GREEN BLOG

The Future of Green Building: The Living Building Challenge

POSTED DECEMBER 15, 2011

Last month in New York City, I attended the first east coast workshop for the Living Building Challenge. The challenge was created by The Cascadia Green Building Council (http://cascadiagbc.org/) which was one of the three founding chapters of the US Green Building Council.

The Living Building Challenge is now part of the Living Futures Institute and has no affiliation with LEED. It is a stand alone program that looks to push the boundaries of design, material usage and building efficiency all while focusing on true beauty and being one with nature. I wanted to introduce you to the challenge and give you some insight as to where things are headed in the world of green building.
The Living Building Challenge is exactly that…a serious CHALLENGE. For even the most savvy of green builders and designers it will serve as a formidable foe…the benchmarks are far beyond LEED…far beyond where any of us think about when it comes to conventional design and construction. This challenge will force you to abandon your comfort zone, your means and methods and think outside of the box. For this, I love the challenge. The challenge has two large hurdles in my mind: Net Zero Water Consumption and Net Zero Energy Consumption.

It is certainly not for everyone. In my estimation, the upfront costs are significant, projecting anywhere from 10-50% more than conventional buildings, but there are virtually no utility costs and you will be among the few, the proud, the pioneers. There is something to be said for being Net Zero both from an efficiency and technology standpoint. It is not easy but just imagine all those dollars saved throughout the lifespan of the building.

There are 7 major categories within the Living Building Challenge which they call petals. Within each petal category there are imperatives which must be met, 100% in order to receive the petal. If you are able to receive all 7 petals for your building then you will receive the Living Building Challenge Certification. They have just unveiled a lower tier of recognition which is the Petal Recognition for achieving 3 of the petal categories. My impression is this has been well received because of the rigorous and almost impossible demands of all 7 petal categories.

For more information about the 7 petals and their imperatives click here: https://ilbi.org/lbc/LBC Documents/LBC2-0.pdf

Bottom Line - New Horizon:
I am extremely encouraged by this challenge and the fact that there is someone raising the bar on the design and construction industry. USGBC did this with LEED some 15 years ago. When LEED first arrived, people complained about how hard it was to have 5 different material containers on-site for recycling and how it was impossible to get people to sort their waste. Now it is virtually impossible to find a job that doesn’t recycle its waste. We must continue to push for net zero and challenge people to think outside of the box to get it accomplished. We have a tall task ahead of us and limited resources which are being depleted more every day…let us not forget this.

More Information:
For a more in depth look at the Living Building Challenge imperatives/requirements, please go here: https://ilbi.org/lbc/LBC Documents/LBC2-0.pdf

For a look at the cost comparison of a living building vs. LEED Gold, please review this extraordinary cost matrix: https://ilbi.org/education/Resources-Documents/Reports-Docs/ProcessDocs/LB_FinancialStudy_Comparison_Matrix.pdf

William J Sutton II, LEED AP is a graduate of the civil engineering
and construction management program at The Catholic University of
America in Washington, DC. He currently is a Project Manager and
Sustainability Chair for Wohlsen Construction
which operates throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region. In 2010, Wohlsen
was recognized as the North American Sustainable Business of the year
through Green Plus.
William is dedicated to making a positive difference in others and the
environment every day. He currently resides in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania and is a Chapter Leader for USGBC Central Pennsylvania.
Follow his tweets at @LEED_Resource

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