Taylor 28 Surpasses LEED Target, Brings Home a Silver with tree canopy restoration, rain gardens, heat island reduction; Seattle, WA

Taylor 28 Surpasses LEED Target, Brings Home a Silver! - News - Mithun:
The Taylor 28 project originally targeted basic LEED® certification—receipt of Silver certification is a significant achievement, given the project’s schedule and budget constraints. Reaching Silver level results from the exceptional effort the team made to find creative and pragmatic solutions that fit the unique circumstances of the site and building. The project also closely reflects the mission that drives the developer, BRE Properties; to provide highly desirable communities in which residents and commercial tenants can live and work, and to support a thriving green lifestyle within a dense urban framework.
Stemming from site constraints created by the Denny Way corridor and the absence of a Neighborhood Planning Area guideline, a critical goal for the project was to assess opportunities for reconnecting this unclaimed community and enhancing the public realm. The project turns what would be a typical sidewalk zone into a vibrant pedestrian open space system. This new open space system defines this neighborhood as a destination; reconnecting it to Belltown, Uptown, the Seattle Center and South Lake Union.
Green infrastructure components, considered integral to the streetscape design, achieve sustainability across the spectrum of social, ecological and economic success. Strategies to rebalance the neighborhood’s ecological footprint include rainwater infiltration, urban heat island reduction, improved air quality, carbon reduction, urban tree canopy restoration and fostering urban habitat.