Dr. Wilkinson’s forthcoming book, Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home, offers a bold roadmap for navigating the climate crisis with clarity, courage, and community. Drawing on personal insights, climate science, and practical strategies, Wilkinson’s work empowers leaders, designers, and communities to translate concern into meaningful action—a message at the heart of Living Future 2026.

“We are at a pivot point where design must become a tool for healing,” says Lindsay Baker, CEO of Living Future. “Dr. Wilkinson’s work perfectly captures the spirit of LF26. She doesn’t just talk about the problem; she gives us the ‘wayfinding’ tools to strengthen our resolve and abilities as climate leaders, as world shapers, and as community members in this beautiful community of climate action.

Living Future 2026 is far more than a conference; it is a collaborative meeting ground where architects, designers, developers, and advocates unite to shape the next era of the built environment. This year’s program is strategically built around four high-impact tracks designed to address our most urgent challenges. Through Radical Climate Action, we focus on decarbonizing our buildings at scale, while Thriving Communities ensures we center equity and health in every zip code. We further explore the shift from mere sustainability to restorative design through Nature as Co-Designer, while identifying the policy and financial levers that serve as Catalysts of Transformative Change to accelerate the movement.

The Path to a Regenerative Future
The climate crisis demands that we move beyond the safety of incrementalism toward the bravery of radical innovation. Living Future 2026 is a vital convening for those ready to lead the transition from a “less bad” built environment to one that is truly restorative. Living Future 2026 is where global visionaries and practitioners unite to bridge the gap between climate policy and regenerative action. By immersing themselves in the wisdom of nature-aligned design and the integrity of healthy materials, attendees gain the essential tools to transform our buildings into catalysts for healing. This is more than a conference; it is where connections are forged and solutions are shared to cultivate a world that gives more than it takes.

Registration & Additional Information
Full conference access includes keynote sessions, workshops, building tours, networking events, and receptions. Registration rates and details are available now:

About Living Future
Living Future is a global nonprofit transforming how we design, build, and inhabit the world. Programs like the Living Building Challenge, Zero Carbon Certification, and Declare help professionals across sectors prioritize equity, regenerate ecosystems, and create communities that give more than they take.

The post Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson Announced As Living Future 2026 Keynote: A Blueprint for Climate Wayfinding first appeared on Living Future.

Portland, OR — Changemakers gathered last week (May 6-8) for the 19th annual Living Future conference, hosted by Living Future, a nonprofit transformation engine and member-driven organization at the forefront of the global movement toward regenerative design practices that support a living future for all. 

“Beyond fellowship and learning, we are here for deliberate and collective movement building,” said CEO Lindsay Baker, opening the event. “This has always been part of our mission, but now it is gravely important.” The convening comes 100 days into a new US administration that has sought to dismantle federal support for climate action (and much more). 

Baker shared the story of how, in the past 30 years, the green building movement gave rise to a thriving industry. “We created an industry from a movement of people who wanted to see changes in how buildings were built and managed and how products were made,” she said. “But recent changes have shaken our industry — not just the economic uncertainties but also the support of the federal government. This is a pivotal and critical time for us all to step forward into this movement work with clarity, intention, and commitment to collective action.”

Baker announced that Living Future is advancing an ambitious plan to decarbonize the supply chains of the built environment (and reduce industrial emissions), despite the anticipated loss of federal grant funding. To accelerate this critical work, the organization is seeking contributions to its Resiliency Fund to support R&D efforts that will expand the Declare program and Living Product Challenge. The goal: to introduce a phased, impactful recognition system across three key product attributes—Health, Environment, and Equity. Manufacturers will begin by demonstrating transparency in any one area and build from there. Products that achieve the highest standards across all three will earn the distinction of a Living Product.

Highlights from Living Future 2025 

The conference celebrated and explored a range of transformative ideas, projects, and innovations shaping the future of the built environment, including: 

• Community-Centered Development in Portland’s Albina Neighborhood: Project leaders introduced one of the nation’s most ambitious community-driven redevelopment initiatives. Attendees generated ideas for this active, equity-focused project. 
• Indigenous Leadership and Methods: Danny Desjarlais, leader of the Lower Sioux Hemp Program and Housing ProjectCHK/LINK, spoke about the effort to create healthy, stable housing and jobs in Native American communities. 
• Biobased Building Materials: Christian Benimana, Senior Principal and Co-Executive Director of MASS Design Group highlighted the untapped potential of biobased materials in advancing regenerative, locally sourced, and low-carbon construction.

Just ahead of the conference, Living Future launched a new member portal designed to deepen engagement and collaboration within the movement.  Built environment professionals are actively encouraged to join the community.  

About Living Future

The International Living Future Institute is driving the urgent transformation of the building industry toward a future that is regenerative, resilient, and just. It offers actionable, accessible, and evolving tools and resources that empower a growing community of practitioners and changemakers to accelerate this shift. With a bold goal for 2030, Living Future envisions regenerative practices becoming the standard in how buildings are designed, constructed, and operated around the world. Through continued innovation, strategic growth, and a deep commitment to accountability, Living Future is catalyzing industry-wide progress. Realizing this vision will require collective action—individuals and communities using their unique voices to shape a built environment that supports both people and planet.

Media Contact

Anjula Duggal

International Living Future Institute

anjula.duggal@living-future.org

The post The Living Future Community Steps Up Collective Action for Regenerative Practices first appeared on Living Future.

The International Living Future Institute (Living Future) is honored to have been selected to support the Inflation Reduction Act’s efforts to decarbonize the built environment. As announced by the U.S. EPA in July, Living Future was one of the 38 grant recipients selected to receive part of the federal government’s $160 million investment to “report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products.” With the support of this grant, Living Future will deepen its industry collaborations to assess the environmental performance of building materials and streamline the specification of more climate-friendly options. 

The built environment is a major contributor to planetary warming. It’s estimated that buildings and construction account for 37% of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and, according to the EPA, “construction materials used in buildings and other built infrastructure account for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.” Living Future recognizes that the built environment community can also play a key role in securing a safe and healthy future, integrating resilience and emissions-drawdown strategies into all design, construction, and operating decisions.

Through its building programs, Living Future promotes a multi-pronged approach that addresses both embodied and operational carbon reduction. Once seen as a nearly insurmountable challenge, these programs are now utilized by the largest architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms, multiple Fortune 500 companies, major global universities, and innovative developers. These clients are building corporate offices, laboratories, multi-family residences, retail spaces, warehouses, and some of the most innovative projects around the world aligned with Living Future standards.

To scale the decarbonization of buildings, one area that needs greater attention is the ability of owners and project teams to easily specify climate-friendly products and materials. Thankfully, Living Future has a roadmap to address this need. 

Since 2012, Declare has helped disclose ingredients and translate complex material health data into accessible and actionable information. More than 370 manufacturers, ranging from small craft producers to Fortune 500 corporations, currently participate in Living Future’s building materials programs. They publicly disclose ingredient information down to 100 parts per million and screen against our Red List, ensuring a commitment to human and ecological health. The free Declare database boasts nearly 1,500 labels representing 16,000+ products, and is visited by approximately 100,000 people annually. This platform facilitates easy specification of products that contribute to healthy indoor environments and align with various rating systems, including the Living Building Challenge, LEED, WELL, and Enterprise Green Communities.

Slated to receive $4.7 million over five years from the EPA grant, Living Future intends to leverage the model of Declare to accelerate market transformation of climate-friendly products. A new label focused on emissions will include translation and evaluation of environmental product declarations (EPDs) – third-party verified reports of a product’s environmental impacts across its life cycle, such as global warming potential, primary energy use, and ozone depletion potential. Living Future views this as a crucial step to drive the widespread adoption of EPDs and to motivate manufacturers to continue investing in optimized environmental performance.   

“We are designing this label program to help accelerate EPD adoption in our industry,” says Lindsay Baker, CEO of Living Future. “We know that distilling data and making it digestible to design teams and owners will empower them and move the market.” 

Living Future plans to work with partners and stakeholders to develop industry-aligned technical requirements and structure for the program, as well as grow awareness and action in the community. One such partner is mindful MATERIALS (mM), a non-profit that aligns the building industry around a common language, clear market signal, and connected data to drive demand for material transparency and optimization. Living Future’s new label will align with mM’s Common Materials Framework, which organizes more than 650 relevant sustainability factors into five sustainability topics. CEO of mM, Annie Bevan says, “We are thrilled to partner with Living Future to accelerate towards a world where extensive, verified EPD and other sustainability data is digitized and flowing — and supporting project-level decisions and scaling the holistic impact reduction of the built environment.”

A manufacturing partner, Armstrong World Industries, makes ceiling and wall systems. Anita Snader, the company’s Senior Sustainability Manager, says, “Our company is committed to offering feedback to guide the development and be an early adopter to pilot the new label. We believe Living Future has proven to be highly successful at meaningful market transformation.”

Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to begin receiving their funding in Q4 2024.

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ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIVING FUTURE INSTITUTE

The mission of the International Living Future Institute (Living Future) is to cultivate a society that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. To do this, the organization envisions a living future and shows that it works better in practice and policy. Living Future is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is needed to reconcile humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Living Future’s programs have shaped more than 55 million square feet of real estate development across the United States and around the world. Learn more at http://www.living-future.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Kira Gould | kiragould@kiragould.com

The post Living Future Tapped For EPA Grant to Expand Materials Program first appeared on Living Future.

SEATTLE, WA — Climate Pledge Arena and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) today announce that the arena has achieved Zero Carbon Certification.

The certification is awarded to buildings that are energy efficient, can demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon footprint and offset the remaining embodied carbon and energy use through high-impact offset programs. Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena in the world to receive this certification and completes the bold promise Oak View Group, Amazon and the Seattle Kraken made when they announced the arena name in June 2020.

“Our Zero Carbon Certification recognizes highly energy efficient buildings that are designed and operated to fully account for their carbon emissions impacts,” said ILFI CEO Lindsay Baker. “All operational energy use must be offset by new on- or off-site renewable energy and all embodied carbon emissions associated with construction and materials must be disclosed and offset. This is a significant undertaking, especially for as large and complex a project as Climate Pledge Arena. We are thrilled to see the arena become the first arena to achieve this.”

“In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, Oak View Group, in partnership with the Seattle Kraken and Amazon, set the most audacious sustainability goal ever in the sports and entertainment industry – to build the first arena to be net zero carbon. Despite remarkable obstacles, today we celebrate this achievement for Climate Pledge Arena and the entire industry,” commented Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. “Climate Pledge Arena’s ILFI Zero Carbon certification should be an inspiration to every future arena project worldwide because we now know anything is possible, and this is so incredibly necessary.”

“Every day we work towards our Climate Pledge commitment of reaching net-zero carbon by 2040, and the arena’s ILFI certification demonstrates the progress we can make when Climate Pledge signatories work together,” said Kara Hurst, Vice President of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. “I’m proud of the teams who have worked together to bring the world’s first official net zero carbon arena to life, and I’m excited for sports and entertainment fans to continue to experience all the arena has to offer.”

ILFI, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to advancing sustainable building practices, reviewed documentation and required twelve consecutive months of performance data to ensure it meets the certification requirements of the net Zero Carbon standard.

The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA Seattle Storm and the best in live entertainment. In accordance with the zero carbon certification, the arena eliminated all planned natural gas uses from the building and converted them to all electric, including the building heating system, the Zamboni and the dehumidification system.

“Since the construction process began, Climate Pledge Arena has set a real milestone for the sports and entertainment industry and this certification is proof of what can be accomplished with passion and determination to lower climate change impacts,” added Jason F. McLennan, Principal, McLennan Design and OVG sustainability consultant. “I’m incredibly proud of the team and this accomplishment.”

A key feature of the building certification program is that 100% of the energy used by the arena must come from renewable energy sources. To help achieve this the arena installed an array of solar panels on the roof of the atrium and on the adjacent parking garage. To complement the electricity generated by the arena’s solar panels, the Arena and Amazon have purchased and retired more than 100,000 MW hours of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), some of which are from Puget Sound Energy’s Lower Snake River wind farm. The Arena has also pledged to be one of the first commercial customers for Seattle City Light’s Renewable Plus program, a program structured to provide renewable energy for the arena, which is projected to be available in 2025.

The arena went beyond the zero carbon certification to introduce additional sustainability measures including offering free public transit with every game or event ticket and eliminating fan facing single use plastics.

The Climate Pledge, announced in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism, calls on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040—a decade ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement. In securing the naming rights of the historic arena in June 2020, Amazon named it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the importance of acting to fighting climate change.

To learn more about Climate Pledge Arena visit www.ClimatePledgeArena.com.

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute is an environmental NGO committed to catalyzing the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. The Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute operates the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most advanced, holistic performance standard for buildings. It is a hub for many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward a living future. Learn more at www.living-future.org.

About Climate Pledge Arena

Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, is the complete redevelopment of an historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events. The arena is named after The Climate Pledge, an initiative founded by Amazon and Global Optimism asking global corporations to become net zero carbon by 2040. Climate Pledge Arena has one of the most progressive sustainability programs of any building its size, including being the world’s first Zero Carbon Certified arena. Climate Pledge Arena opened October 19, 2021. climatepledgearena.com

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Oak View Group (OVG)

Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG’s mission is to be a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries. OVG is world-renowned as the leading full service live entertainment and hospitality group, with 11 major new arenas either open or under development including: Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center; UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY; Moody Center in Austin, TX; Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, CA; and CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; as well as arena development projects for Anhembi Arena in São Paulo, Brazil; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales; and Vienna, Austria. Co-op Live, the most sustainable arena in the UK will open in March 2024 in Manchester, UK. OVG360 is a full-service venue management, hospitality solutions and venue services company servicing more than 400 arenas, stadiums, performing arts centers, culture institutions and convention centers world-wide. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

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The post CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA IS FIRST ARENA TO ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL LIVING FUTURE INSTITUTE’S ZERO CARBON CERTIFICATION first appeared on Living Future.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – APRIL 20, 2023

SEATTLE – As demands for equitable action on climate change grow more urgent, four world-class leaders have joined the International Living Future Institute’s Board of Directors. While each individual brings their own mix of talent and commitment, collectively they share a deep and abiding passion for addressing climate change, justice and health by transforming the built environment. 

The four new board members are Mark Chambers, recently of the Biden-Harris Administration and currently a leader at Earth Alliance, Heather Henriksen, Harvard University’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Julie Hiromoto, Principal at HKS, and Adrianna Quintero, a long-time energy and equity advocate.

“These phenomenal leaders join our organization at a pivotal moment, as we mobilize a community working towards a common vision on the biggest challenges of our time,” said Lindsay Baker, CEO of the International Living Future Institute. “We’ve shown that a regenerative future is possible in hundreds of ways; now – with our board’s inspiration and leadership – we will make it the norm.”

Over the past decade, the Institute has served as an incubator for more than 180 regenerative buildings that have achieved certification. Individually, these examples cause ripples that show what’s possible. Collectively, they envision a regenerative future.

Mark Chambers is a national environmental policy leader, advocate for social justice and licensed architect inspired by public service and lessons of collective action. Chambers recently joined Earth Alliance, a startup organization focused on accelerating the intersection between climate action and culture. Before that, he served the Biden-Harris Administration as the first Senior Director for Building Emissions and Community Resilience at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

“I’m honored to join this board, because the Institute boldly supports the work of designers everywhere with its understanding of the inherent responsibility that the built environment has to be a source of inspiration, aspiration, and reflection,” Chambers noted.

Heather Henriksen is the managing director of the Office for Sustainability at Harvard University. She has served in this capacity since 2008, advising the President and senior leadership on Harvard’s university-wide sustainability strategy and policy, including its goal to be fossil-fuel-free by 2050 as part of the University’s Climate Action Plan.

“As a leader in sustainable development, the Institute offers natural opportunities to leverage and inform work Harvard is doing to translate research and science into action, with the goal of creating scalable solutions in the built environment for healthier people and a healthier planet,” Henriksen added.

Julie Hiromoto is a Principal and the Director of Integration at HKS, an interdisciplinary global design firm, where she leads efforts to embrace regenerative design. Recently, she represented 95,000 members of the American Institute of Architects in their first delegation to the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP 26). 

“The Institute is pushing our industry towards holistic, regenerative and integrated solutions for the built environment with a community of change agents who bring passion, technical know-how and advocacy to a future where we can all thrive,” Hiromoto said. 

Adrianna Quintero is a prominent thought leader and recognized expert on climate, clean energy, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental space. She continues to lead efforts to secure a clean and equitable energy future to avert the most devastating impacts of climate change.

“The Institute’s commitment to build a socially just and equitable world through their work with architects, engineers, manufacturers, builders, and others, helps to bring urgently needed solutions to scale,” Quintero stated.

The Institute is excited to welcome these new board members as it also prepares for Living Future ‘23, the organization’s iconic annual event that will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. from May 3-5, 2023.

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute’s mission is to cultivate a society that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. To do this, the organization envisions a Living Future and shows that it works better in practice and policy. The Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is needed to reconcile humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute’s programs have shaped more than 55 million square-feet of real estate development across the United States and around the world. Learn more at http://www.living-future.org.

For media inquiries, contact: 

Brad Kahn
brad@groundworkstrategies.com | +1-206-419-1607

The post National Leaders in Climate, Health & Justice Join the International Living Future Institute Board of Directors  first appeared on Living Future.

“It is fundamentally necessary to have a large and passionate community of advocates showing up to push for a Living Future,” said Lindsay Baker, CEO of the Institute. “The award winners, Living Future Heroes and teams behind the certified projects are all leaders in a strong and growing movement that brings strength in numbers.”

The Living Future Hero Award was created to acknowledge and celebrate individuals in the regenerative design community who have dedicated significant time and effort to advancing a Living Future, which is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Heroes exceed expectations in environmental advocacy, champion Living Future projects and products, and share this vision with their peers. The 2022 Living Future Heroes are:

• Sonja Bochart, Founder, Sonja Bochart Well Being + Design for being a powerful advocate for a Living Future and biophilic design as a designer, speaker, educator and writer.
• Heidemarie Bonilla de Cienfuegos, Architect, B100 arquitectos for pushing sustainability in El Salvador through education, projects, regulations, and the El Salvador Green Building Council.
• Arthur Clarke, Director, Sustainability & Impact, HTMX Industries for being a champion of a Living Future across organizations and collaboratives at the national and international levels.
• Bruno Deraedt, General Manager, Leading Architect & Engineer, BAST architects & engineers for leading development of a Living Future in Belgium and across Europe.
• Mark Edlen, CEO, Edlen & Co for developing more deep green buildings than any other commercial developer, showing the market that they can earn a good rate of return.
• Thulani Vuyo Kuzwayo, Director, PaperThinkLAB for building a movement in the Global South as a Living Future Ambassador, and collaborative and nonprofit leader.
• Juan Rovalo, Senior Ecologist and Integrated Design Specialist, Biohabitats, Inc. for hundreds of projects in 10 countries that integrate ecology into design and planning processes.
• Paul Schwer, President, PAE for building a firm that champions a Living Future, exemplified in the Bullitt Center, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the company’s new headquarters.
• Kate Turpin, Director, Design Performance, Google for raising the level of ambition for building- and district-scale projects through application of Materials and Water Petal certification.

In line with the Institute’s recently released strategic plan, these leaders are helping to envision a Living Future and show that it works better in practice and policy. They demonstrate through their actions that the building industry can transform far faster and more radically than many assume. By aiming for truly “good” buildings, rather than incremental improvements alone, the 2022 Living Future Heroes show that we can make progress far faster and in more transformational ways.

The Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award acknowledges Stephen’s legacy as a pioneer in articulating and applying biophilic design principles to the built environment. His advocacy has encouraged widespread adoption of the practice of design for human-nature connection.

The award is in recognition of achievements in the built environment, including buildings, interiors, and communities, that demonstrate the principles and benefits of biophilic design.

The 2022 Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award winner is the JR Kumamoto Railway Station Building in Kumamoto, Japan. Embodying Kumamoto’s uniqueness, the building serves as a symbol of the recovery from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. The facility’s centerpiece is the “Boken no Mori” (“Adventure Garden”), a large indoor multi-floor garden of water and greenery that extends from the ground to the seventh floor. The atrium is stepped to allow natural light inside, while dozens of plants native to Japan are arranged in an environment optimized via digital simulation.

In addition to announcing the award, the Institute also released a free Biophilic Design Toolkit and announced the first-of-its-kind Foundations of Biophilic Design Certificate at Living Future 2022.

18 building projects were honored for achieving certification under the International Living Future Institute’s rigorous programs:

• Cope Environmental Center, Centerville, IN – Living Certified
• The MAC Lodge at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland, MN – Living Certified
• 237 Moffett Park Drive, Sunnyvale, CA – Petal Certified (Materials)
• Fort Bradshaw Renovation, Williamstown, MA – Petal Certified (Materials)
• Mohawk + Daltile Toronto Showroom, Toronto, ON, Canada – Petal Certified (Materials)
• PCC Bellevue, Bellevue, WA – Petal Certified (Materials)
• PCC West Seattle, Seattle, WA – Petal Certified (Materials)
• WRNS Seattle Office, Seattle, WA – Petal Certified (Materials)
• Archimania’s Office, Memphis, TN – Dual Certified: Zero Carbon and Zero Energy Certified
• ARCC East County Branch Office and Archives, Santee, CA – Zero Energy Certified
• County of San Diego, Borrego Springs Library, Borrego Springs, CA – Zero Energy Certified
• Creekside Community High School, Tigard, OR – Zero Energy Certified
• Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, MA – Zero Energy Certified
• Kaiser Santa Rosa Medical Office Building 6, Santa Rosa, CA – Zero Energy Certified
• Rose Villa – The Oaks, Portland, CA – Zero Energy Certified
• Success High School, Woodburn, OR – Zero Energy Certified
• Tilal Al Ghaf Pavilion, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Zero Energy Certified
• Westwood Hills Nature Center, St. Louis Park, MN – Zero Energy Certified

Another eight projects have achieved Ready Designation by completing the Ready Audit after construction. These projects will undergo a Final Audit after a 12-month performance period:

• Arch Nexus SLC, Salt Lake City, UT – Living Ready
• Nexus Builds 2020, Salt Lake City, UT – Living Ready
• Inspire at Russell W Young Building, Seattle, WA – Petal Ready (Energy)
• Amazon Fresh North Seattle Store, Seattle, WA – Zero Carbon Ready
• GreenA Consultants HQ, Singapore, Singapore – Zero Carbon Ready
• Microsoft Silicon Valley, Mountain View, CA – Zero Carbon Ready
• Navigate Office Center, St. Louis, MO – Zero Energy Ready
• PG&E Davis T-line Fab Shop, Davis, CA – Zero Energy Ready

These projects represent a dramatic increase in momentum, scale, and complexity for the world’s most advanced, holistic performance standards for buildings. With 170 certified projects and 552 registered projects, the International Living Future Institute is making waves across 39 countries.

The International Living Future Institute also celebrated the positive actions of its community from this past year in advancing the materials market and making more equitable workplaces. Assa Abloy, Crossville, Humanscale, Industrial Louvers, and Superior Essex achieved a combined 31 Living Product certifications, which is the world’s most advanced standard for healthy, sustainable products. The Institute gave a special shout out to Humanscale, which finalized 26 certifications in 2021.

Along with these Living Products, the Institute celebrated the milestone of 1,000 active Declare labels from more than 200 different manufacturers. Declare is a nutrient label for building products. These labels represent 38 different CSI divisions from more than 25 countries, including Australia, China, Italy, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Just, which is the Institute’s social justice self-disclosure program for organizations, experienced tremendous growth this past year, with more than 150 active labels and 140 organizations in process. In 2021, Just contributed to a better working experience for more than 23,000 employees. The three largest organizations that achieved a label in the past year include DPR Construction (6,804 employees), Teknion Limited (2,819 employees), and Humanscale (1,000 employees).

The Institute also issued a new book through its Ecotone imprint, The PAE Living Building: Developer-Led, Nature-Inspired, which takes a deep dive into the financing, design, and construction of Portland’s first project to pursue Living certification.

Living Future 2022 also offered a chance for community reflection. Perhaps the most acute lesson of the pandemic is the enormous difference between individual resilience and collective resilience. The past two years have shown that although there are pathways to survive the worst catastrophic events available to some, to survive as an individual can be meager, lonely, and hollow. Surviving as a community is the only path forward to a flourishing future where our cultures, our institutions, our cities, and our communities can continue to exist. In the coming months, guided by its strategic plan, the Institute will move beyond supporting individual projects, to coalesce and mobilize for public policy reform and a rapid shift in the industry culture.

Living Future 2022 was made possible due to the generous support from a community of sponsors: Google, which was Presenting Sponsor and Living Future Scholarship Donor; Glumac, which was Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Sponsor, Beauty + Biophilia Track Sponsor, and Living Future Scholarship Donor; King County GreenTools, which was Climate Justice Track Sponsor; Kohler, which was Resilience Track Sponsor; Mecho, which was Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Sponsor and Health Track Sponsor; Perkins&Will, which was Zero Carbon Track Sponsor; SmithGroup, which was Living Future Scholarship Donor; Sustainable Minds, which was Sponsor and Media Partner; AIA Committee on the Environment, which was Media Partner; along with Architectural Nexus, Artisan Moss, ASSA ABLOY, Bassetti Architects, Beneficial State Bank, Bio Studio, Bruner/Cott Architects, Epsten Group, GLY Construction, Group14 Engineering, HMTX, McKinstry, PAE Engineers, Toxnot, and WRNS Studio.

The International Living Future Institute offers our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all LF22 Sponsors. Thank you.

About the International Living Future Institute
The International Living Future Institute is a global nonprofit organization that envisions a Living Future – a society that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative – and shows that it works better in practice and policy. The Institute operates the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most ambitious, advanced, and holistic performance standard for green, resilient, and healthy buildings. It is also a hub for many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward–and provide a compelling vision for–a living future accessible to all. Learn more at www.living-future.org.

The post The Living Future 2022: Restoration + Justice Celebrates Heroes, Buildings & Manufacturers Charting Our Common Living Future first appeared on Living Future.

Leaders Call for Bold Action Where Climate, Health, and Equity Meet in the Built Environment

Living Future 2021: Inclusion + Unity Highlights Leaders Building a Movement Built on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

April 23, 2020 (SEATTLE) – Living Future 2021: Inclusion + Unity put a spotlight on climate, health, and equity in the built environment, closing today with awards celebrating leaders and projects inspiring transformational changes.

“Now more than ever, we need a hopeful vision of the future,” said Anthony Guerrero, Board Chair of the International Living Future Institute and Vice President Workplace and Real Estate Strategies at Earthjustice. “We’ve proved that Living Buildings are possible, now we need a movement making them common everywhere, which means we need everyone involved.”

Living Future 2021 highlighted diversity, equity, and inclusion, with dozens of leaders of color bringing their perspectives on design and sustainability. The event also awarded a wide array of leaders and projects for their accomplishments, demonstrating the progress and momentum underway. 

Living Future Heroes

The Living Future Hero award was created to acknowledge and celebrate individuals in the regenerative design community who have dedicated significant time and effort to advancing the Living Future programs and mission. The individuals chosen as Heroes exceed expectations in environmental advocacy, champion Living Future projects and products, and share this vision with their peers. The 2021 Living Future Heroes are as follows:

• Julie Johnson for two decades of leadership at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, including development of its Living Building. 
• Fred McLennan for volunteering huge amounts of time behind the scenes to the Institute, including to help initially develop the Just label. 
• Haris Moraitis (posthumously) for being a beloved and energetic leader in Australia’s green building movement for more than twenty years. 
• Emmanuel Pauwels, LFA for being a tireless champion for the Institute and its programs in Europe, leading to the creation of Living Future Europe. 
• Sim Van Der Ryn for his contributions to nearly all aspects of the built environment, his passion for good design, and his love for people.
• Kirstin Weeks, LFA for dedicating her career to creating regenerative buildings and communities, while also mentoring young professionals. 

Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award

An expert committee selected two impressive biophilic buildings, Maggie’s Leeds and Louisiana Children’s Museum, to be the 2021 Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award winners. The awards highlight exemplary projects that promote the connection between people and nature, acknowledging Kellert’s legacy as a pioneer in articulating and applying biophilic design principles to the built environment. 

Just Organization of the Year

The Institute selected Ayers Saint Gross as the first-ever Just organization of the year, based on its efforts to manifest social equity in their actions, with significant inclusion and engagement results. Just is a social justice transparency tool for organizations, offering a roadmap for organizations to engage employees around equity.

Living Future Challenge Accomplishments

In addition 23 projects were honored for achieving certification under the International Living Future Institute’s rigorous programs: 

• Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Atlanta, GA – Living Certified
• Loom House, Bainbridge Island, WA – Living Certified
• Civitas | archimania, Memphis, TN – Dual Certified: Zero Energy and Zero Carbon Certified
• Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa, CA – Dual Certified: Petal and Zero Carbon Certified
• Burwood Brickworks, Melbourne, VIC, Australia – Petal Certified*
• Cope Environmental Center, Centerville, IN – Petal Certified
• Green Point Project, Cowichan Bay, BC – Petal Certified
• Harvard Science and Engineering Complex, Boston, MA – Petal Certified
• Mesquite House, San Antonio, TX – Petal Certified
• Tanglewood, Auckland, New Zealand – Petal Certified
• Monarch School, Houston, TX – Petal Certified
• MSR Design New Office, Minneapolis, MN – Petal Certified
• PCC Ballard, Seattle, WA – Petal Certified
• Adlai Stevenson High School East Addition, Lincolnshire, IL – Zero Energy Certified
• North Coastal Live Well Center, Oceanside, CA – Zero Energy Certified
• School of Design and Environment 4, Singapore – Zero Energy Certified
• West-MEC SW Campus Building X, Buckeye, AZ – Zero Energy Certified
• Marie Selby Botanical Garden, Sarasota, FL – LCC Master Plan Compliant
• Reserva Santa Fe, Mexico – LCC Master Plan Compliant
• Sacramento Valley Station, Sacramento, CA – LCC Vision Plan Compliant
• Song Saa Reserve, Cambodia – LCC Vision Plan Compliant
• City Services Building, Santa Monica, CA – LBC Ready
• Marisol Lot 17, Malibu, CA – Zero Carbon Ready

*This project is not yet certified but the audit is in process. 

Combined, these projects demonstrate a dramatic increase in momentum, scale, and complexity for the world’s most advanced, holistic performance standards for buildings.

With 150 certified projects and 760 registered projects, the International Living Future Institute is making waves across 36 countries. This strong international growth is reflected in the Living Future Network, with affiliates offering events, project support, and advocacy in Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and the Middle East. 

“We are seeing uptake around the world as more people address the challenges facing humanity,” said K C Gaudine, interim CEO of the International Living Future Institute. “We are witnessing the awakening of the human spirit as people embrace bold action on the intersecting climate and social justice crises.”

Taking place on April 20-23, Living Future 2021: Inclusion + Unity is only possible due to support from Google, HMTX Industries, Mohawk Group, Red2Green, and many other sponsors. The Institute is thankful for their support. 

For more information, visit https://www.livingfutureconference.org/. 

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute is a global nonprofit organization that inspires the greenest buildings for a healthy world. The Institute’s mission is to advance communities that are socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. ILFI operates the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most ambitious, advanced, and holistic performance standard for green, resilient, and healthy buildings. It is also a hub for many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward–and provide a compelling vision for–a living future accessible to all. Learn more at www.living-future.org.

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The post Leaders Call for Bold Action Where Climate, Health, and Equity Meet in the Built Environment first appeared on Living Future.

Where Climate, Health, and Equity Meet in the Built Environment, 15th Annual Living Future 2021 Focused on Inclusion and Unity

SEATTLE – Rosa Sheng, Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Higher Education Studio Leader for San Francisco for SmithGroup, and Adrianna Quintero, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Energy Foundation, join Mark Chambers, Senior Director for Building Emissions at the White House Council on Environmental Quality to round out the keynote addresses at Living Future 2021: Inclusion + Unity, where climate, health, and equity meet in the built environment.

In addition, an opening plenary with Joe Allen, Director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings Program, George Bandy, Jr., Head of Worldwide Circular Economy at Amazon, Avinash Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis, and Kat Taylor, Co-Founder of Beneficial State Bank will focus on the future of health, equity, finance and decarbonization.

The virtual art exhibition Ritual For A Living Future will also be presented as a 3D gallery experience curated by Monet Clark, featuring her new video work with Brenda Laurel, as well as works by Edgar Heap of Birds, Cannupa Hanska Luger, John DiLeva Halpern and Emily Harris of the Center for Cultural Activism International, and Penny Slinger.

FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS SEE BELOW

Gathering the world’s greenest developers, architects, and product designers, Living Future 2021 is the 15th annual conference hosted by the International Living Future Institute. At this crucial moment in history, the event will examine climate, health, and equity and the tools needed to address structural inequities in the built environment and fight climate change.

Held virtually April 20-23, 2021, Living Future 2021 is for anyone working to make buildings, products, and companies environmentally and socially just.

Participants from around the world attend the event. Already setting registration records, Living Future 2021 (LF21) will build on the unprecedented success of last year’s virtual conference.

The theme for this year’s event is “Inclusion + Unity,” reflecting the historic social changes underway around the world. Highlights of LF21 include the following:

• Tuesday, April 20: Opening plenary on the Future of Health, Equity, Finance, and Decarbonization and the Living Product Expo will highlight the wide array of toxics-free products available for homes and businesses. Virtual tours of the world’s greenest buildings, including the PAE building (Portland, OR), the Santa Monica (CA) City Services Building, and Google’s 6 Pancras Square Building in London, England.
• Wednesday, April 21: Adrianna Quintero keynote with a focus on building resilience and equity and a Spanish-language track of sessions about projects in Latin America.
• Thursday, April 22: Mark Chambers keynote with conference sessions focused on decarbonizing buildings and products, equity, and unity to promote a just and inclusive transition to a climate-friendly future.
• Friday April 23: Rosa Sheng keynote with awards announcements and in-depth project case studies.

Registration Now Open

Register today to receive the best pricing.

Media Credentials Available

Journalists can receive free media credentials. Please email media@living-future.org for more information.

Visit the Event Website to Learn More.

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute is a global nonprofit organization that inspires the greenest buildings for a healthy world. The Institute’s mission is to advance communities that are socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. ILFI operates the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most ambitious, advanced, and holistic performance standard for green, resilient, and healthy buildings. It is also a hub for many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward–and provide a compelling vision for–a living future accessible to all. Learn more at www.living-future.org.

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The post Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leaders Bring Perspectives on Justice to Premier Green Building Event Keynotes; Join Biden Administration Leader first appeared on Living Future.

 Biden Administration Leader Joins 15th Annual Event Focused on Inclusion and Unity

SEATTLE – Mark Chambers, Senior Director for Building Emissions at the White House Council on Environmental Quality will keynote Living Future 2021 on Earth Day, April 22. His address will focus on the Biden Administration’s agenda for green building and opportunities for partnership with cities and private-sector leaders.

Other confirmed plenary speakers include Joe Allen, Director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings Program, George Bandy Jr., Head of Worldwide Circular Economy at Amazon, Avinash Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis, and Kat Taylor, Co-Founder of Beneficial State Bank on opening plenary sessions.

The virtual art exhibition Ritual For A Living Future will be presented as a 3D gallery experience curated by Monet Clark, featuring her new video work with Brenda Laurel, as well as works by Edgar Heap of Birds, Cannupa Hanska Luger, John DiLeva Halpern and Emily Harris of the Center for Cultural Activism International, and Penny Slinger.

FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS SEE BELOW

Gathering the world’s greenest developers, architects, and product designers, Living Future 2021 is the 15th annual conference hosted by the International Living Future Institute. At this crucial moment in history, the event will examine climate, health, and equity and the tools needed to address structural inequities in the built environment and fight climate change.

Held virtually April 20-23, 2021, Living Future 2021 is for anyone working to make buildings, products, and companies environmentally and socially just. 

Participants from around the world attend the event. Already setting registration records, Living Future 2021 (LF21) will build on the unprecedented success of last year’s virtual conference. 

The theme for this year’s event is “Inclusion + Unity,” reflecting the historic social changes underway around the world. Highlights of LF21 include the following:

• Tuesday, April 20, the Living Product Expo will highlight the wide array of toxics-free products available for homes and businesses. Tickets for the Expo are only $20, so bring your whole team.
• Tuesday, April 20 also includes virtual tours of the world’s greenest buildings, including the PAE building (Portland, OR), the Santa Monica (CA) City Services Building, and Google’s 6 Pancras Square Building in London, England.
• Wednesday, April 21 will focus on building resilience and equity and include a Spanish-language track of sessions that focus on projects and themes from Latin America
• Thursday, April 22 conference sessions will focus on decarbonizing buildings and products, equity, and unity to promote a just and inclusive transition to a climate-friendly future.
• Friday April 23 will include special announcements that celebrate the progress in the fields of green building and sustainable products.

Registration Now Open
Register today to receive the best pricing.

Media Credentials AvailableJournalists can receive free media credentials. Please email media@living-future.org for more information.

Visit the Event Website to Learn More.

Confirmed Presenters Include:
Joe Allen, Harvard Healthy Buildings Program – Kat Taylor, Beneficial State Bank – George Bandy Jr., Amazon – Avinash Rajagopal, Metropolis – Tania Kadakia, DL3 Realty – Kathy Wardle, Perkins + Will – Victor Montero-Dien, Regenerative Built Environment Institute – Heidi de Cienfuegos, B100 arquitectos – Leslie Maynard, YGH Architecture – Laura Zapata, Bonneville Environmental Foundation – Tom Bruton, Green Science Policy Institute – Jeanie Lai, Bora Architects – Juan Casillas Pintor, Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México – Juan Rovalo, Biohabitats, Inc. – Jordan Sullivan, Sustainable Living Innovations – José María Wilford Nava Townsend – Armando Turrent, Development and Ecology – Maryangel Garcia Ramos Guadiana, Tecnológico de Monterrey + Mexican Women With Disabilities Founder – Ericka Colvin, Yost Grube Hall Architecture – Alexandra Ramsden, Rushing – Alan Booker, Institute of Regenerative Design – Amy Hubbard, Capire Consulting Group – Ruchi Shah, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation – Rebecca Ocken, Portland Community College – Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute – Dana Clare Redden, Solar Concierge – Joshua Gassman, Lord Aeck Sargent A Katerra Company – Carola Báez Pedrjao Aguilar, Cold Press News – Elizabeth Calabrese, Calabrese Architects, Inc – Jesica Amescua Carrera, UNAM – Myer Harrell, Rushing – Emi LaFountain, Turner Construction – Kelly Worden, US Green Building Council – Mark Perepelitza, SERA Architects – Pedro Gómez Gallardo, Desarrollo y Ecología SA de CV – Rebecca Stamm, Healthy Building Network – Joella Hogan, NNDFN – Elizabeth Torres Rodriguez, SEUS | Sostenibilidad Universal – Marcus Briggs-Cloud, Maskoke Tribe – James Connelly, My Green Lab – Dave Bennink, Building Deconstruction Institute / Re-Use Consulting – Susan King, HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux) – Lola Ben-Alon, Carnegie Mellon University +  Columbia University – Luis Huerta, Sustainable Design Consulting – Vedette Gavin, Verge Impact Partners – Isaac Barrow, Portland General Electric – Aaron Keeler, Greystar – Nathan Miller, Rushing – Tre Borden, Tre Borden, Co. – Chaun MacQueen, Bonneville Environmental Foundation – Martin Gutierrez, Development and Ecology – Christina Congdon, Environmental Works Community Design Center – Pallavi Mantha, Arup – Elizabeth Carmichael, ECOhous – Jose Almiñana, Andropogon Associates – Pilar Álvarez, Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México – Billy Krimmel, Miridae Landscape – Amy Donohue, Bora Architects – Jenelle Shapiro, Webcor Builders – Mark Chen, Skanska – Shiloh Butterworth, PAE Engineers – Jesce Walz, Perkins + Will – Dr. Daniela Muñoz, CIFRO, the Center of Research and Philosophy & ioio.mx – Jen Jackson, San Francisco Department of the Environment – Mallory Taub, Gensler – Dirk Kestner, Walter P Moore – Roberto Valle Kinloch, Healthy Building Network – Seth Rojello Fernandez, Green Science Policy Institute – Christie Gamble, CarbonCure Technologies – Bryan Lee, Colloqate – Jonathan Orpin, Pioneer Millworks – Erika Winters-Downey, McCownGordon Construction – Marshall Andrews, DPR Construction – Vivian Loftness, Carnegie Mellon University, Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics – Karina Hershberg, PAE – Alissa Kingsley, Lord Aeck Sargent – Mike Harrington, The New School / Tishman Environment and Design Center – Alejandra Arce Gomez, GCI General Contractors – Joanne Carter-Wells, California State University, Fullerton – Manuela Londono, Perkins + Will – José María Nava Townsend, Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México – Marc Brune, PAE – Suzie Wiest, Village Nurseries – Esteban Martinez Lozada, Green Loop – María Fernanda Aguirre, Chile Green building Council – Lydia Gaby, HR&A Advisors, Inc. – Julie de Jesus, David Baker Architects – Mauricio López, Origen Ingeniería Sismorresistente – Erin English, Biohabitats – Andrew Ellsworth, Doors Unhinged, LLC – Jessie Buckmaster, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company – Alicia Silva Villanueva, Revitaliza Consultores – Heather Henriksen, Harvard Office of Sustainability – Jeremy Knoll, BNIM – Alanna Quock, Regenerative Design – Tiffany Tang, Capire Consulting Group – Yarden Harari, CallisonRTKL Inc.

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Media Contact: media@living-future.org

The post White House Senior Director of Building Emissions to Keynote Living Future 2021 on Earth Day first appeared on Living Future.