The Seattle Aquarium announced that the Ocean Pavilion expansion has been awarded LEED Gold. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction, and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.
“The Seattle Aquarium is proud and thrilled to have received LEED Gold certification on our new Ocean Pavilion building,” said Susan Bullerdick, Senior Director of Capital Projects at the Seattle Aquarium. “This award illustrates how we live our values and advance our mission in all parts of our work, including our campus operations.”
The Ocean Pavilion achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. These strategies and solutions include:
- Operating 100% fossil fuel-free.
- Recirculating 96% of the salt water in its habitats—meaning that once water enters the building from Elliott Bay, it remains in the building.
- Recapturing heat from the warm-water habitats to warm the building.
- Featuring carefully chosen materials, like the Alaskan yellow cedar exterior panels on the building’s west face, which are Forest Stewardship Council-certified and come from an Indigenous-led company.
- Using large windows to reduce the amount of electricity needed for indoor lights.
“LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to achieve high performance, improve human health and protect the environment,” said Peter Templeton, President and CEO, USGBC. “By prioritizing sustainability, the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion is leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
Certification is proof that buildings are going above and beyond to ensure the space is constructed and operated to the highest level of sustainability. More than 129,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 12 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and more than 186 countries and territories.
About the Seattle Aquarium:
Founded in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium is a marine conservation organization working to regenerate the health of Earth’s one ocean. We work among global leaders to advance animal wellbeing, marine and ecosystem science, public policy, field conservation, education, and species recovery programs that benefit the ocean. Help support the Aquarium’s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.
On the web: SeattleAquarium.org
On Facebook: facebook.com/Aquarium.Seattle
On Instagram: instagram.com/seattleaquarium
On Youtube: youtube.com/seattleaquarium
