Page 31 - Green Builder May-June 2017 Issue

CASE STUDY: URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT A Walkable,

“As we did our homework, we realized we had a capacity issue,” Bikeable
old—and new development places stress upon this combined system.

says Kyle Andersen, principal at GBD Architects. The city would have
to make changes upstream or they would have to lay new pipe—both
very expensive options. “We started thinking, what if we treated the Neighborhood
wastewater on site?”
The decision was a win-win: The City of Portland agreed to
discount the project’s systems development charges, and the onsite Hassalo on Eighth includes many features that support
solutions keep up to 45,000 gallons of wastewater per day out of the pedestrian and cycling lifestyles. The neighborhood
city’s combined system. has earned a high Walk Score and Bike Score.
Portland has approved two other systems that treat wastewater from
■ ■ Access to public transportation, including light rail and bus lines
a building and use it onsite. One is for the OHSU Center for Health and
■ ■ EV-charging stations onsite
Healing. This 16-story high-rise, which GBD Architects also designed,
■ ■ Two dedicated Zipcars onsite
uses a membrane bioreactor to treat 15,000 gallons of wastewater each
day and recycles the water for toilet flushing, irrigation and cooling ■ ■ 1,200 underground parking stalls
tower make-up water. The Port of Portland headquarters building ■ ■ 900-stall “bike hub”
treats wastewater with a Living Machine, a tidal flow wetland. ■ ■ Access to bike valet and onsite mechanic
Biohabitats, a firm specializing in conservation planning, ecological ■ ■ Pedestrian walkway and plaza
restoration and regenerative design, developed the system for
Hassalo on Eighth. Before starting, the team held a “regulatory summit,” inviting
“We have done systems for urban centers, but not to this scale,” representatives from the relevant agencies to attend a presentation,
says Pete Muñoz, senior engineer and Cascadia bioregion team leader during which Biohabitats explained how the onsite system would
for Biohabitats. “It’s the largest onsite urban system that I know of.” work. They learned that it would require two main permits: one

Sustainable living. The units in
all three LEED-certified buildings
feature ample daylighting,
efficient appliances and access
to recycling and composting.

CREDIT: GBD ARCHITECTS

28-33 GB 0517 Hassalo on 8th.indd 29 5/25/17 11:07 AM