Located in the Fremont neighborhood just north of Seattle’s downtown, Watershed is adjacent to Lake Union and an active waterfront area. Image Credit: Weber Thompson

Watershed is in a neighborhood business and retail node. It is immediately adjacent to a historic elevated highway, the Aurora Bridge, the source of millions of gallons of polluted water that runs into Lake Union impacting migratory salmon runs. Image credit: Weber Thompson

The site plan shows the series of public areas to the west of the building supporting bioswales and public terraces featuring NW native plants below the elevated Aurora Bridge. The large, shed roof provides habitat for bees and captures rainwater for reuse in the building. Image credit: Weber Thompson

A Living Building Pilot Project: Watershed engages the surrounding community through its form and materials, educational signage and a public dashboard sharing real time water and energy reductions and overall performance. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Positioned at the base of a large neighborhood watershed, the project is located by Lake Union and the Ship Canal, an urban waterway bisecting Seattle and connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington. Image credit: Weber Thompson

The Aurora Bridge, built a hundred years ago, deposits four million gallons of toxic stormwater annually into Lake Union. Watershed had the opportunity to clean a portion of this runoff through an innovative stepped bioswale system adjacent to the building. Image credit: Weber Thompson

A regenerative force for environmental good. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Directing the Flow: Watershed’s geometry directs water to the sculptural steel cistern via a series of cascading downspouts, revealing the building’s purpose. Unusable runoff from occupied decks is sent to the bioswales for cleaning. Image credit: Weber Thompson

Integrated Building Systems. Image credit: Weber Thompson

Art to Engage: Telling the story is equally important as demonstrating performance. Four steel and bronze interpretive art pieces serve to highlight how the project honors and interacts with water. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Making the Invisible Visible: The journey of rain to reservoir is made visible through a cascading capture system that ends in a sculptural scupper. Watershed tells the story of water to everyone that passes through the site. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Environmental Engagement: The procession through the entry court and lightwell highlights the relationship of weather, water and the daily ritual of arrival and departure from the workplace. Image credit: Weber Thompson

A celestial themed entry gate reflects Fremont’s identity as the “Center of the Universe”. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Fostering connection, a mixing zone in the open-air lobby provides an opportunity for office workers and retail patrons to mingle. The adjoining bike room holds space for 100 bicycles along with generous locker rooms. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Multimodal Transportation: Adjacent to Seattle’s longest bike trail, the Burke-Gilman Trail, and with a Walk Score of 96, the location makes it easy to commute by bike or scooter to work. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Biophilic Design: Natural daylighting and connection to views. Image Credit: Cindy Apple Photography

A Dynamic Façade: The electrochromic glass on the south and west facades reduces peak cooling loads and increases daylight and thermal comfort. Image credit: Built Work Photography

All 1300 materials used in constructing the building and tenant improvements were vetted for Red List chemicals and local sourcing. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Getting away from your desk; an open kitchen with great daylighting and views creates options for working alone or in a small group in a different environment. Image Credit: Cindy Apple Photography

Cedar soffits highlight the regional connection to forestry. Image credit: Built Work Photography

Industrial Connections: Historic steel trusses on the Aurora Bridge are reflected in the dynamic glass façade highlighting the connection to the structure of the castellated beams. Image credit: Built Work Photography

An urban site integrated in nature. Image credit: Built Work Photography

An Urban Apiary: The project includes four beehives on the roof that connect to an extensive neighborhood “pollinator pathway.” Image credit: Built Work Photography