The sprawling 1.5-million-square-foot Seattle Convention Center campus features two primary buildings: Summit and Arch. The former opened just last year, with the latter being the original venue that first opened in 1988. In early January, the convention center announced its newer Summit building earned LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council based on its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Con-struction rating system. This is the highest certification level offered by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Some of the venue’s efforts that contribute to the accolade include the repurposing of wood from the previous building located on the site of the Summit building to use as railings throughout the venue; capturing rainwater in tanks to filter and reuse for irrigation and plumbing; and the use of a hybrid radiant heating and cooling system in the lobby and pre-function areas. The system features water pipes in the floors to circulate cool water that absorbs heat during warmer months and, conversely, to circulate warm water to generate heat in cooler months.
