BioTour Bus Outside of Alcyone

This blue bio-diesel beast was spotted outside of Alcyone this afternoon. Not only does it run on vegetable oil, but four photovoltaic panels power onboard electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones, cameras and stereo – and what's more – the interior has bamboo hardwood flooring!

What's it doing in South Lake Union? According to their website, they just made a stop at the University of Washington yesterday and plan on being in Iowa by Wednesday, May 14.

What's BioTour all about? You may have already guessed at it, but here's the mission:

BioTour is a journey that aims to enliven the Sustainability Movement while exploring the depths of America—the people, land and cultures. BioTour addresses the vital issues of climate change, environmental degradation and peak oil while presenting pathways toward sustainability in renewable energy and active democracy.

Check out biotour.org for more information. And guess what? They have a social network just like us! Join both to win extra points.

I couldn't locate the crew for an interview, but they were likely here to check out the p-patch and SLU's other green features.

Hope you enjoyed your time here and good luck on the rest of your tour. Come back and see us soon!

South Lake Union Walkability

So just how walkable is South Lake Union? Sure, we're about 10 minutes from downtown, but we also have Mercer, Denny, and Aurora to contend with. Let's see what Walk Score's algorithm has to say—here are the walk scores for three popular SLU residences:

• Alcyone Apartments — 89 out of 100 (Very Walkable)

• Alley 24 — 92 out of 100 (Walkers' Paradise)

• 2200 Westlake — 100 of 100 (Ultimate Walker's Paradise)

Three very impressive scores. It's definitely possible to get by sans car in South Lake Union, what with the nearby grocery stores, shopping and restaurants, and the general emphasis on mixed-use development and alternative modes of transit (we heart the S.L.U.T.). And more and more companies are relocating a large chunk of their operations to South Lake Union.

SLU residents: Do you own a car? How often do you use it? Could you live without it?

Post-occupancy Study of Green Features in Multifamily Projects

GGLO, the architects behind South Lake Union's Alcyone and Capitol Hill's Broadway Crossing, and several other notable projects in the Northwest, completed a post-occupancy study on some of its green multifamily projects. Here's what they found:

The post-occupancy study confirmed sustainable buildings come at an almost negligible cost increase over conventional buildings, and result in measurable utility savings. Of the three buildings in our study designed to LEED standards, the cost increases ranged [from only] 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the total hard and soft construction costs. Financial incentives available from a variety of sources cut cost increases in half and the yearly savings on utility bills averaged another 1 percent. After one year of occupancy, the green design features actually begin earning the project money. (Emph. added)

If knowing that buildings account for nearly 40% of green house gas emissions isn't enough to convince developers to convert, the numbers should. Especially considering tenants will pay more for green, vacancy rates are lower, and the property value gets a boost. See the rest of the article on GGLO's study and more studies from the city.

Vulcan has even gone as far as making green its preeminent marketing tool in promoting South Lake Union. If you've trudged down Mercer Street, you've likely seen their WhatsGreen.com signage. If you go to the website, you'll find a map of everything green in SLU, and see that South Lake Union is trying to become one of the first certified green neighborhoods in the United States by participating in the LEED-ND pilot. Looks like the smart folks at Vulcan ran the numbers.

Which would you rather look at: Grafiti Monster or Vibrant Mural

LABOR READY across from Alley 24 on Pontius

OR

Woodshed Studios by Alcyone on Thomas

?