LEED Certification at the Bellevue Youth Theater

June 12, 2018

leed certificationLocation: Washington
Architect: Becker Architects
General Contractor: Pease Construction
Installing Contractor: Design Air

The Bellevue Youth Theatre’s new facility was designed to meet LEED® certification standards for sustainability. The requirements for this green building project in Washington included energy efficiency, maximum indoor environmental quality, water conservation and waste reduction. These objectives were partially achieved by integrating a geothermal heating and cooling system along with The BlueDuct® underground preinsulated duct system.

The BlueDuct&reg - Bellevue Washington InstallPrior to installation of the underground duct system, workers from Design Air, the installing contractor, were trained and certified by Vishal Sookhai, field training specialist, from AQC Industries. During training, the weather was typical for the Seattle area with temperatures between 40° and 49°F (4° and 9°C) with rain.

leed certificationThe BlueDuct underground duct system was installed around the inside perimeter of the Bellevue Youth Theatre. The duct section was then pressure tested to 2 inch water column (wc), as requested by the city inspector.

Representatives from Dorse & Company and AQC invited John Mull, the superintendent from McKinstry — a full-service design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) firm — to visit the Bellevue jobsite. Mull was interested in learning more about The BlueDuct. This visit was scheduled to include Tom Miller, The BlueDuct representative from Dorse.

Toward the end of installation, The BlueDuct system passed the air test with no leakage at 2 inch wc static pressure, confirming an air- and water-tight seal.

The BlueDuct was specifically designed to address issues common to competitive underground air
ductwork. Advanced design and materials, allow The BlueDuct system to meet all codes for underground ductwork in the United States

The team was so delighted with the test results that the backfilling was done after inspection the following afternoon. Because of the experience gained through this project, the mechanical contractor will use The BlueDuct again.