H2O Apartments
Seattle, WA
An innovative Seattle apartment complex that successfully targeted LEED Gold®
- Use of exterior walkways instead of interior conditioned corridors to lower EUI
- ENERGY STAR® appliances
- Energy-efficient lighting
- Water-efficient fixtures
- High efficiency central hot water system
- Drought-tolerant green roof area
- Stormwater detention within the courtyard
- Healthy material choices to improve indoor air quality
- Unique building massing and unit layouts allow more daylight access than typical double-sided corridor multifamily buildings
Photo Credit: Sandeep Doddaballapur
H20 Apartments provide forty-five LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Gold Certified units of urban living in Lower Queen Anne to both market-rate and workforce residents. O’Brien360 was the LEED for Homes Provider, Energy Modeler, and Green Rater on the project, assisting during design and construction and clarifying LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Pilot requirements and opportunities. Trades Training was provided to the subcontractors and installed measures were verified with special attention to construction-phase details. The mixture of steel framing and wood framing provided many occasions for O’Brien360 verifiers to work with the contractor and subcontractors to optimize construction techniques for improved air sealing.
By working closely with the owner, the ventilation flows after occupancy were fine-tuned for optimal health and energy efficiency. Additionally, a customized tenant manual combined with working closely with the property management staff helped O’Brien360 provide clear details to tenants about the green building features and benefits.