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Subjects › Planning › Green Building Design
Updated 04/2012

Green Communities and Building Design

Contents

Introduction

Green building practices provide an opportunity to create environmentally-sound and resource-efficient buildings through an integrated approach to design. Green communities extend the green concepts to a neighborhood or community-wide scale.  Northwest communities, including King County, Seattle, and Portland, have emerged as leaders in the green communities and green building movement. A green building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet objectives such as protecting occupant health; reducing operation and maintenance costs; using energy, water, and other resources efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment. Green building design and green communities are related to the broader concepts of "smart growth" and sustainable development. "Smart growth" includes policies, regulations and strategies to encourage compact efficient development, which is sustainable and thus promotes economic viability while protecting the natural environment for future generations.

This page includes links to general information on green communities and green building design as well as to innovative green building programs of local governments in Washington and other states. It also features information on green purchasing programs of local governments. If you have information to share on this topic or are aware of other websites that we should link to, please contact Carol Tobin, Planning Consultant, or call (206) 625-1300.

About Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED system. This system gives points for environmentally beneficial building attributes, with ratings from certified, silver, and gold to platinum for the highest ranked buildings. See What LEED is for a general introduction. In Seattle, any public building project of 5,000 or more square feet of occupied space must achieve a LEED silver rating.

LEED for Neighborhood Development - The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. LEED for Neighborhood Development is a collaboration between the U.S. Green Building Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

General Information on Green Building Design and Green Communities

The following are general links to information on green building design and green communities and organizations supporting green design:

Green Communities and Building Programs of Local and State Governments

These are links to specific governmental green building programs, policies, and documents.

Washington Green Building Programs

Seattle

King County

State

  • Ch. 39.35D RCW - High-Performance Public Buildings - This law requires LEED silver certification for projects funded in the state capital budget. This requirement applies to projects larger than 5,000 gross square feet of space and affects any entity, including public agencies and public school districts, that receives state funds for construction. Certain types of facilities, including affordable housing, are exempted from the LEED standards.
  • Washington State Department of Ecology, Green Building - Includes general information and innovative green building techniques and regional information on green building resources and organizations.
  • Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
  • Washington State Department of Commerce

Other Washington Jurisdictions

Green Building Programs from Other States

Green Purchasing Programs of Local Governments

Many local governments are promoting green purchasing that is environmentally sustainable.  Although this does not relate to green buildings and communities per se, it is part of the overall green programs established by local governments.

Incentives and Grants for Green Buildings

Some communities with green building programs provide financial incentives for LEED™-certified buildings and green building projects. There are a few special grant programs available for green buildings and sustainable projects. King County, Seattle, and Portland offer LEED™ financial incentives for private commercial and multifamily residential projects. Other types of incentives, such as density bonuses and expedited permit processing, are also common.

Land Use Incentives and Density Bonuses

  • Bellevue Land Use Code Part 20.30D - Planned Unit Development (see Section 20.30D.160(B) - Built Green certification a conservation design factor)
  • Everett Zoning Code Section 22.020(E)(1)(i) - LEED silver rating is a bonus design element 
  • Newcastle Municipal Code Section 18.36.040(E)(6) Green Building FAR incentive
  • Redmond Zoning Code Section 21.08.330 Green Building and Green Infrastructure Incentive Program

Articles and Reports on Green Building Design

This section includes additional articles and information on green building design.