Lake Union building earns awards for energy savings
SEATTLE– Henbart LLC announced May 18, that a year-long study led by the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab confirmed that upgrading to View® Dynamic Glass technology in the Lake Union Building significantly saved energy and improved the tenant experience. The report verified annual energy savings of 17.7 percent or 351,604 kWh – roughly $28,000 a year or enough electricity to power 33 homes. The Lake Union Building is a 45-year old building located at 1700 Westlake Avenue N. along the waterfront of Seattle’s Lake Union.
The year-long study led by the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab (IDL) was funded by BetterBricks, a commercial resource of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), which aims to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency best practices in the commercial industry.
The mission of Integrated Design Lab is to advance high-performance, energy efficient, and healthy buildings through research and dissemination of best practices in design and technology, said Christopher Meek, Associate Professor and Director of the lab. “We are incredibly exited to partner with NEEA evaluate the performance of View Dynamic Glazing under real-world conditions and to share our findings with building owners, designers, and the research community.”
“Environmental stewardship is a hallmark of Henbart’s new development and building maintenance practices,” said Mark Craig, President of Henbart LLC. “One of the most sustainable practices that we can adopt is updating existing buildings with energy efficiency measures that deliver real results. This study not only validates our assumptions in making an investment in the building but hopefully serves as an example of how new technology and emerging products can help building owners extend the life of commercial spaces and make good on the goal of sustainability while improving the tenant experience.”
Located on along Westlake, the Lake Union Building is a seven-story, 90,000 square foot multi-tenant building with panoramic views of downtown Seattle and Queen Anne. The 45-year-old building had single pane windows that were causing significant heat and glare issues in the summer and letting in cold air in the winter – negatively impacting the tenants’ comfort and the building’s energy performance
“The installation of View® Dynamic Glass has significantly improved the temperature inside the building, especially during the summer,” said Mark Spagnola, Owner of Portfolio Communications firm and a tenant of Lake Union building. “It also provided more natural daylight for our employees and allows us to fully enjoy the views without the need for blinds or shades.”
Unlike traditional windows that need unsightly blinds or shades, View® Dynamic Glass adjusts in response to weather conditions and user preferences, seamlessly transitioning through multiple tint states to improve comfort and energy efficiency.
As part of a building repositioning to suit today’s Seattle workforce, Henbart installed efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and 20,400 square-feet of View double‐pane dynamic glass operated by an intelligent control system. View Dynamic Glass accounts for $0.25/SF annual energy savings out of the total retrofit savings of $0.44/SF – about a 17.7% total reduction.
The verified energy savings demonstrate the wide-ranging value that View® Dynamic Glass brings to buildings – enhancing energy performance in addition to the overall wellness of people who live and work there,” said Dr. Brandon Tinianov, VP, Business Development at View. “These energy savings are on top of the noticeable boost in workplace satisfaction that Lake Union tenants report from continuous access to daylight and beautiful waterfront views.”
“Installing View® Dynamic Glass was a major contributor to updating the building,” added Craig. We made other improvements as well but installing the windows was the catalyst to the building receiving LEED EBOM certification this year and awarded the 2015 Visionary Award for Energy by the Seattle 2030 District.”
BetterBricks released a case study on the University’s findings, available here. A detailed academic report will be published in Fall 2017.
About Henbart LLC
Henbart LLC is a Seattle based real estate company that develops, owns and manages commercial and residential properties in the Pacific Northwest with the aim to add value to a neighborhood and the greater community. The company offers a century of experience in the acquisition and development of real estate with the ability to hold assets long-term and maintain hands-on management.
About University of Washington Integrated Design Lab
The Integrated Design Lab (IDL) is operated by the Department of Architecture in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. The IDL is a self-sustaining service that includes interdisciplinary faculty, staff, students, professional collaborators and partner organizations. The Integrated Design Lab carries out research to advance knowledge and policies that support the healthiest and highest performance buildings and cities. We advance our mission through interconnected research, technical assistance, education, and outreach programs. For more about the UW Integrated Design Lab go to http://www.cidseattle.com/idl.
About View, Inc.
View Inc. sits at the intersection of human wellness, smart connectivity, and energy efficiency, View manufactures View Dynamic Glass, a new generation of architectural glass that intelligently transitions through multiple tint states to control the sun’s energy, providing an enhanced occupant experience and optimum natural light and thermal comfort. There are over 300 installations of View Dynamic Glass in North America, with another 150 in progress. For more information: www.viewglass.com.
