The Living Building Challenge integrates the built world with the natural world. It is a holistic green building program that promotes the highest possible level of environmental performance through the creation of projects that “operate as cleanly, beautifully, and efficiently as nature’s architecture”. The Challenge accepts projects of all sizes; from smaller scaled projects in the form of individual structures, to larger scaled projects of entire neighborhoods and communities. For a project to attain certification it must “meet 20 rigorous imperatives over a minimum of 12 months of continuous occupation”.
There are Living Building Projects all over the world. The Living Building Challenge encourages the use of sustainable materials when building new projects, contributing to an increase in local living wage jobs and reflecting the history and culture of the community. It is turning occupants from passive consumers to active agents of scarce resources. The Living Building Challenge is changing the building industry to redefine the way the building business works. It promotes more sustainable building practices, community involvement and environmental knowledge, transforming the overall relationship we have with the natural world.
