Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in partnership with the Cascadia Region Green Building Council (Cascadia), has announced the launch of the Greenbuild 2007 Living Building Competition based on Cascadia’s Living Building Challenge.

The competition seeks to recognize projects that have achieved the highest level of sustainable building practices possible today, as outlined in the Living Building Challenge. The competition is open to buildings in operation for at least one year and that demonstrate exemplary performance in the areas of site considerations, materials, energy, indoor quality, water, and beauty and inspiration. Projects may compete for leadership awards in each of the categories individually. Overall compliance is not necessary for the competition, although an overall winner will be chosen for the project with the most “petals” or completed prerequisite sections.

“We announced the Living Building Competition at Greenbuild 2006 in Denver, Colo., as a challenge to all building owners, architects, engineers and design professionals to continue to push the envelope and build in a way that will provide all of us and our children with a restorative future,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president and CEO. “Since then numerous projects across the country US and Canada have taken up the Living Building Challenge, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results at Greenbuild 2007.”

The competition will be judged by an expert panel including: Sandy Wiggins, Consilience and Chair USGBC Board, Jason F. McLennan, CEO Cascadia Region Green Building Council, Mark Frankel, New Buildings Institute, Clark Brockman, AIA, SERA Architects. Winners will be announced during Greenbuild at USGBC’s Member Day, Nov. 6.

USGBC is a community of leaders working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated. USGBC envisions an environmentally responsible, healthy, and prosperous built environment that improves the quality of life. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org. For more information on Greenbuild, to be held Nov. 7-9, 2007, in Chicago, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org. Cascadia Region Green Building Council (Cascadia) is one of three original chapters of the USGBC and works to fulfill USGBC’s mission and become the premier green building organization in the Pacific Northwest. For information on participating in the Challenge, go to www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/lbc-competition/