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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Breaks Ground on New LEED Campus07-29-08 | News

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Breaks Ground on New LEED Campus

The greenest elements for the new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle is a 1.5 acre green roof for the parking garage (owned and operated by Seattle Center), which is already complete. The foundation says the ?EUR??,,????'??living?EUR??,,????'?? roof is the largest of its kind in Seattle and will eventually be sustained by Seattle?EUR??,,????'???s wet climate. The campus will also have extensive green, sustainable landscaping to knit the campus with the neighborhood.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels (left), Cheryl Scott (center), COO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Melinda French Gates (right), co-chair of the foundation, spoke at the groundbreaking attended by 500 people.

July 22, 2008 was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The 12-acre campus will comprise two six-story office buildings, an entrance pavilion and a 15,000-square-foot convening/visitor center. The cost for the new digs is $500 million and should be completed by the end of 2010.

The new building and grounds will be designed and constructed according to Seattle?EUR??,,????'???s policy of sustainability, and thus the foundation is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification. The sustainable elements will include:

An underfloor air distribution system for ventilation which conserves energy and facilitates future space modifications.
A rainwater collection and storage system providing most of the water for nonpotable uses, including irrigation, water features and toilets.
Green roof areas for rainwater filtration, microclimate cooling and building insulation.
Air cooled chillers and thermal energy storage which conserve water and capitalize on lower off peak air temperatures.
Parking for foundation employees will be located under the campus (and in an adjacent garage).

The architectural firm NBBJ is designing the campus, which will be built by Sellen Construction. Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) is designing the visitor center, which will be open to the public in 2011. RAA specializes in museum design firm in the world and designed the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and most recently, the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Ark.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and co-chair William Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Last year the foundation granted more than $2 billion through its three main giving areas?EUR??,,????'???global health, global development, and its United States program. In Washington state alone, the foundation has granted nearly $1 billion to organizations that help the state?EUR??,,????'???s most needy children and families.