming soon, according to their website. They currently have two fast charging locations open in the city of Seattle, and more than 300 open stations across the state of Washington. Electrify America is planning on building six other stations in the city of Seattle, including a few near downtown including one in Ballard, the U-District, and Queen Anne, to go along with the Capitol Hill station.

The parking lot off E Madison, where the charging station has been approved by the City of Seattle and welcomed by Bank of America, is currently unused by customers and the construction for the charging stations is underway.

The stations will be placed in the middle of the parking lot, and there is an entrance to the lot from both E Pike and E Madison.

Electrify America’s expansion into the center of Seattle highlights Seattle’s continued push to encourage electric vehicles and the need for a stable infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations. The priority of Electrify America, according to them, is to expand access to fast charging in metro areas and along major highway routes. They also put their resources into a “future-proof” network by deploying exclusively 150kW and 350kW chargers, which are the fastest speeds available currently. Continue reading →

A super green ATM on Capitol Hill? Zero waste Bullitt Center adds Beneficial State Bank

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Capitol Hill’s Bullitt Center — the greenest office building in the world — now has a bank. In a bid to focus a real world financial center on digital banking and hopefully cut down on waste in the process, Beneficial State Bank says its new location is cashless, except for the ATMs.

“When our Washington branch first opened in a trailer in Ilwaco, we couldn’t have imagined that one day we’d bank from the world’s most sustainable building,” CEO Randell Leach said in the announcement of the new financial center. “It’s the result of a decade of proactive investments in environmental sustainability and climate justice coming to fruition.”

Beneficial says the bank “will help its customers do their banking electronically without relying on paper transactions.” Continue reading →

Environmental media nonprofit Grist joins the mix at Capitol Hill’s super green Bullitt Center

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It’s a natural pairing. Seattle-based Grist, the Seattle-born media nonprofit that has been dedicated to environmental news, commentary, and ideas since 1999, is joining the Bullitt Center, 15th and Madison’s “living” office building.

Even as COVID-19 has changed the way we work, the environmental nonprofit say it still wants a central core where its staff of around 20 can collaborate.

“Grist employs staff all around the country, so we have been well equipped to effectively transition to remote work here in Seattle, too,” a statement sent to CHS about the planned Bullitt office reads. “We foresee using the Bullitt Center space for staff to engage in collaborative work and not necessarily use the office as an everyday destination, though, we might get back to that given a change in the current circumstances.” Continue reading →

Capitol Hill’s Bullitt Center recognized as ‘the most sustainable building in the world’

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(Image: Bullitt Center)

(Image: Bullitt Center)

One of the most important Capitol Hill stories of 2013 was the Earth Day opening of The Bullitt Center at 15th and Madison — the greenest commercial office building in the world. The Center’s designers — The Miller Hull Partnership — are celebrating an important recognition to finish the year.

Here’s an email from The Bullitt Foundation’s Denis Hayes about the $18.5 million center’s latest accolades:

In a December 18th email, I alerted many of you that World Architecture News had selected the Bullitt Center as one of six finalists — and the only finalist from the United States — in its annual contest for the most sustainable building in the world. To be included in that elite group was, by itself, a singular honor.

Tonight I am delighted to announce that the judging has been completed and the Bullitt Center has been selected as #1 in the world! Continue reading →