Bellevue Living Building Challenge (LBC) Certified
Global innovation on a local scale
Bellevue PCC is our third store to become Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certified, which is reflected inside and out. It’s easily accessible by way of low-carbon transportation methods; illustrates the strength of our community through an awe-inspiring art installation; and even uses reclaimed materials from other PCC locations.
LOCAL ART
“The birds are small, but when they fly together, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I thought this was a good concept for PCC, which supports communities, cares about people on an individual level and believes in the impact this can have on a grander scale.” – Local artist Shogo Ota
FEATURES
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
All wood used is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified. Our work excluding toxic chemicals from all building components was unprecedented in the grocery industry — some components had to be modified or custom designed because toxic-free options were not readily available.
Designed to maximize the use of natural light when possible, Bellevue PCC depends less on electricity during daylight hours. Where natural light is insufficient, we use light emitting diode (LED) fixtures, which consume 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent fixtures.
ENERGY-EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT
Our in-store chefs and kitchen staff use ENERGY STAR Certified equipment wherever possible — our steam cookers use 60% less energy than standard models. Doors installed on refrigerated cases reduce energy use by up to 65%.
HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION (HVAC-R)
Our refrigeration system uses CO2, a natural refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) thousands of times lower than that of commonly used synthetic refrigerants. Heat released from the system is reclaimed and recycled, and used to heat the rest of the building and produce hot water for the store.
LOW-FLOW FIXTURES
Compared to standard models, our steam cookers use 90% less water and our dishwashers use 40% less water. We selected faucets that use 60% less water than standard faucets to achieve the same water pressure.
LOW-CARBON COMMUTING
Bellevue PCC is surrounded by a variety of shops, restaurants, residential areas and public transit, making it easily accessible by foot, bike, bus and eventually rail. If you’re driving, you’ll find plug-in stations for electric vehicles in the building’s parking garage.
HABITAT EXCHANGE
The International Living Future Institute’s habitat exchange program aggregates funds to protect large tracts of contiguous, high-value ecosystems, maximizing the impact of each contribution. PCC contributed funds to protect, in perpetuity, an area of land equivalent to Bellevue PCC’s building footprint.