DESIGN FOR SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AT SEATTLE’S CENTRAL LIBRARY

INTRODUCTION As a culture we hold dear social values such as public good,health and well-being,quality of life,diversity,and equity.The focus of this article is how Seattle’s Central Library,a Silver LEED™project,integrates social benefit into its design.While LEED provides credit opportunities for some social issues,many are not addressed by the LEED System.The Seattle project provides a rich example of how to integrate a broader range of social sustainability into green design thinking.Issues for consideration include:design to encourage social interaction,accessibility,economic development,cultural arts,and improved staffefficiency and ergonomics.This discussion searches for lessons learned that might inspire the emergence of new LEED credits.