Living Building Certification: The Future of Sustainable Design and Performance

When sustainable building initiatives started catching on in the early 2000s, certification tended to focus on individual elements. For example, early LEED certification involved reducing energy consumption, saving water, and incorporating recycled materials. 

As green building has evolved with BREEAM certification and others coming onto the scene, we have learned to take a holistic view of buildings, considering how they impact the environment and our own lives. Living building certification (LBC) takes this idea to the next level. The Living Building Challenge aims to connect people to nature, air, food, and community through design elements. Learn more about LBC and how you can incorporate these elements into your buildings. 

The Seven Petals Framework

Unlike LEED or NGBS certification, which aim to lower a building’s environmental impact, LBC encourages buildings that make a person’s environment healthier. Certification is based on the Seven Petals Framework. 

Place: Connection to Site

This concept refers to site management. To meet the place requirement, you consider where to place your building for the least impact. You also consider how to restore and protect it once it’s built along with how the building connects to the community. When assessing building sites, you consider the local flora and fauna, the surrounding environment, and food production. 

For example, an LBC building is not taking up prime agricultural real estate. 

Water: Sustainable Water Management

Water conservation is a big issue for communities across the globe. An LBC is designed with smart water use in mind. For example, you would consider how to transport, purify, and pump water within your building using fewer chemicals and recycling non-potable water when you can. 

You might build a system for collecting and treating wastewater or create a closed loop system for HVAC and other industrial systems.

Energy: Net Positive Energy Use

An LBC building should aim for net positive energy usage, meaning a focus on renewable sources, preferably onsite. An LBC may have a system of solar panels and batteries that collect solar energy and use it for 100% of the building’s energy needs. 

You should also consider the carbon footprint associated with building materials. If you’re sourcing materials from overseas, for example, you need to offset the carbon footprint to achieve living building certification. 

Health and Happiness: Well-being in Design

Since an LBC is made to be regenerative, you need to design a healthy interior. This goes beyond simple air and water quality like you need for a Fitwel Certification. To achieve a healthy building, your tenants should have a lot of access to natural light and comfortable living and working spaces. 

In the workplace, you might consider adding plants and other natural elements and creating collaborative spaces that help people connect and socialize. A healthy building also makes it easy for inhabitants to get exercise and access nutritious food. 

Materials: Safe and Sustainable Materials

All your building materials in an LBC should be sustainable, non-toxic, and socially equitable. For example, if you are using bamboo flooring because of its sustainability, you should also source it from a fair-trade manufacturer. Any company that exploits workers at any stage of the supply chain does not make safe materials. 

Equity: Fair and Inclusive Spaces

This petal involves making sure all spaces are accessible and usable by everyone. To meet it, you would incorporate design principles that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, for example. Your tenants should also be able to access fresh air, sunlight, and natural waterways as possible. 

Beauty: Aesthetic and Inspirational Elements

Beauty involves creating spaces that are aesthetically pleasing, relaxing, and that connect people with nature. You can achieve this petal by incorporating natural shapes and elements into your design and considering how to achieve harmony with the environment. 

Achieving Living Building Certification

To achieve this certification, start by registering your project. The standards depend on the project start date, so make sure it’s accurate. 

Once you’ve registered your project, a support team will help you fill out forms and provide support documentation.  Fill out your request for ruling for pre-approval. The Living Future team will review your submittal and audit your building. If you don’t pass, note the issues of concern and make the recommended changes before submitting your project again. 

Your building needs to achieve all 20 imperatives for full certification, but you can apply for various certification tiers. Or you can focus on your best imperatives. If you meet criteria for three of seven petals, you can achieve petal certification. 

Benefits of Living Building Certification

One of the main benefits of LBC is reduced operating costs. Since you create the building to use water and energy responsibly, you save on heating, cooling, and other building systems. 

A living building also helps you attract tenants who desire aesthetically pleasing buildings that contribute to their healthy lifestyle. You can reduce your environmental impact while creating a space that is inviting and regenerative. 

Challenges in Achieving Certification

To truly achieve LBC, you have to commit. Unless you’re starting from scratch and have the resources to consider your building’s entire impact, it’s hard to achieve the full certification. You may also be operating in an area with outdated building codes that don’t accommodate LBC practices. 

For example, because the State of Colorado supplies water to multiple residents in the western part of the country, it is illegal to collect rainwater on a commercial property. 

Implementing living building practices is also expensive. You may have to pay a premium for healthy, sustainable materials and advanced water and energy systems. 

By starting the certification process early, you can incorporate living building principles in the design and building process. It also helps to familiarize yourself with each of the seven petals before applying for certification. 

Measure your air and water quality with Attune and provide the evidence you need to get and keep your LBC. Learn more by contacting us. 

Living Building Certification FAQ

What is a certified living building?

Any building that meets the 20 imperatives can achieve full Living Building Challenge certification. These buildings are regenerative, and they contribute positively to the environment. 

Why should my business want a living building certification?

Achieving Living Building Challenge certification proves your commitment to sustainability. Your operating costs are lowered, and you can attract and retain top talent who want to work with forward-thinking building managers. 

How does my business obtain a living building certification?

First, become familiar with the Seven Petals of the Living Building Challenge. Choose which standards you can realistically meet and apply for the proper certification.