Buildings should work for you
SEAM Certified spaces are held to measurable standards for health, accessibility, fair treatment, and community. When a building earns SEAM Certification, it's a sign the people who built and run it took the people inside and around it seriously.
Will this space be accessible to everyone I care about?
The Standard evaluates whether a building can be used and accessed by the full range of people it serves. Certification is one signal that accessibility was treated as a real design and operations question, not an afterthought.
Is this landlord investing in the community?
SEAM tracks how a project hires locally, who it spends with, how it engages the community before and during the work, and whether it invests in long-term community well-being. Certification is a signal that a building’s impact reaches beyond the property line.
Are the workers who built and maintain this place treated fairly?
SEAM verifies whether project owners, suppliers, and tenants pay living wages, provide decent work, and source materials through ethical supply chains. The people who build and care for a building are part of who the building affects, and certification holds the project accountable for them too.
Will the people who live and work near this building have a voice in how it’s used?
SEAM requires meaningful engagement with the people a building affects, before and during the work. Certification means the project actively listened to community members, workers, and neighbors, and that the engagement is documented and verified.
SEAM Certification
Choose spaces that put people first. SEAM-certified buildings meet verified standards for health, equity, and inclusion — so you know the commitment is real, not just a marketing claim.
When you’re evaluating a new apartment, office, or community space — check whether it’s SEAM-certified.
Learn more → DirectorySEAM Directory
Find certified buildings and credentialed professionals near you. See exactly what each project has been verified for and who led the work.
Find what’s certified near you, and see exactly what each building has been verified for.
Learn more → The StandardThe SEAM Standard
Understand exactly what certified buildings are held to. Read the full Standard — it’s free, open, and written so anyone can follow the criteria from air quality to labor practices.
When you want to understand the specific criteria behind certification — from air quality to labor practices.
Learn more →Impact that reaches past the property line
A building affects more than the people who walk through its doors. SEAM looks at the workers who built it, the suppliers who stocked it, and the neighbors who live alongside it. Certification means all of them were part of the work.
Inclusive by design
SEAM evaluates whether a building can be used and accessed by the full range of people it serves, across abilities, languages, and identities. Inclusion is built into how the project is reviewed, not bolted on at the end.
Community investment
Local hiring, fair wages for workers, and supplier diversity are part of how a building earns SEAM Certification. The building’s success is tied to the neighborhood’s success.
Transparency you can trust
SEAM Certification is verified by independent third-party reviewers, and certified projects are publicly listed. You can see which buildings have been held to the Standard and at what level.
When we moved into a SEAM-certified building, the difference was immediate. The air felt cleaner, the common spaces were designed for everyone, and for the first time I felt like the building was built with people like me in mind — not as an afterthought.
Maria Torres
Resident · Alma Commons, Denver
What does SEAM certification mean for me as a tenant?
It means your building has been independently verified against standards for health and safety, accessibility, community investment, and fair labor practices. Certification is earned through measurable performance, not self-reporting.
How can I find SEAM-certified buildings near me?
The SEAM Directory lets you browse certified projects by location, certification level, and rating system track. You can see exactly what each building has been verified for.
Does SEAM certification affect my rent?
SEAM does not set or regulate rent. However, certified buildings often participate in anti-displacement and affordability commitments as part of the Social Justice pillar. Check a building’s certification details in the Directory.
What’s the difference between SEAM and LEED?
LEED measures environmental performance — energy efficiency, water use, materials. SEAM measures social equity — health, accessibility, community investment, fair labor, and cultural preservation. Many buildings pursue both.
How do I ask my landlord to pursue SEAM certification?
Start by sharing the SEAM Standard or Directory with your property manager. The Operations + Maintenance track is designed for existing buildings and evaluates ongoing practices like local hiring, accessibility, and community engagement.
Choose spaces that reflect your values
Browse certified buildings in your area, read the Standard, or share SEAM with your landlord or property manager.