Slated to be one of the most ambitious green buildings in North America, the Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design and Construction will be the world’s most energy-efficient commercial building reinforcing the city of Seattle’s commitment to be at the forefront the green building movement. This exciting new building is planning to achieve the Living Building Challenge (version 2.0), as described by the International Living Building Institute.
The mixed-use building will serve as the future headquarters of the Bullitt Foundation as well as provide office and commercial space for leaders in the green building industry. Thursday, May 4th, at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, a free community event will present the Cascadia Center. Further details can be found here.
The Pacific Northwest is renowned for its integration of craft into all things built: from the finest home to the fuselage of the Dreamliner. How does this resource influence our design process? Is our romance with craft constraining our approach to design, or is it a unique platform for innovation that will help us respond to new demands on the built environment? How can we position our command of craft to transform the design and building process? Can we drive design expertise more deeply into the process of making buildings?
This coming Monday, April 25th the Urban Design Forum presents the opportunity to hear discussion about the stalled Civic Square development and other “interim use” sites in downtown Seattle. Sean Canady from GGLO, Robert Smith from Foster + Partners and City of Seattle representatives will be present. The Seattle Civic Square project, which completes the final phase of a ten-year civic masterplan, provides a vital new focus for Seattle’s civic life, reinvigorating the south downtown area for the whole city’s benefit.
Lost in Nature: The Architecture of Jarmund/Vigsnæs opens September 17 and runs through November 14, 2010. Contemporary Norwegian architecture is among the most vibrant in the world today, and this exhibition features a collection of work by the renowned Oslo-based architecture firm Jarmund/Vigsnæs (see their projects right here). Through photographs and models, the exhibition highlights architectural projects that focus on close relationships with Norwegian nature. Lost in Nature is supported in part by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
