Seattle’s Living Building Challenge “is a green building certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability for buildings and landscapes possible today,” according to the city’s Department of Planning and Development. Its Deep Green Pilot Program allows deviation from the standard building codes in order to build more sustainably. Is this an approach that should be adopted more widely? “Green building codes – that are starting to catch on in the US – embrace not only the sustainability imperative but also the inherent flexibility needed in regulations to prioritize energy, health, and environmental goals above and beyond the safeguards that codes already require,” said Jeremy Sigmon, US Green Building Council director.
Read the entire article here: Should Building Codes Be Flexible for Sustainable Buildings?