The Living Building Pilot Program assists projects attempting to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge. The Living Building Challenge is a green building rating system created by the International Living Building Institute to recognize buildings meeting the highest level of sustainability.  The Living Building Challenge requires buildings to meet a series of prerequisites relating to site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty and inspiration.  The purpose of the Pilot Program is to allow additional flexibility in the application of development standards in the Land Use Code (Title 23) through the design review process in order to accommodate innovative technologies or design approaches that might otherwise be discouraged or prohibited.

 

The Pilot Program will accept up to 12 projects over a 3-year period.  All projects accepted into the program will undergo full design review through the existing design review process pursuant to Chapter 23.41.  The scope and criteria for design review departures will be modified to allow, to the extent that Code departures may be necessary, the Board to recommend an expanded range of departures from Code requirements including: limited departures from permitted accessory uses, height, and floor area ratio (FAR).  In recommending departures, the board must find that the project meets design guidelines and the goals of the Living Building Challenge.

 

Projects participating in the Pilot Program benefit from Priority Green FACILITATED. Applicants in Priority Green FACILITATED will benefit from: 

To find out more information about the program, please read through the Living Building Program Overview or reference Seattle Land Use Code SMC 23.40.060 and SMC 23.41.

 

The Director's Report, Draft Ordinance, and SEPA material are posted on the Program Documents page.