Blue and red beams of light illuminate the inverted pyramid hanging from the ceiling of the newest building in downtown Bellingham. Its glass walls and sleek design makes it stand out among the brink and asphalt of Holly Street. What really sets the new Whatcom Educational Credit Union building apart, however, is what is inside.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a national program that regulates the growing trend of "green" building. The organization certifies buildings and rates them according to their degree of sustainability. Sustainability, to LEED, means reducing energy use in the buildings and recycling extra construction materials used on the site.
The recently constructed WECU building is a local example of a LEED building that contains enough innovative construction to apply for a gold rating. To receive a gold LEED rating, the second highest certification possible, a building collects "points" by using sustainable construction practices and materials. Additionally, projects get double points for using materials within 500 miles of the site.
The building features include many windows to emphasize natural lighting on the south side. This makes indoor lighting unnecessary during the day. It also includes other features such as a rooftop garden for its employees, air circulation through dozens of vents in the floor, bamboo and cork walls, and automatic light sensors that detect and turn off the lights when people have left the room. The bathrooms have dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals.
WECU also chose to use recyclable carpet, safer paints, and "agrifab" cabinets made from agricultural waste. With these additions, WECU went beyond the minimum standards to qualify as a gold-rated building.
Mike Smith, whose architectural firm designed the project, said that demand for LEED certified projects is growing. "We’re finding many more people coming to us now and saying, ‘we want to do this’," said Smith. "Clearly it’s a trend, and a good trend."