Miller Hull

Since completing the Living Building Challenge-certified Bullitt Center in 2013, Miller Hull is often asked “what’s next?”

We have taken great efforts to continue to move the dial for sustainability through our work and focus on occupant health. When we decided to renovate our more than 14,000-square-foot studio in the historic Pioneer Square building we rent, we looked again to the Living Building Challenge. Just recently, we achieved Living Building Challenge petal certification of our Seattle studio.

As a single-floor tenant, we were limited in pursuing the “net positive energy” and “water” portions of the Living Building Challenge that involve the whole building. But this allowed us to focus on building interior environmental health benefits for ourstaff by adhering to the LBC “red list,” a list of 22 toxic materials or chemicals prohibited from the building.

At certification, the project achieved 12 of 20 Living Building imperatives in five of seven petals of the challenge, including “place,” “health and happiness,” “materials,”“equity” and “beauty.”

We take both the challenges and lessons from our Living Building work to all our projects, and create spaces that consider occupant health for each of our clients. For all of us as designers, even starting with small steps to include designs focused on greater occupant health can make a substantial difference.

Read the full story at DJC SEattle