400 Westlake to Set New Standard as One of the Most Sustainable Buildings of its Size in the World

SEATTLE, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Once considered an anchor in Seattle's "auto row," the iconic Firestone Tire Building, now known as 400 Westlake, is making a new kind of history as one of the most sustainable buildings of its size in the world.

Developed by Seattle-based Martin Selig Real Estate (MSRE) and designed by the Seattle office of global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will, 400 Westlake will soon become a model for progress and an environmental inspiration for commercial buildings around the world. When redeveloped, the Art Deco building constructed in 1929 will now generate more energy than it consumes, process water and waste on-site, use non-toxic materials and be resilient to certain natural disasters.

400 Westlake is in a Class All Its Own
Available in the spring of 2021 and pre-leasing now, this 220,000-square-foot luxury office building will include a 15-story office tower designed with a flexible open plan, 195 bike stalls, a rooftop garden and underground parking.

"With 400 Westlake, we are setting out to do what's right for the planet," said MSRE Executive Vice President Jordan Selig. "We are actively taking steps toward creating spaces that improve the productivity and health of our tenants and 400 Westlake is by far our most ambitious iteration to date. Surrounded by innovation and acceleration in the center of Seattle, we are excited to have the community embrace this cutting-edge sustainability initiative and welcome an innovative class of tenants to experience one of the greenest buildings of its size in the world, first-hand. I truly believe that since we're building this as a private developer, with no tenant in mind to date, that we're doing something nobody else has done yet. We're proud to push the industry to do and be better for the environment when we construct and design our buildings."

A Story of Sustainability
400 Westlake is breaking sustainability barriers as the largest and tallest of five proposed buildings participating in the Seattle'sLiving Building Pilot Program. It will be measured against stringent sustainability standards from both the city and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), serving as a role model for the design of more high-level green buildings in the future.

"400 Westlake is the next generation of high-design and high-performance buildings that takes historic preservation and brings it to the next level of what's possible for sustainability," said Erik Mott, award-winning design principal with Perkins+Will. "It will be one of the most sustainable buildings of its kind in the world and will be a leader within one of the most respected environmental rating system in the world, the Livable Building Petal Certification. We are beyond excited to work with Martin Selig Real Estate to push the envelope with this project, hoping to inspire others in our industry along the way."

400 Westlake will be the first project to use the ILFI's Offsite Renewable Exception to create a hyper-sustainable building that includes the following environmental features:

• Net Positive Energy: 400 Westlake will produce 105 percent of the building's energy needs. Solar energy will be generated on the 15th floor rooftop deck using a bifacial solar panel that produces energy on both sides, improving efficiency by capturing reflected light.
• Offsite Renewable Energy: In addition to the solar panel, 400 Westlake plans to maximize carbon reduction off-site with a solar energy grid in Eastern Washington that's almost five times the size of the rooftop canopy. Producing solar energy in this region has a greater impact on carbon reduction and is more efficient.
• Resilience and Energy Storage: Designed to withstand a potential power crisis, the building will be designed with enough battery storage capacity to power emergency lighting and refrigeration for up to one week.
• Water Reuse: 400 Westlake has been designed to use only non-potable water for non-potable uses, employing a greywater and rainwater capture and reuse system for toilets and landscape irrigation.
• Human Health and Wellness: The project has been engineered to exclude materials listed on the Living Building Challenge Red List. An accessible rooftop deck on the 15th floor includes a 1,500 square feet green roof and a glass awning with building-integrated photovoltaics for occupants to get fresh air, access to nature and expansive views of Downtown and South Lake Union.

Environmental Awareness Meets History
Built in 1929, first renovated in 1937 and then again in 1943, a clear objective is to preserve and enhance the existing landmarked building. Characteristic of the Art Deco style, the terracotta ornament located on the south and west sides of the building's façade will be meticulously restored, in addition to the fluted piers, exterior windows, scalloped spandrel decorations and original embossed Firestone crests that adorn the outside of the property.

Realizing the vision of making this space one of historical beauty and reverence, the first-floor entrance will celebrate modern modes of transit by displaying the building's commuter bicycles where Firestone automobiles were once prominent.

"This is a story of sustainability in the broadest sense – economic, cultural and environmental," said Mott. "It touches on the transformation of a city through urbanization, the transformation of an economy from resource extraction and manufacturing to knowledge work and technology, the transformation of mobility from the gasoline-powered personal automobile to shared transit/bikes/electric vehicles, and the transformation of building's technology from craft work to high performance systems. The end result will be a long-awaited shift in how history can be respected and preserved, but in a state of evolution and progress at the same time."

To learn more about 400 Westlake, visit Martin Selig Real Estate.

About Martin Selig Real Estate
Since 1958, Seattle-based Martin Selig Real Estate has been creating custom workspaces for some of Seattle's most innovative companies. Through strategic acquisitions and uniquely designed developments, MSRE has created a portfolio of high-performing properties that help it serve tenants as a passion and priority. MSRE has more than 35 compelling office properties throughout Seattle and a variety of dynamic projects that are underway, including its first residential real estate project. The team at MSRE manages projects from start to finish while staying on as the property manager when each tenant moves into a space. The company has approx. 5 million square feet of commercial space in its portfolio and an additional 1.7 million square feet under construction. Visit MSRE online at http://www.martinselig.com.

About Perkins+Will
Perkins+Will is an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm established in 1935. Founded on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance communities, the firm collaborates with clients all over the world to create healthy, sustainable places in which to live, learn, work, play, heal, move and explore. More than 2,200 professionals across over 20 Perkins+Will design studios include some of the brightest minds in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design and landscape architecture. Clients consistently turn to the firm for leadership in areas like sustainability, resilience, health and wellness and mobility. Additionally, Perkins+Will's Research Labs innovate design technologies and solutions that result in better, smarter, more competitive built environments. In 2018, the firm was named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies in Architecture by Fast Company, and is consistently ranked among the world's top design firms. Perkins+Will's family of partner companies includes retail strategy and design consultancy Portland; sustainable transportation planning consultancy Nelson\Nygaard; healthcare technology planning firm Genesis; and luxury hospitality design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR).

The Seattle office of Perkins+Will was established in 2004 and has grown to more than 100 architects, interior designers and planners. The office has built a legacy of award-winning projects that exemplify a commitment to design excellence and sustainable development. The office's multi-disciplinary work spans nearly every sector including higher education, healthcare, corporate, commercial, civic, and science and technology. Recent work includes the NorthEdge, BioMed's i3 Campus in San Diego, California, Troy Block, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Swedish Medical Center First Hill Campus Transformation, University of Washington Life Sciences Building and a number of mixed-use high-rise developments across the region.

For more information, visit http://www.perkinswill.com/.

Media Contacts
Aaron Blank / Chris Guizlo
Fearey for Perkins+Will and Martin Selig Real Estate
MSRE(at)feareygroup.com, 206-343-1543

SOURCE Martin Selig Real Estate