This year, Seattle Convention Center opened the Summit building, transforming the city’s convention package. With more than 570,000 square feet of additional event space, the new building pairs with the existing Arch building—just one-and-a-half blocks away—doubling the capacity of the entire campus.
While the addition of Summit means that Seattle can welcome more attendees, they will still leave a tiny footprint on the planet. With Arch already LEED Silver-certified, Summit is now slated to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is targeting Platinum—building on Seattle’s legacy as a leader in sustainability.
Every aspect of Summit was designed with sustainability in mind, featuring upcycled materials from Seattle’s industrious past to minimize the environmental impact of building our future. The building used reclaimed wood from a Honda dealership that previously occupied a portion of the site. Captured rainwater is used in landscaping irrigation as well as toilet flushing, while radiant floors circulate hot or cool water depending on the season to reduce the need for AC and heaters. Finally, the venue’s solar panels deliver 30% higher energy performance over baseline ratings.
Seattle Convention Center ranks in the top 5 percent of businesses nationwide for total waste diversion, with a 78 percent waste diversion rate. The venue also makes 100 percent compostable utensils, plates, cups, coffee stir sticks, and box lunch items available to every group.
From the moment you arrive at SEA Airport—the first North American airport to earn certification for reduction of carbon emissions—you’ll see sustainability at the forefront. Paired with multiple LEED Gold and Silver-certified hotel options and the sustainably designed features of Seattle Convention Center, it is clear that Seattle is the perfect setting to positively impact your attendees and the planet.