{"id":84625,"date":"2023-06-16T10:55:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T17:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/?p=84625"},"modified":"2023-06-16T12:00:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T19:00:08","slug":"living-building-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/living-building-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Living Building Challenge Certification for Homeowners: Pros and Cons"},"content":{"rendered":"

As sustainable technologies develop alongside people\u2019s desires to live more sustainably, people have begun turning to their homes to <\/span>reduce their carbon footprints<\/span><\/a>, But have you ever wondered if you could build a home that wasn\u2019t just \u2018less bad\u2019, but instead actually restored the environment around it? You can. Enter the Living Building Challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Living Building Challenge represents the pinnacle of sustainable development and promotes equity, regeneration, and self-sufficiency. But what is it? How do you certify your home? Is it even possible?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you live in a <\/span>house in Bend, OR<\/span><\/a>, or a <\/span>home in Seattle, WA<\/span><\/a>, read on to learn everything you need to know about Living Building Certification.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the Living Building Challenge?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Living Building Challenge<\/span><\/a> (LBC) is a green building certification program administered by the <\/span>International Living Future Institute<\/span><\/a> (ILFI), and was launched in 2006 in Seattle, WA. The program continues to evolve as new research and technology releases, and is currently on its fourth iteration (4.0).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of the LBC is to encourage designers and homeowners to build structures and projects that <\/span>contribute positively to their local environment<\/span><\/a>. Structures achieve this by mimicking the ecosystem around them from when before the site was developed, creating a regenerative and sustainable <\/span>built environment<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Living Building Challenge Petals<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Living Building Challenge organizes its requirements into <\/span>seven performance areas<\/span><\/a> called Petals. Each Petal is further divided into <\/span>Imperatives (20 total)<\/span><\/a>, which address specific topics related to that Petal. Here\u2019s a brief summary of the seven Petals.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Place<\/span><\/h3>\n

This Petal focuses on the location of the project and its relationship to the surrounding community and ecosystem. It includes imperatives such as habitat exchange, urban agriculture, and appropriate siting.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Water<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Water Petal emphasizes achieving a water balance within the building’s site. This means that a home or building should meet all its water needs through captured precipitation or recycled water, and manage its wastewater onsite.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Energy<\/span><\/h3>\n

100% of the project’s energy must come from on-site renewable energy on a net annual basis, promoting self-sufficiency and reducing the building\u2019s environmental impact. This often includes installing <\/span>solar panels<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>small wind turbines<\/span><\/a>, and other renewable energy sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t specific requirements for energy per square foot, but the LBC insists that a building generate 105% of its energy needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Health and happiness<\/span><\/h3>\n

This Petal recognizes the importance of creating environments that optimize physical and psychological health and well-being. It includes imperatives related to indoor air quality, biophilic environments, and promoting physical activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Materials<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s essential to encourage using materials that are non-toxic, transparent, and socially equitable. The Materials Petal requires projects to use safe and sustainable materials, and bans the use of materials that have negative environmental impacts or contain hazardous substances. The LBC has a “<\/span>Red List<\/span><\/a>” that contains a catalog of their banned materials and a \u201cWatch List\u201d of possibly problematic materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Equity<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Equity Petal encourages social equity and human rights within the building’s sphere of influence. This includes aspects such as human scale and humane places, universal access to nature and community services, and <\/span>equitable investment<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Beauty<\/span><\/h3>\n

This Petal is about the aesthetic aspect of buildings and sites, recognizing that buildings should delight and inspire. The Beauty Petal insists that buildings incorporate design features intended solely for human delight, helping to connect people to the environment in a meaningful way.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Living Building Challenge for homeowners<\/span><\/h2>\n

While typically for commercial and public buildings, the LBC certifies homes as well. However, the LBC is extremely strict, so it can be time-consuming to design and build a certifiable home. As a result, <\/span>only four<\/span><\/a> residences in the US have received full certification (fulfilled all seven petals).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike other green building standards that can be based on projections and simulations at the design stage, LBC certification is based on actual, proven performance after the building has been in operation for at least 12 consecutive months. There are four steps to receiving certification:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As sustainable technology and techniques advance, cost and building time should fall. The goal of the LBC is to promote sustainable and regenerative building practices, making them more accessible and affordable for all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you certify your home?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Living Building Challenge certification process is the same for all types of buildings, including houses. However, because homes are generally smaller and don\u2019t have the same budgets as large commercial buildings, it can be harder for homeowners to fulfill every requirement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a breakdown of how to certify your home through the LBC:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Registration<\/b>: Start by registering your project with the International Living Future Institute. You need a premium membership to register, which costs <\/span>between $50-$250<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Design<\/b>: Next, if you\u2019re aiming for full certification, plan and design your home according to the LBC’s seven Petals and twenty Imperatives. This will likely require working with architects, engineers, and contractors who are experienced with sustainable construction and familiar with the LBC. Remember, the LBC requires that all aspects of the project, from the site choice to the energy systems to the building materials, comply with their standards.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Construction<\/b>: Construct your home according to the design\u2019s plans. Document your progress and gather evidence of compliance with each of the LBC’s requirements. This might include photos, receipts, contracts, and other documents that can verify your claims.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Performance monitoring<\/b>: After construction is complete and you\u2019re all moved in, you need to go through a 12-month performance period. During this time, you collect data and demonstrate that your home operates as designed and promised to the ILFI.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Audit and certification<\/b>: Once your 12-month performance period is over, submit your documentation and data to the ILFI. An <\/span>LBC Ready auditor<\/span><\/a> will then review it to verify compliance with all the challenge\u2019s requirements. If your home meets all of the requirements, you will be awarded LBC certification. If it only receives three out of seven Petals or just achieves net-zero energy use, it will receive separate certifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Certification levels<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Full certification is incredibly difficult, so the LBC has three levels that a home or building can achieve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n