The first ever developer-driven “Living Building” opens in downtown Portland.

Image from ZGF Architects

Earlier this month, the first ever developer-driven “Living Building” opened in downtown Portland. The self-sustaining building creates 100% of its energy, recycles its own rain water, and is built to last for over 500 years, including in the event of the Cascadia subduction zone earthquake. The PAE Living Building is a five-story, 58,000 square-foot mixed-use building and is the largest commercial urban Living Building in the world. 

All of the needs for the building are met through onsite water capture, and onsite and offsite solar arrays. The building uses rainwater capture, greywater treatment, nutrient recovery, and a vacuum flush composting system.The circular system uses no city water, produces more energy than it consumes, thereby offering another income source for the building owners. 

And to encourage more developer-led Living Buildings, the plans for the building are open-sourced and publicly available. PAE says that the “building demonstrates replicable and cost-effective solutions for sustainable design and removes barriers to entry for highly sustainable projects…” 

Getting certified as a Living Building is the most stringent environmental certification process that there is. Each Living Building must meet seven performance requirements of design, construction, and post-occupancy: Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty. 

Over the next year, PAE Living Building will track its performance in hopes of being Living Building Challenge certified next summer.