The PAE Living Building has earned full Living Building Challenge certification from the International Living Future Institute. The certification confirms that the PAE Living Building meets the world’s most rigorous sustainability standard and is among the most resilient projects in the world.

Located in Portland, Oregon’s historic Old Town district, the five-story, 58,000 SF mixed-use building is the first fully certified Living Building in Portland as well as the first developer-driven and largest commercial urban Living Building in the world. The project is the 35th fully certified Living Building.

“We are thrilled to deliver Portland’s first Living Building,” said Paul Schwer, President Emeritus of PAE and project visionary. “Our building shows that sustainable, replicable solutions for our environment are not only achievable, but favorable for everyone, from our community to our investors. This project meets the climate goals of our state and our country 30 years ahead of schedule.”

The Living Building Challenge (LBC, version 3.1) requires a 12-month, post-occupancy performance period. During that time, the building must prove it is net-positive for energy and water. Over the performance period, the PAE Living Building generated 113% of the energy needed to power the entire building from onsite and offsite solar panels. This exceeds the LBC requirement of 105%. It also collected and treated 100% of water needed for all building functions, including drinking water.

“At the outset of this project we challenged ourselves to achieve something that has never been done before: to design a 500-year building that exceeds net zero, is financially replicable, and that positively impacts its surrounding community,” said Kathy Berg, Partner at ZGF.  “We are proud to say that the PAE Living Building has delivered on these aspirations, modeling a path for the industry to achieve the highest levels of sustainable design.”

In adherence to LBC criteria, the PAE Living Building meets seven key performance areas–known as Petals–that address every aspect of design, construction, and operations to achieve a resilient and self-sufficient building. The Petals are subdivided into 20 Imperatives focused on a specific sphere of influence, requiring each element in the building to serve multiple purposes.

All the PAE Living Building’s needs are met via onsite water capture, and onsite and offsite solar arrays. The building uses rainwater capture, greywater treatment, nutrient recovery, and a five-story vacuum-flush composting toilet system. By producing and selling liquid fertilizer and agriculture-grade compost onsite, the circular system uses no city water and offers another income source for the building owners.

The PAE Living Building is the first LBC-certified building that is both located in a metropolitan area and is developer-driven, making a return for its investors. The PAE Living Building was privately developed and funded through a partnership between Downtown Development Group, PAE, Edlen & Co., ZGF Architects, Walsh Construction Co., and Apex Real Estate Partners.

“The developer-led model is important for its replicability,” said Jill Sherman, Co-Founder, Edlen & Co. “The majority of the buildings that get built are by private development, and investors want a return on their investment. The PAE Living Building is financed with debt and equity like other market-rate buildings, demonstrating that similar projects are technically possible and financially viable."

Since it’s opening, over 3,400 people have toured the PAE Living Building. The project team remains committed to sharing lessons and inspiring change to ensure future buildings can learn from and emulate this model.

"This is a compelling example of how engineers, architects, builders, and other stakeholders have worked together to create a project that models regenerative practices and supports human health and thriving ecosystems," says ILFI's CEO, Lindsay Baker. "We are very pleased to see the PAE Living Building awarded Living Building Challenge Certification. I am sure it will continue to inspire others to follow PAE’s lead."

Click here to read the full project case study from the International Living Future Institute.