The world’s largest commercial Living Building recently opened in Portland, Ore. The PAE Living Building, a five-story, 58,000 sf mixed-use structure, is also the first developer-driven Living Building. The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is the most stringent green building certification process that exists today, according to a news release from ZGF Architects, the building’s design firm. “The building uses less energy, water, and material than comparable buildings while delivering superior levels of occupant comfort and productivity,” the release says.
The PAE Living Building is one of the first buildings in Portland to install a PV-powered battery storage system and uses just one-fifth as much energy as a comparable building. It is projected to operate up to 100 days off-grid. Onsite and dedicated offsite solar generate net positive energy. A connection to the city grid enables the structure to give back surplus energy.
To meet LBC standards, all the building’s water needs are met via rainwater capture and treated onsite. A 71,000-gallon cistern holds rainwater, and a multistory-vacuum-flush toilet system transforms waste into a nutrient rich resource. It produces liquid fertilizer and agriculture-grade compost onsite.
Construction included healthy material selections using 100% Red List Free materials. A mass timber structural core reduces the project’s embodied carbon emissions by 30%. The design features daylighting, biophilic elements, and ventilation strategies to support a productive, low-carbon workplace. The fifth floor features a “deckony,” (a term coined by the project architect) occupying 1,500 sf in the southeast corner, giving users year-round access to an open-air lounge area.
Over the next 12 months, the building will record, track, and report its performance data. The project is expected to earn a full Living Building Challenge certification in the summer of 2023.
The PAE Living Building, designed to last 500 years, was privately developed and funded as a speculative office building through a partnership between Downtown Development Group, PAE, Edlen & Co., ZGF Architects, Walsh Construction Co., and Apex Real Estate Partners. “Its success shows the private sector that meeting the highest sustainability aspirations for new buildings is truly achievable in a developer-driven model,” the release says.
“Developer-driven and market-rate, the PAE Living Building demonstrates that similar projects are not only technically possible on a dense urban site, but they are also financially viable opportunities for private investors,” said Jill Sherman, Co-Founder, Edlen & Co. “Our early investor commitments helped mitigate the risk for the third-party cash investors who could have viewed this project as too risky during the initial phase of financing.” The team projects a 10% internal rate of return over a 10-year hold and a 10% rent premium.
Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: Developer: Edlen & Co.
Design architect: ZGF
Architect of record: ZGF
MEP engineer: PAE
Structural engineer: KPFF
General contractor/construction manager: Walsh Construction
Related Stories
| Sep 11, 2014
Cintas invites public to vote for 'America's best restroom'
For the 13th consecutive year, Cintas Corporation is back with its popular America’s Best Restroom Contest. A team of survey editors once again scanned the country for the most creative and clean public restrooms and produced a crop of nominees sure to please.
| Aug 27, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin school of architecture faces accreditation loss
The Frank Lloyd School of Architecture may be stripped of its ability to confer Master of Architects students based on a revised by-law of the Higher Learning Commission.
| Aug 12, 2014
Design firms invited to submit qualifications for St. Petersburg, Fla., waterfront project
The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., invites firms to submit their ideas for a new and improved pier for Florida's fifth largest city.
| Aug 6, 2014
The Dead Prize: A new award to recognize poorly designed buildings
If the film industry has its Razzie awards, architecture will have its Dead Prize, created by Architecture for Humanity co-founder Cameron Sinclair to recognize projects that actively harm the planet.
| Aug 5, 2014
Shigeru Ban-designed Aspen Art Museum will open doors to public this week
After 18 month of planning and construction, the museum will open its new Shigeru Ban-designed facility to the public on August 9.
| Jul 30, 2014
German students design rooftop solar panels that double as housing
Students at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences designed a solar panel that can double as living space for the Solar Decathlon Europe.
| Jul 29, 2014
Studio Gang Architects, MAD to design George Lucas' museum in Chicago
Star Wars director George Lucas selected Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects and Beijing firm MAD to design his proposed art museum on Chicago’s lakefront.
| Jul 29, 2014
AECOM's buying spree continues: Deal to acquire Hunt Construction Group in the works
The acquisition comes just two weeks after AECOM's $6 billion deal to acquire rival engineering and construction company URS Corp.
| Jul 23, 2014
Meet Acquario Ceará: The giant crustacean-shaped aquarium that's causing concerns
A new aquarium on Brazil's northeastern coast is designed, engineered, constructed and financed by U.S. firms and institutions.
| Jul 17, 2014
A new, vibrant waterfront for the capital
Plans to improve Washington D.C.'s Potomac River waterfront by Maine Ave. have been discussed for years. Finally, The Wharf has started its first phase of construction.
