Case Study: Batik & Stack House profiled in “Achieving Zero Energy: Advanced Energy Design Guide for Multifamily Buildings” by ASHRAE

We are proud of and humbled by the recognition we received in the newest ASHRAE report “Achieving Zero Energy: Advanced Energy Design Guide for Multifamily Buildings.” The report features case studies on Batik Apartments and Stack House Apartments, and images from Sitka Apartments are featured throughout. Take a look and read more about our firm’s proven approach to high-performance multifamily design.

Click here to download a PDF of the report for free.

As one of Runberg Architecture Group’s earliest high-performance-focused projects, Stack House set new benchmarks in what was possible in energy-use reduction in multifamily buildings. It was the first multifamily project in Seattle to utilize a central heat pump water heating system. Other energy-saving features include: ductless heat pumps for 40% of the units, an 8,000 square foot green roof, rainwater catchment and re-use, and the now well-known bioswales (the Swale on Yale) to greatly improve the quality of stormwater runoff from the Capitol Hill neighborhood. You can read more about Stack House here.

Completed in 2019, Batik Apartments is a sterling example of how to achieve high-performance multifamily on any market-rate budget with “off-the-shelf, readily-available technology—no re-inventing the wheel required. The total energy-use intensity of the building is 16.5 kBtu/ft2 year (54 kWh/m2 year), which is over 50% lower than the current requirement in the Seattle Building Code (35 kBtu/ft2 year). Read more about Batik here.