BROCHURE
All projects other than single-family residential must produce a brochure containing an overview of the building’s design and environmental features. This brochure may double as promotional material to assist in sales and marketing. Teams are not required to have a stack of printed brochures, but must make a paper copy available upon request. If paper copies are only available upon request, the brochure should also be available on the project website in a downloadable and printable form, such as .pdf.
CASE STUDY CONTENT
All projects must provide detailed case study information for each Imperative being pursued. At the time of certification, the case study information for each Petal and Imperative achieved will be uploaded to the Institute’s website. These case studies are a means to celebrate Living Building Challenge (LBC) Certified projects and to educate the public about the successful implementation of the Living Building Challenge framework.
Projects have the option to pursue either a single audit or a two-part audit; two-part audits consist of a preliminary (or “LBC Ready”) audit and a final audit. Project teams pursuing two-part audit may complete case study narratives for the final audit Imperatives at the time of the final audit.
INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE
To satisfy this requirement, it is necessary to have permanent, on-site signage that educates occupants and visitors about the building’s design, systems, performance, and operations. Ideally, the signage should tell a story that helps visitors to understand, as they move through the building, how each Imperative was achieved.
Digital tools, such as a video display or a website accessible via smartphone, can enhance the education offered by interpretive signage, thereby contributing to the project’s compliance with this requirement. However, a single display or mobile digital tools cannot entirely replace permanent, non-digital signage.
LIVING FUTURE ACCREDITATION (LFA)
Living Future Accreditation is a professional credentialing program offered by the Institute. It requires professionals to have a demonstrated knowledge of ILFI’s philosophy and programs, and acknowledges an individual’s work on creating a future that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Additional information on Living Future Accreditation can be viewed here.
In order to ensure that someone who is committed to a living future and knowledgeable about the Living Building Challenge is connected to the project, and thus to foster better project outcomes, at least one project team member with an integral role in decisions during both design and construction phases must have a Living Future Accreditation that is active when the project first submits for audit.
An integral role includes: Architect of Record, Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Engineer of Record, Structural Engineer of Record, Civil Engineer of Record, Landscape Architect of Record, Interior Architect of Record, Owner/Developer or their Representative, LBC/Sustainability Consultant, Project Manager, or General Contractor. Individuals are encouraged to pursue their LFA as early in the design process as possible, so their knowledge can inform as many project decisions as possible.
The Brock Environmental Center was designed as a teaching laboratory to complement the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s field-based environmental education programs. Image by Dave Chance.OPEN DAY
The intent of the open day is to ensure that all buildings, even secure facilities, host visitors at least once annually so that the public may experience a Living Building. The required open day must be publicized to the community at large.
Regular Public Tour
As an alternate compliance path, projects may host regular tours, open and advertised to the public, at least quarterly, in lieu of one annual open day. Tour staff may charge a nominal fee for this service, provided that the fee does not represent a barrier to entry for those wishing to view the building.
Secure Spaces and Facilities
Secure facilities are not exempt from the open day requirement, though project owners may restrict access to certain spaces at their discretion.
It is not necessary to allow open access to every area of a building. Projects may restrict access to spaces as they see fit for security purposes, provided that the building tour still imparts a comprehensive understanding of the strategies used to comply with Living Building Challenge requirements.
Single-Family and Multifamily Residential
Single-family residential projects and multifamily residential projects without on-site staff and common areas must host at least one open day within their 12-month performance period. Thereafter, homeowners are not required to conduct tours or host open days, though they are encouraged to do so at their discretion. Multifamily projects with on-site staff and common areas shared between residences are required to meet the open day requirement annually in the common areas only.
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE (O&M) MANUAL
The Operations and Maintenance Manual (O&M Manual) is a living document that includes operational instructions for the building systems. The intent of the O&M Manual requirement is to ensure that the project will be able to continue to meet its performance criteria, even if the originally trained owners, operators, or occupants are no longer on site.
The O&M Manual should go beyond the standard collection of equipment cutsheets and contain the information needed to maintain and run the project to the same standards as during the performance period. It should include system set points, operation and maintenance instructions, procurement guidelines, and other information that is often not provided in a typical manual. Teams should provide particularly clear instructions for any atypical tasks, building functionality, or building systems, such as photovoltaic arrays or greywater systems, when applicable.
The manual should define the building’s performance targets and requirements, referencing specific Living Building Challenge requirements where applicable. The development of the O&M Manual should start early in the design and construction process, so input may be incorporated from all project team members, such as designers, architects, engineers, and subcontractors.
In cases where an organization has a standardized operations and maintenance manual, it should be edited or annotated to be accurate for LBC requirements. For example, a Living Building Challenge Certified City Hall might need to adjust typical watering and pesticide procedures from those followed for the landscape around other city buildings using the same manual.
Multifamily Residential Projects
For multifamily residential projects with shared infrastructure (e.g., mechanical, electrical, conveyance, and/or water systems), project teams must provide a complete O&M Manual to the homeowner’s association or management company, and must provide residents with an abbreviated version that includes the information relevant to their units.
Single-Family Residential Projects
It is acceptable to provide homeowners with a simplified owner’s manual in lieu of a comprehensive Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual.
On-Site O&M Manual Review
In cases where the O&M Manual is too large to upload digitally, it is acceptable for the project team to submit a comprehensive table of contents in their digital documentation and provide access to a hard copy of the manual during the auditor’s site visit.
WEBSITE
The educational website requirement is to allow those that are not able to visit the project in person to access information and photographs so that they can still learn about the design, systems, performance, and operations of the project, as well as the process that went into creating it.
