General Article
November 3, 2005
The 'visionary' behind Center's BetterBricks
Scott Rusch credits 'incredible Facilities and Operations staff' for his sustainable-building award
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance judges said that Scott Rusch, vice president of Facilities and Operations, "is a visionary in energy, environmental and sustainable building operations." Rusch was honored at a ceremony at Seattle City Hall on Oct. 28.
Photo by Todd McNaught |
Scott Rusch's spam detector almost got the best of him in September when he deleted an e-mail with the subject header, "You are a BetterBricks Award winner." It turned out that this was not an offer for a weekend at Legoland but a bona fide award from a real organization. Bob Cowan, manager of Facilities Engineering, had to forward his copy of the message to his boss and assure him it was legitimate.
Even if he had opened the message, Rusch, vice president of Facilities and Operations, would have wanted to step back from the limelight. He prefers to give his team the credit for the many accomplishments and awards the department has gathered in recent years.
However, the spotlight is on Rusch because the BetterBricks Award, sponsored by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NWEEA) in Portland, Ore., has his name on it. "Rusch is a visionary in energy, environmental and sustainable building operations. He is a leader in operating one of the best research centers in the country," the judges said. "Rusch has accomplished many important projects at the Hutchinson Center and he is truly ahead of his field."
The NWEEA is a non-profit consortium made up of electric utilities, state governments, regulators, consumer interest groups and energy efficiency industry representatives all working together to make affordable, energy-efficient products and services available in the marketplace. Their goal is to ensure that the Northwest's limited electricity resources are used as wisely as possible.
The NWEEA's BetterBricks awards recognize architects, engineers, developers, service providers, facilities-management professionals and others in the commercial building industry for their support, use and design of sustainable, "high-performance buildings," according to the organization. This is the first year businesses in the Puget Sound area have received the award.
The energy alliance defines high-performance buildings as commercial structures that produce substantial energy savings; take an integrated design approach; incorporate daylighting with electrical lighting; consider climate when designing ventilation, heating and cooling systems; reduce operating and maintenance costs; enhance productivity; and support commissioning, which ensures that building systems operate as designed.
"I'm honored to be recognized by my peers for this special award," Rusch said. "It is really a team effort here at the Center. The accomplishments we have made in resource conservation wouldn't be possible without the incredible Facilities and Operations staff. Partnering with Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Public Utilities has also been extremely important."
Rusch's award is in the category of "Service Provider/Facility Management Professional." He was formally honored during a ceremony at Seattle City Hall on Oct. 28.
"Scott has brought to life one of the most sustainable research centers in the United States," the judges said. "He provides the leadership, guidance and individual effort to ensure the Hutchinson Center campus is not only built in a sustainable way, but that the campus maintains its sustainable edge as technology evolves. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy's Labs for the 21st Century program has published a case study on the campus, citing it as a model on how to build energy-efficient labs."
