The Berger Partnership worked with LMN Architects and many other consultants for this multi-use theater and gallery at Seattle University. It is the first building on the campus to have doors that open to the street, as opposed to the quad. The building won an Award of Merit at AIA Seattle’s Excellence Awards for Washington Architecture last fall, with its economics of re-use and multi-use and the street presence large factors in the win.

See some of our other work at Seattle University.

On December 21, 2006, Mayor Greg Nickels signed into law ordinance 122311…you may ask, “Why is The Berger Partnership blogging about it?” The facts are that this ordinance, going into effect on January 20, 2007, makes many amendments to the commercial section of the Land Use Code, including, an increase in landscape requirements, while allowing for flexibility through the new Seattle Green Factor. It is an effort, which has been a long time coming, to improve Seattle’s neighborhood business districts.

Many City officials say that this initiative is probably the first of its kind in the nation, although modeled after standards abroad. Developers and urban planners still raise questions about how it (Seattle Green Factor) will work. Reactions range from “It’s definitely a step in the right direction” to “We’ll just have to see how the (cost) numbers work out.” (Seattle PI article)

The Seattle Green Factor is intended to increase the amount and quality of urban landscaping, but allowing flexibility for developers and designers. It will encourage the planting of layers of vegetation and larger trees in areas visible to the public and in the public rights-of-way directly adjacent to the property. There are also additional bonuses for using rainwater harvesting and/or low-water-use plantings. The ordinance would require 30% of a parcel in the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zone to be vegetated, or the functional equivalent by using Seattle Green Factor.

Our firm has always believed that sustainable and lush landscape is essential creating great commercial, urban spaces.

As daily supporters of Inhabitat, The Berger Partnership was excited to see their post on the 2010 Imperative. Ed Mazria, is heading the 2010 Imperative which calls for a real change in education that incorporates sustainability and disengagement from fossil fuel addiction.

“The 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-In is a free one-day event scheduled to be webcast on February 20, 2007, from noon to 3:30pm EST. The session aims to reach at least half a million students, faculty, deans and practicing professionals in North and South America, hopefully making one simultaneous splash that will send ripples of reconsideration and activism through the design community.” The teach-in will include guest speakers Susan Szenasy, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis Magazine, Dr. James Hansen, Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Chris Luebkeman, Director of Arup’s Global Foresight and Innovation Initiative and pioneer heading the 2010 Imperative, Ed Mazria.

The New Oxford American Dictionary has decided that the Word of the Year for 2006 is Carbon Neutral.

Erin McKean, editor in chief of the New Oxford American Dictionary 2e, said “The increasing use of the word carbon neutral reflects not just the greening of our culture, but the greening of our language. When you see first graders trying to make their classrooms carbon neutral, you know the word has become mainstream.”

The Berger Partnership became Carbon Neutral in October 2006.