Seattle Celebrates 303 Battery Topping Out
On June 29, on the corner of Third Avenue in Seattle, WA, workers celebrated the topping out of the final beam on the 15-story 303 Battery St project. The ceremony included members, guests, owners, and investors of this 60,000-square-foot mixed use 112-unit apartment building. As mandated by Seattle’s Mandatory Affordable Housing requirement, 27 of the units will be reserved for affordable living.
Innovative Sustainable Building Solutions
While the erection of a new apartment building near the heart of Seattle may seem trivial, this project stands to be the industry’s future and is one of the first buildings to reach net-zero emissions and sustainable housing, all while being cost-effective during the build-out process. Sustainable Living Innovations (SLI) quotes the building as a “kit of parts” prefabricated system. The walls and floor panels, totaling over 900 panels, are manufactured in SLI’s facility in Tacoma, WA, and then transferred to the jobsite for assembly. This innovative process not only reduces the overall build time, but cuts construction costs by 10 percent and maintenance costs by 20-30 percent. Swinerton is serving as the super subcontractor covering 25 scopes, including L2 podium and roofing, and is assisting SLI and architect Collins Woerman.
The specialties of this project continue to impress. With 122 patents filed, the final building amenities will include waste heat recovery systems; a low-voltage electrical system, which projects that electrical usage will be less than half of the traditional residential building systems; a hydronic heating and cooling system; and reduced water consumption by 30 percent. Overall, the pioneering 303 Battery St project propels the industry into a new direction of inner-city development and sustainable living projects.
Note: All of the attendees at that topping-out ceremony were contained within a safety zone and were not required to wear PPE in order to participate.
