For project teams seeking further guidance, the International Living Future Institute offers several avenues for additional support:
ILFI Website: Find information about all ILFI programs, resources, and initiatives on ILFI’s website at living-future.org.
LBC Website: Find out more about the Living Building Challenge, including requirements and case studies, on the ILFI website at living-future.org/lbc.
LBC Resources: Find a comprehensive list of downloadable and linked LBC resources on the ILFI website at living-future.org/lbc/resources and on the Living Future Membership Dashboard.
Customer Service: Registered project teams should email lbc.support@living-future.org for program-specific questions.
Fee-Based Technical Assistance is offered by the Institute to support a project team’s process of adopting the principles of the Living Building Challenge. For more information, contact living-future.org/lbc/resources.
Request for Ruling: This process is the means by which project teams request preapproval for a compliance method that is either identified in the Petal Handbooks as requiring pre-approval or that doesn’t conform with the Petal Handbook guidance as written. In responding to those requests, ILFI issues determinations on situations, devised strategies, or innovations that were not contemplated by the rule set articulated in the Compliance Details. More information on the submission process and contents is available at support.living-future.org.
Living Future Membership: Living Future members are a global network of practitioners advancing the movement for regenerative buildings, products, and organizations. Membership provides options for deeper engagement within the ILFI community, such as:
- Sharing knowledge and lessons learned in the Member Discussion Board;
- Joining a Regional Member Community; and
- Access to continuing education webinars by ILFI staff and industry experts.
LFA (Living Future Accreditation): The achievement of LFA acknowledges your work toward making our communities socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Once accredited, you will be eligible to fulfill the requirement under Imperative 20 – Education + Inspiration that all teams have an LFA team member. Find more information at living-future.org/lfa.
Continuing Education: The Institute offers an online catalog of on-demand continuing education courses taught by expert community members and ILFI staff about the Living Building Challenge, Zero Energy, Zero Carbon, ILFI transparency labels, and related topics. Visit education.living-future.org to enroll.
Trim Tab is the Institute’s blog, featuring provocative articles, interviews, and news about people and designs transforming the built environment: Visit trimtab.living-future.org.
Research: Despite the rigor of the Living Building Challenge, project teams are proving that the strict requirements of the program are very solvable. However, both perceived and real limitations to success still exist that are technical, regulatory, behavioral, or financial—or a combination of these influencing factors. ILFI performs research, often in concert with others, to explore these limitations and determine possible solutions. The latest published reports are posted on the Institute’s website: living-future.org/research.
The Living Future Conference is the flagship annual event for leading minds in the green building movement seeking solutions to the most daunting global issues of our time. Out-of-the-ordinary learning and networking formats deliver innovative design strategies, in-depth case studies, cutting-edge technical information, and much-needed inspiration to achieve progress toward a truly living future. More information may be found at livingfutureconference.org.
