I just got back from today's chamber meeting, where a group of 70 local business leaders and residents learned all about the new headquarters for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Gates Foundation has set out on a tremendous mission – to lift the world's poorest out of poverty, to improve health in developing countries, and to improve public education in the United States – and the campus will play an important part in carrying out these goals.
General
- The campus is located across from the Space Needle on 5th Ave and Mercer
- The first phase of the campus (more on the second phase later) is two six-story office buildings amounting to 700,000 sq. ft., enough room for 1200-1400 staff
- Construction of the first phase is scheduled to finish in late 2010, with the second phase, a third office building, breaking ground shortly after the first phase is complete
- Development includes already constructed Seattle Center parking garage which the Gates Foundation will share with Seattle Center
Design
- The design concept is based on the Gates Foundation's global reach. This is accomplished with boomerang-shaped structures and soaring cantilevers which relate the Foundation's connections to the rest of the world
- The boomerang-like edifices stand 4 stories tall atop a 2-story podium which has a green roof
- The top 4 stories' exterior is limestone with 10-ft. wide glass sheaths running the full length of the building's curves
Sustainability
- Targeting LEED Gold
- Lots of natural light coming through as the top 4 floors are only 65-ft. wide
- Energy-efficient cooling underneath the floors
- Open space and green roofs to reduce 'heat island' effect—architect from NBBJ said the green roof on top of parking garage may be largest in America
- Rainwater storage will satisfy water features and landscaping irrigation
- Thermal energy storage (warms up cold water cheaply and efficiently)
Public Benefit
- Art avenue planned along 5th Ave. Could be one major installation or several pieces
- 11,000 sq. ft. visitor center to act as the "face" of the Gates Foundation and shine a light on the issues the Gates Foundation is focused upon
- Envisioned to be more of an experience (using media) than a museum
- Forecasted audience includes tourists, foundation guests, and students as well as a promise to be relevant to the local community
Construction
- Gates Foundation and Sellen Construction committed to being a good neighbor through construction period and attempting to reduce impact on local community
- 2 cranes are already up, and a 3rd is planned to go up in February
- 80% of the excavation is complete—part of the site used to be a bus barn for Metro which meant some contaminated soil had to be sent to special treatment site
- 25 trucks+trailers are taking ~4 roundtrips per day. Construction traffic should continue at this elevated level for the next 6-8 weeks as excavation overlaps with the foundation work
- Weekly construction updates are available here.
