The Breathe Building

The Breathe Building of Portland, Oregon, was designed to be the most sustainable wellness and community center in the United States. Constructed with non-toxic, sustainable and regionally sourced materials, the Breathe Building was awarded Earth Advantage Silver Certification, a third-party green building standard that stresses the importance of sustainable products and a building’s impact on the environment and the community. 

About

Looking to expand the original Breathe Building, a commercial lot, two blocks from the original building, was purchased. The original 10,000 square foot (930 m2) industrial building was partially deconstructed and then retrofitted and transformed into the current wellness center. 

During the demolition the construction waste and soil was either donated, recycled or refurbished and reused in the Breathe Building.

Sustainability

The Breathe Building was designed with an emphasis on occupant comfort, energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ), and use of recycled and responsible materials. Every material used was vetted in order to:

• Identify and avoid potential toxins
• Utilize local manufacturers, suppliers and contractors
• Incorporate high efficiency equipment and assemblies 

Declare Labels

The building owners wanted to use products only if they did not contain any ingredients on the red list or had a Declare label, the “nutrition label” for the building industry. 

AirRenew, a former product, had a Declare label and was made in our Seattle plant, less than 200 miles from the Breathe Building.

Key Achievements

• Performance well beyond codes and regulatory requirement.
• CertainTeed team worked with the contractor to ensure red list compliant products.
• Construction materials were recycled, donated or reused when possible.
• Our plant locations helped meet locally sourced material requirements.
• Ongoing community education: Plaques throughout building reference sustainable building materials.

Key Challenges

• In order to meet stringent environmental requirements materials used in the building product materials had to be red list compliant or have a declare label.
  • AirRenew drywall was an approved product due to its Declare label and close plant proximity.
• CertainTeed Technical Services wrote a letter outlining the materials in GlasRoc Sheathing for its approval.
• Tight deadline had to be met which required many trades to be work together at the same time.