From the October 8, 2004 Puget Sound Business Journal -- Greg Smith, a friend of Reed Lloyd, has named a building for Reed.

Razing meets recycling

Developers explore sustainable projects
Jeanne Lang Jones
Staff Writer

Not many buildings undergoing renovation have an on-site sawmill, but Seattle developer Greg Smith has one sawing away in an historic building he's rehabilitating near Pioneer Square.

Heavily damaged by the 2001 earthquake, the old brick building on First Avenue South has been retrofitted with an interior, concrete-and-steel frame, so Smith is salvaging the old support timbers.

The timbers, along with materials from another building Smith demolished at Second Avenue and Pike Street, are being sawed into boards that will be used in the building's interior.

The mixed-use condominium project is the latest example of sustainable building, a set of energy-saving techniques that Smith encountered on a recent field trip to Europe. The Pioneer Square project is Smith's first attempt.

Green buildings typically use recycled or environmentally friendly materials in their construction, often with solar panels, operable windows, special ventilation shafts and light wells that use natural light and air to cut energy costs. They may also have rooftop gardens to reduce rainwater runoff and cisterns that collect the water for irrigation.

A measure of the project's importance to Smith is that he renamed the building to commemorate his friend Reed Lloyd, who died of a pulmonary embolism after surviving a traffic accident. His nickname was Reedo.

The Reedo Building is just the first in a series of sustainable projects that Smith plans. His firm, Seattle-based Gregory Broderick Smith Real Estate, owns 16 acres in the area around Pioneer Square and the stadiums. The firm also will be renovating the Union Bank of California Building on Fourth Avenue.

Smith's enthusiasm for energy-saving features, such as operable windows, is apparent as he strides across the scuffed wooden floor of the old warehouse that will become the Reedo Building.

"My goal is not to do a mechanical system, or at least to limit it," he said. Sweeping an arm overhead, he talks about installing a glass atrium on the rooftop to allow light and air into the center of the building, which faces Occidental Avenue South on the west and First Avenue South on the east.

He's thinking also about using steam heat to reduce the building's reliance on oil-related products. Additionally, the building will feature a rooftop garden and terraces with plantings that will help insulate the building and collect and cleanse rainwater. Some of the rainwater will be stored in a bladder in the basement, helping reduce watering costs for the gardens. Bicycling also will be encouraged, with a lane through the lobby so bicyclists can more easily take their wet bicycles to the basement.

While Smith has a substantial amount of property through which he can implement his ideas, he's not the only Seattle property owner thinking green these days. Seattle-based Vulcan Inc. and Touchstone Corp. also have been using sustainable design in their building plans, said Steve Nicholas, director of the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment.

"We probably have one of the most aggressive sustainable-building programs of any city in the country," Nicholas said, adding that Seattle ranks second only to Portland in the number of buildings certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED.

LEED is a set of standards established by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C. Buildings are rated according to criteria that cover everything, from siting to energy, and water usage to materials.

Seattle presently has about 30 buildings that have or will have LEED certification. About half are city buildings, following a 2000 city directive requiring municipal building projects exceeding 5,000 square feet to meet the criteria for a LEED silver certification, the second-highest ranking.

The new downtown public library, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall and the new City Hall all have environmentally friendly design, Nicholas said.

The city's utilities, too, are encouraging energy-saving designs through financial incentives that help offset the higher upfront costs of green construction.

Additionally, Seattle is looking at code changes to encourage more sustainable buildings. In particular, the city hopes to promote more green roofs, Nicholas said.

"There's a misperception that sustainability is only about environmental health," Nicholas said. "It's really about finding that sweet spot where you can pursue economic, environmental and community goals at the same time."

Contact: jlj@bizjournals.com • 206-447-8505 x 118

In Memoriam, Reed Lloyd
Reed Lloyd, beloved husband, father, brother and friend, Reed died suddenly on June 1, 2003 after complications from a motorcycle accident. He was the rock that held our families together; we will miss him greatly.

He was the most quietly decent, generous, honorable man that we will have the privilege of knowing. He could fix anything, and we always expected him to remain in that position in all of our lives. His Harry Truman-esque humor, eternal boyish good looks and ability to laugh at himself will be sorely missed.

Reed was born September 28, 1942 in Malad, Idaho, the youngest of three boys to Elmer and Orilla Lloyd.

He graduated from Brigham Young High School as President of the Class of 1960, and from Brigham Young University in 1968.

He was active in the Seattle banking community, most recently with The Commerce Bank. His tender love of his family, common sense, and quiet dignity will be examples for us to follow. Reed is survived by his wife, Melinda, his sons Chris (Rebecca) and Ryan (Jessie), his grandson Andrew, and his brothers Eldon (Mary Kay) and Ross (Alice). Memorial services were held June 5, 2003 at the L.D.S. Church in Mercer Island, Washington.

[The Seattle Times, June 5, 2003]