Weber Thompson announces four individuals have received Living Future Accreditation (LFA) from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). Accredited Professionals include Principal and Director of Sustainability Myer Harrell AIA, LFA, LEED AP BD+C, Homes, Landscape Architecture Principal Rachael Meyer, PLA, GRP, LEED AP, and team members Alison Waldsmith RA, LFA and Mark Dorsey AIA, LFA.

Living Future Accreditation is “the professional credential that recognizes proficiency in the world’s most ambitious, advanced, and holistic sustainable design standards,” according to ILFI. LFAs demonstrate familiarity with ILFI’s certification programs, labels, and initiatives, grow their capacity for advanced sustainable design projects, and educate and advocate for advanced sustainability standards. For accreditation, professionals take courses on a range of topics including the Living Building Challenge, Living Product Challenge, Living Community Challenge and other ILFI programs.

LFAs are valuable resources for Weber Thompson as they design more LBC projects. An LFA project team member helps fulfill requirements toward LBC 4.0 and Core Green Building projects. For non-LBC projects, LFAs can help teams integrate goals about healthy materials, biophilic elements within a building, as well as strategies for energy and potable water use reduction. Many of these strategies are value adds to a project that don’t necessarily add cost and can significantly improve the experience for a tenant or end user.

Weber Thompson has a deep history with the International Living Future Institute. Their new office is housed within the award-winning Watershed, a building Weber Thompson designed, which is pursuing Living Building Challenge v3.0 Petal certification as part of Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program. They are also currently working on Living Stone, an LBPP commercial office building located between the Wallingford and Fremont neighborhoods. The firm has employees and owners who are accredited by Green Business Certification Inc., Center for Active Design, The Passive House Institute & Passive House Institute US, International WELL Building Institute, and Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

About Weber Thompson

Seattle-based Weber Thompson is a full service, West coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and community/urban design. This award-winning company has a staff of 70 design and construction professionals, housed in the celebrated Terry Thomas, a LEED NC Gold certified office building in South Lake Union. At the end of 2020, the firm will relocate to Watershed, in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Since 1988, Weber Thompson has developed a diverse practice with projects that include high-rises, high-density urban infill, residential, commercial office, hospitality, and affordable housing projects. Weber Thompson seeks effective results through a thoughtful and collaborative design process. For more information, contact Weber Thompson at (206) 344-5700 or info@weberthompson.com.

About Watershed

Watershed is a high-performance office building that helps Seattle move toward a fossil-free future. It is pursuing the Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program (LBPP). The project has an emphasis on rainwater: It collects and reuses over 200,000 gallons of water on site annually and diverts and cleans over 300,000 gallons of runoff before entering Lake Union through green stormwater infrastructure on site. Watershed is a partnership between CoU, LLC and Spear Street Capital. Weber Thompson provided architecture and landscape architecture services. JLL handled all office leasing. Additional team members include: General Contractor: Turner Construction; Civil Engineer: KPFF; Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers; M/E/P Engineer: WSP; Building Envelope: Allana Buick & Bers, Inc.; Transportation Engineer: Heffron Transportation; Specifications: Applied Building Information, LLC; Sustainability/LBC Consulting: Skanska.

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute is a hub for visionary programs. ILFI offers global strategies for lasting sustainability, partnering with local communities to create grounded and relevant solutions, including green building and infrastructure solutions on scales ranging from single room renovations to neighborhoods or whole cities. ILFI administers the Living Building Challenge, the environment’s most rigorous and ambitious performance standard, as well as the Living Product Challenge and Living Community Challenge. Learn more at https://living-future.org/

About the Living Building Challenge (LBC)

The Living Building Challenge is the world’s most rigorous proven performance standard for buildings. Living buildings are regenerative and connect occupants to light, air, food, nature and community. They are self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site. They create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them. Learn more at https://living-future.org/lbc/

About the Living Building Pilot Program (LBPP)

The City of Seattle LBPP encourages buildings to meet the Living Building Challenge and provides height and land use departure incentives. Projects are eligible if they meet Living Building Challenge full certification, or achieve Petal Recognition, including: Achieve at least three of the seven petals (place, water, energy, health, materials, equity, and beauty), including at least one of the following petals: energy, water, or materials; Reduce total energy usage by 25 percent compared to the Seattle Energy Code; Reduce total building water usage by 75 percent compared to baselines estimated by Seattle Public Utilities; Capture and use at least 50 percent of stormwater on site. Learn more at https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/green-building/living-building-and-2030-challenge-pilots