Redmond Senior & Community Center Earns LEED Recognition

REDMOND, WA - The new Redmond Senior & Community Center recently earned the first-ever recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council for sourcing wood from climate-resilient forestry. The Council, which manages the LEED certification process, awarded the building an innovation point during the process and lauded Opsis Architecture and Sustainable NW for verifying that wood came from forests managed sustainably.

“We are honored to receive this historic recognition,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “The senior and community center was designed with environmental sustainability in mind, and it is exciting to know all who walk through these doors will be coming into a place that not only cares about them but cares about the building’s impact on our planet.”  

In addition to climate-resilient wood, which comes from forests managed sustainably to reduce wildfire risk and store more carbon, the state-of-the-art facility also utilizes efficient energy-conserving windows and doors, and mechanical and plumbing systems, as well as rooftop solar panels which will provide up to 50% of the building’s electricity. The building will also have “operational zones” to determine which areas will need lighting, for instance, based on what’s happening on any given day.

Expect to see more Redmond buildings with a green footprint in the future: Redmond 2050, the City’s comprehensive plan, is updating the Green Building Incentive Program and regulations to incentivize mass timber construction. This includes incentives for mass timber buildings up to 12 stories in Marymoor Village and Downtown, and mass timber mid-rise and high-rise buildings in Overlake. The City recently held a workshop with property owners, community members, developers, and designers to share more about mass timber and the changes coming to Redmond.

For information about the building, visit redmond.gov/RSCC. 

For information about the City’s Green Building Incentive Program, visit redmond.gov/1921/.

More on Mass Timber:  https://www.thinkwood.com/mass-timber