The latest issue of the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development newsletter features a LEED Gold project here in Seattle, the Zoomazium at the Woodland Park Zoo.

According to the zoo web site,

The ZOOMAZIUM building was registered with the LEED program with a target of silver certification, the second level in the rating scale.The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building Council representing all segments of the building industry developed LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution. In late 2006, ZOOMAZIUM received GOLD certification, the second highest level in the rating scale.

The building has a green roof (see photo), “natural ventilation” (see also the New Green Building Publication on Natural Ventilation), natural daylighting, energy conservation measures, is built using FSC-Certified wood, green solar screens, proper siting of the building so that large existing trees to the west provide sun screening for that side of the building, use of native landscaping techniques, and even special patterns on the glass to reduce the likelihood of birds hitting the windows.

Learn more about the design and purpose of this amazing building at the Zoomazium web site.

Congrats once again to Mithun for a great building design. You rock!!

P.S. This is my 400th post!!