Omega is the first project in the world to achieve both 'Living' Status and LEED Platinum. 

In 2006, the Omega Institute commissioned BNIM to design a new, highly sustainable wastewater filtration facility with a strong educational component focused on water. The project replaces the current wastewater disposal system for 119 buildings on a 195-acre campus in Rhinebeck, New York by using biological methods of treatment via an Eco Machine. As part of a larger effort to educate visitors, staff and the local community on local, regional and global water issues, the project showcases this ecological system in a building that houses the primary treatment cells and a classroom/laboratory.

The project is the first in the nation to receive 'Living' status in Living Building Challenge 1.3 and LEED Platinum certification. To achieve this, the process relied on a highly collaborative team of experts in wastewater, civil, landscape, mechanical and structural design with a history of working together on high-performance buildings. Through periodic all-team meetings and on-going collaboration, the team aimed to produce a highly integrated design and, ultimately, a highly integrated building and site, regardless of the Living Building moniker.