Seattle has more than 400 officially designated landmarks, including buildings, boats and even a few historic clocks. Landmark designation is a public process involving the property owner, the city and members of the community. The process often requires negotiation. What portions of the site should be preserved? What elements can be altered or changed? And with whose permission?

The city’s Landmarks Preservation Board also weighs the structure’s age, its architectural integrity or significance, and its cultural or political heritage before making a recommendation for official designation. In rare cases, a landmark may still end up being demolished. Jeffrey Ochsner, a professor of architecture at the University of Washington, dives into some of the gray areas of landmark preservation in Seattle.