| Fisher
Pavillion
Seattle, Washington
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Studies: Green Buildings> Fisher Pavillion
Concrete Creates a Public Space for Fisher Pavilion
Seattle Center’s new exhibition hall wins awards for
sustainability
 Since
Seattle adopted its Sustainable Building Policy in 2000, all city-funded
projects over 5,000 square feet are required to achieve Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Fisher Pavilion—a
new concrete exhibition hall that hosts more than 250,000 visitors each
year at Seattle Center—took green building a step further,
earning recognition as one of the American Institute of Architect’s
Committee on the Environment (AIA/COTE) Top Ten Green Projects of 2003.
 Seattle
Center is a focal point for social activity in the Emerald City, and Fisher
Pavilion is at the heart of it all. Situated within view of the Space
Needle and International Fountain Plaza, the site offers 24,000 square
feet of entertainment space. To create the public space with a concrete
face,project architect Miller|Hull Partnership employed a
combination of precast and cast-in-place concrete for 90% of the facility.
The pavilion is buried on three sides, with 19,000 square feet of usable
roof plaza. The pavilion offers approximately 14,000 square feet of flat
floor exhibition space with a nearly 20-foot clear height.
Project manager Ron Rochon, Miller|Hull, says the decision to use concrete
was easy: “The finishes have to be super-durable, so
exposed concrete is a natural. Unless they demolish it,
it’s a 1,000-year building.” All vertical elements are cast
in place, while horizontal elements are precast. The main exhibition hall
is spanned with 65 precast T-shaped elements, similar to those used on
bridge decks; the roof structure is created with precast concrete plank.
To create the roof paving system, the team used 12”-by-12”
precast concrete pavers to form a decorative design that can be seen from
the top of the nearby Space Needle, while sloped to provide drainage.
Two concrete pylons with glazed canopies house mechanical equipment and
elevators, and serve to mark entries and exits.
Concrete’s thermal mass helps even out changes in building
temperature, a key component of the energy efficiency of Fisher Pavilion.
Rochon says using earth-sheltered concrete “drops
the delta across the exterior envelope—we don’t have incredible
temperature swings on three sides.” The result is significant energy
savings that help beat the ASHRAE heating and cooling standard by 20%,
a benefit potentially worth two points toward the LEED energy and atmosphere
credit. The north wall is composed of sliding glazed garage doors that
can
be opened to allow natural ventilation for much of the year.
Fisher Pavilion stands as a centerpiece for Seattle’s green building
program, says Rochon: “The building makes a civic statement.”
Fisher Pavilion is currently completing the LEED certification process.
Photo Courtesy: Steve Keating Photography
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| Owner/Developer:
Seattle Center
Architect :
Miller | Hull Partnership, LLP
Civil and Structural Engineer:
AKB Engineering, Inc.
Contractor:
Howard S. Wright
Construction Company
Precast Concrete
Contractor:
Concrete Technologies
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