The Living Building Challenge is a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification defining the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment today. It addresses all buildings at all scales and is an inclusive tool for transformative design. Whether the project is a single building, a renovation, an infrastructure project, or a park, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for design, construction, and improvement of the symbiotic relationships between people and all aspects of the built and natural environments.
The internal logic of the Living Building Challenge is based on pragmatic, tested experience with what has already been built in the marketplace. Accomplishing its Imperatives requires leading-edge technical knowledge, an integrated design approach, and for design, construction, and operations teams to be well-versed in advanced practices related to regenerative design. Each new Living Building adds further weight to the evidence that a world of Living Buildings is possible now.
The following sections provide an overview of what shapes the program, how it works, how to use the program documents, and how to get started.
PROGRAM EVOLUTION
LBC 4.1 is the seventh version of the Living Building Challenge Standard. The Living Building Challenge is an ever-evolving program shaped by the incredible experiences of the project teams seizing the challenge as they continually break new ground, the vital insights of third-party auditors, and the invaluable expertise of ILFI’s Technical Advisory Groups, among others. Over time, feedback from a diverse array of stakeholders helps us understand how to refine and improve the program to have the greatest impact. New versions of the Living Building Challenge and periodic updates to the Compliance Details in the Program Manual both reflect the experience of project teams.
Institute staff are continually monitoring changes in the field and the market and making adjustments to the program as needed to reflect current realities and opportunities. We strive to continually raise the bar as we learn together, moving our projects closer to the goal of a regenerative living future.
