by Brianna Crandall — October 25, 2010—The International Living Building Institute has announced the results of its first third-party certification audits, proving, it says, that “Living Buildings” can be designed and built to benefit the ecosystems they inhabit.
ILBI’s Living Building Challenge, widely regarded as the world’s most rigorous green building performance standard, has redefined the design and construction process for more than seventy projects since its launch in 2006.
ILBI announced that the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, New York; and the Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, Missouri, each earned full certification, or “Living” status. Additionally, Eco-Sense, a private residence in Victoria, BC, Canada, earned partial program certification, “Petal Recognition,” for achieving four of the six “Petals” included in version 1.3 of the Living Building Challenge.
In recognition of this achievement, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) will be profiling the program and sharing other ongoing project efforts in the Introduction to Living Building Challenge 2.0 session at CitiesAlive, the 8th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada on December 1, 2010.
To achieve “Living” status, all program requirements must be met and proven through a full year of operation. A Living Building must generate all of its own energy through clean, renewable resources; capture and treat its own water through ecologically sound techniques; incorporate only nontoxic, appropriately sourced materials; and operate efficiently and for maximum beauty. Project teams may alternatively receive Petal Recognition when they meet a minimum of three category requirements.
The first certified projects are:
- Designed by BNIM Architects of Kansas City, MO, the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY serves as a wastewater filtration facility for Omega Institute’s 195-acre campus in the Hudson Valley. Omega will use the system and building as a teaching tool in their educational program designed around the ecological impact of their campus. The building is also a functioning classroom and yoga studio.
- Designed by Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects of Maplewood, MO, Tyson Research Center in Eureka, MO is Washington University’s satellite campus for environmental research and education—a classroom facility that doubles as an educational tool. Tyson provides: a landscape-scale experimental venue for studies on ecosystem sustainability; an outdoor laboratory for important research and teaching opportunities from Washington University and other institutions; and research and educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students related to the environment and sustainability.
- Ann and Gord Baird created Eco-Sense as a truly sustainable and affordable multi-generational home for their family of six. The building project has brought attention from the community and the media, inspiring many others to build in similar ways or to incorporate aspects of Eco-Sense into their existing homes.
- Designed by Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects of Maplewood, MO, Tyson Research Center in Eureka, MO is Washington University’s satellite campus for environmental research and education—a classroom facility that doubles as an educational tool. Tyson provides: a landscape-scale experimental venue for studies on ecosystem sustainability; an outdoor laboratory for important research and teaching opportunities from Washington University and other institutions; and research and educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students related to the environment and sustainability.
Globally, ILBI says numerous projects are now actively pursuing the Living Building Challenge—each of which promises to provide a new model of super-efficient, healthy, water-independent and net-zero energy building in its jurisdiction. These projects range from classrooms to office buildings and from community centers to private residences.
