What is a "Living" Building?

The newly built Living Learning Center at Washington University's Tyson Research Center in Arts & Sciences is designed to be a zero net energy and zero wastewater building The center will capture rainwater and purify it for drinking and will be powered so efficiently by solar energy that the building often will pump energy back into the electric grid to be purchased by the local energy company. This 2,900-square-foot facility includes office and classroom facilities for research and teaching – and it’s expected to be the first in the Midwest certified as a "living building" by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council (CRGBC) after it has been operational for at least one year and can prove its net-zero energy and water use — requirements under the CRGBC’s “Living Building Challenge.”