The 16th International Passive House Conference was held in Hannover, Germany on 4 and 5 May 2012. More than 1,000 visitors from all over the world came in Germany to join the biggest event that claims to be the world most significant conference on energy efficient buildings.

Gatehouse guild-Carré in Hanover architect Olaf Schroeder / Baukontor Linden, Hannover; Photos: Frank Aussieker

Sometimes unusual places inspire the imagination. And unusually for the architectural event was the venue of this year’s Passive House Conference: The plenary sessions of the Conference took place in the Hannover Congress Centrum HCC, an old Wilhelmine building from 1914. With its Art Deco interior, it really is eons away from the focus on energy and resources efficiency world that has been talked about at the Conference. However, the venue had as though a symbolical character: There is hardly a building and refurbishment tasks still to be that Passive House architects and designers would not dare approach.

Not always it does with the necessary creative care. But the increasing number of well-known architects, who are dedicated to the hope of designing Passive Houses, can be – often driven by the needs of developers or local regulations. In addition, with development of better and better windows, insulation and façades systems, here are the new design possibilities. So today Passive Houses hardly have in common with anything to past stereotypes like “compact boxes with embrasures windows”.

Almost 40,000 Passive Houses exist now around the world, according to information of Prof. Wolfgang Feist, founder of the Passive House Institute. 2500 architects and planners have come up to train to become Certified Passive House Designers, 50 suppliers in 20 countries offer courses. There are constantly added new typologies which are realised for the first time as the Passive House. In recent years, there were lots of new Passive House buildings projects including indoor swimming pools and hotels, and now – the first Passive House hospital (in Frankfurt) and the first indoor tennis court (in Växjö / Sweden) that are under construction.

Passive House "On Soltekampe" in Hannover (renovation of a terraced house "; Architects: Architecture & Landscape accents, Hannover; Photo: Frank Aussieker

Passive Houses Around the World
Like no other International Passive House Conferences before, this year’s event was marked by the worldwide spread of the Passive House Standard. In Europe, this is facilitated by the fact that more and more communities or the whole regions of the standard requirement for certain construction projects. Customarily, is its application to public or publicly funded buildings? Some go further: Brussels wants that by 2015 all new (including private) residential buildings, office buildings and schools will be approved only if they meet the Passive House criteria.

In such regions even winners Pritzker still should learn: for instance, currently Jean Nouvel plans together with the Brussels office MDW Architects to design a passive office tower for the police headquarters in the Belgian town of Charleroi. From April 2012 the EU has been promoting a network of Passive House called PassREG regions (Regions Passive House with Renewable Energy). So they do not want to drive the implementation of the recently adopted for 2021 low-energy standards in all new buildings.

Outside of Europe planning a Passive House still means too often as “a lonely wolf to swim against the tide”. Passive House designers from the U.S. answer to the question of what support they received from the national or local policy, with “zero” – zero. And report significant resistance of older, by established professors when it comes to energy-efficient building is in the high school curricula to establish.

Passive House in Yangpeong / South Korea; Architects: Architects Engine Force. Photo: Kim Yeong-Kwan

What is a Passive House, Depends on the Climate

A prolific race between theory and practice has emerged around the globe. Passive Houses are now in South Korea, Chile, Canada and Spain, to name a few. Simultaneously, the Passive House Institute has studied in the large-scale researches of how the term “Passive House” for different climate zones defined component requirements which must be met and where there strategies for heating, cooling and / or dehumidification should be applied.

One result of the investigation: A Passive House is not always synonymous with triple insulated glazing and U-values  below 0.15 W/m²K. Not even the brazen threshold of 15 kWh/m²a for the heating demand is the same everywhere. At least not, if you take into account a basis as the main criterion for a Passive House that it should be without heating (and only with a heating of supply air).

The requirements for components vary widely: even single glazing windows may be sufficient for a Passive House around tropical locations, while in cold extreme climate it even has to rely on a vacuum glazing. In Spain, thermal insulation of 10 centimeters is quite sufficient, while Passive House roofs in Canada (conventional insulation materials provided) must include the 80 centimeters insulation layer. In such places the Passive House standard still meets its limits.

Another not such surprising finding of the study is that for some climate zones not the heating, but cooling and avoiding of overheating are of the critical factor. And thirdly, in many places around the world there are needs of dehumidification of the supply air to prevent condensation in constructions. But there are also some so-called “lucky climates” – such as Portugal or the highlands of Mexico – where Passive House can be realised without heating, cooling and dehumidification with passive design methods alone. The precondition is natural: the Project should correspond to Passive House.

All-Purpose Tool PHPP
Perhaps, the most important achievement of 20 years of Passive House history along with many high energy-efficient and cost-effective building components (more than 250 of them are now certified by the Passive House Institute),  is the program “Passive House Planning Package” (PHPP). Needless to say, even the office of Werner Sobek, formerly one of the largest critics of Passive House in Germany, is planning its residential buildings Energy Plus with this software. The tool “Passive House Planning Package” (PHPP) developed by the Passive House Institute is now recognized worldwide as probably the most accurate method to predict the heating and cooling energy requirements of buildings. In general, it yields significantly higher values than the statutory requirement calculation methods of each country – and thus is usually much closer to reality.

Therefore more and more architects use now the PHPP for all their projects – even if these projects do not have requirements to the Passive House standard. Or they develop new add-on applications, which can be integrated into the PHPP other planning tools and processes (for example, the parametric design). A special working group of the Passive House Conference dealt with the time of application software in the energy consulting, their integration into building information modeling (BIM) systems or in the determination of life cycle costs.

Germany's first Passive House Hospital: Hospital Frankfurt Hoechst; Architects: Wörner & Partner

The Path Towards Zero
For a long time, the Passive House Institute is no longer content in trying to preach only the reduction of the heating demand. A special panel discussion of the Conference in Hanover dealt with the question, such as how to define future Zero or Plus Energy standards and what role the Passive House should play of in their realization. A high energy efficiency of the building envelope, as it was proofed by the previously implemented some 300 projects around the world, is a prerequisite for each positive energy building. In very rare cases, it is obvious that there are “houses without heating”: If renewable energy is already won the building – whether in the form of solar thermal and photovoltaic power – it is also usually used for active heating of the building.

Even more than on possible reactions, the experts are currently discussing more about the “correct” definition of positive energy: Should this be achieved on the basis of primary or final energy? How far the balance sheet draws the line? “Counts” only the building itself or the whole property, or are there even investing in mitigation measures (such as building renovations) allowed at other locations to offset the energy consumption in buildings? Such mechanisms as the definition provides for the CO2-neutrality, which from 2016 in the UK should be mandatory for all new residential buildings. Despite all, the discussions will not come well to a common European definition of positive energy or carbon neutrality. Besides that, the national calculation methods, and the already chosen path in the implementation of low-energy standards are different.

School "in the block width" in Hannover, Architects: Architects Schroeder. Photos: Frank Aussieker

School "in the block width" in Hannover, Architects: Architects Schroeder. Photos: Frank Aussieker

Comfort and Economy as a Driver
“Sustainable solutions can only be comfort-optimal solutions,” said in his final presentation Wolfgang Feist, founder of the Passive House Institute. And he adds: “Its must also be affordable”. Comfort and economy not only look great merits of Wolfgang Feist ideas. It will also depend on its qualities, if energy-efficient buildings in Europe continue to make further progress. EU calls in its policy for the buildings with the low energy standard for new buildings from 2021. However, EU orders that such a level “has optimal costs” that it must not be unbearable financial burdens on citizens and public authorities.

The Passive House meets this requirement in most areas of Europe – and is praised by its inhabitants, most likely, in terms of air quality and thermal comfort. For the design of the building it was ordered in past – it was not always the best. But here is a clear upward trend currently seen. The Passive House is therefore well placed in the next 20 years to become a success story.

Press Release for the 4 May 2012 Press Conference on the 16th International Passive House Conference Master plan for the European energy revolution – Wolfgang Feist / Concept: Günter Lang Darmstadt/Hanover, Germany, 9 May 2012

Master plan for the European Energy Revolution put forth

16th International Passive House Conference opening ceremony (Hannover, Germany -2012); Keynote speaker Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and Dr. Wolfagng Feist (PHI); Source: PHI/proKlima, Photos: Mirko Bartels

A master plan for the European energy revolution

A Win – Win – Win strategy out of the crisis!

Countless examples at the Conference show that extreme energy savings are already possible!

Proven Passive House cost-effectiveness

Front runner regions show the way

From 0 to 250,000 towards Passive House

1) Passive House hospital in Frankfurt, Germany Source: woernerundpartner             

Passive House clinics offer enormous potential

Passive House in cold climates

How should Passive Houses in cold climates be planned? Examples from Wisconsin (USA) and Scotland (UK) as well as the world’s first Passive House indoor tennis hall in Sweden by tennis ace Stefan Edberg show designers what parameters must be given special attention.

Passive House in hot, humid climates

The Austrian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia is an example of how well Passive House works in even hot and humid climates, providing pleasant indoor temperatures and levels of indoor comfort that are virtually unheard of in such regions while showing dramatic energy savings for cooling. In a concept study for Passive Houses in hot and humid Shangai, Berthold Kaufmann, in addition to giving recommendations regarding the dimensioning of the building envelope, proposed a building services concept that enables cooling and dehumidification via the supply air with minimal recirculation (twice per hour).
The requirements posed by the climate of Bhutan, with its generally sub-tropical climate and extreme winters offers ideal conditions for the implementation of Passive House technology. Quality in procurement, execution and the correct use of appropriate building materials remain, however, a challenge in the Himalayan region.

Settle where there are Passive Houses

16th International Passive House Conference and Exhibition

Conference “Implementation of the Covenant of Mayors: The path to Ukraine’s energy security”

Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine” and Cherkasy City Council organize the conference “Implementation of the Covenant of Mayors: The path to Ukraine’s energy security” on May 15-16, 2012 in Cherkasy

More information:  http://enefcities.org.ua/

International Passive House Association

Press Release 27 April 2012

Worldwide certification criteria for windows and glazings to be presented at the 16th International Passive House Conference

Darmstadt/Hanover, 26 April 2012 – Passive Houses not only allow for major energy savings and superior levels of comfort, they also offer excellent design and building quality. Using high quality components is essential and helps prevent structural damage while increasing a building’s market value. In order to help clients and designers chose suitable components for their Passive House buildings, the Passive House Institute (PHI) issues certifications for Certified Passive House Components. At the 16th International Passive House Conference, to be held in Hanover, Germany from 2 – 6 May 2012, the Institute will present its new certification criteria for windows and glazings, adapted to all climates worldwide.

Certified Passive House Components – making Passive House planning more reliable

Designing and building high quality buildings requires extremely competent designers, tradespeople and component manufacturers. The large number of building components available on the market along with inconsistent performance rating schemes makes choosing suitable components a difficult task. In order to facilitate this task, the PHI has been certifying Certified Passive House Components for the past 15 years, thus providing independent, validated and comparable performance values for these components and guaranteeing their Passive House suitability.
Until recently, the criteria for these certificates were based on the Central European climate where the Passive House concept was developed. As the specific thermal requirements for Passive House suitable components vary with different climates, these criteria needed to be adapted to suit all climates – starting with the criteria for windows and glazings, which will be presented at this year’s International Passive House Conference.

Certified Passive House Components offer superior thermal comfort and living quality.
Today, over 300 components have been certified according to PHI criteria. To make these components more visible and easier to find, the Passive House Institute has created the Component Database for Certified Passive House Components, accessible to the general public on the Institute’s website at www.passivehouse.com as of 5 May 2012.

Today, a large variety of certified building products and systems are available throughout Europe and an increasing number of components are being developed for the Asian and American market. With Passive House forming the basis for legal standards in many regions worldwide including the European Union, California and South Korea, it is hardly surprising that more and more producers of building materials and components are looking to have their products certified.

Training and certification of qualified Passive House professionals
With its Certified Passive House Designer and Certified Passive House Tradesperson schemes, the Passive House Institute has established two training programmes for highly qualified construction professionals – another key to ensuring excellent design and construction quality. Around 2,500 designers and a growing number of tradespeople have already been trained and certified according to these schemes. “These programmes enable planners and craftspeople to plan and build better buildings that meet future requirements such as the EU’s 2020 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive,” says Dr Wolfgang Feist, director of the Passive House Institute.

Leading Passive House trade fair for all
The framework programme of the 16th International Passive House Conference includes a Passive House components exhibition on 4 and 5 May 2012 where more than 100 exhibitors will present the latest products, building materials, technical systems and innovative solutions for energy efficient buildings and retrofits. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the latest advances and technologies at the accompanying manufacturers’ forum and PHI will provide visitors with independent consultancy on these components’ energy performance and quality. The Passive House Conference and Exhibition serve as the key information and exchange platform for Passive House experts and newcomers alike from around the globe.

16th International Passive House Conference and Exhibition
Conference: Friday & Saturday, 4 and 5 May 2012 Excursions: Sunday, 6 May 2012 Framework programme: from 2 – 6 May 2012

Venue: Hannover Congress Centrum HCC Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1-3 30175 Hanover
www.passivehouseconference.org
The 16th International Conference is organised by the Passive House Conference and proKlima -Der enercity-Fonds
Press contact:
Günter Lang +43 (0)650-900 20 40
g.lang@langconsulting.at

This project is a major first: the only polar base operating entirely on renewable energies! Commissioned by the Belgian government, this represents a technical achievement blending the best of both science and technology. By bringing together international technology and expertise, “Princess Elisabeth” combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use, optimization of the station’s energy consumption and the best waste management techniques. These leading techniques and facilities will aim to reduce the station’s ecological footprint on the pristine environment of Antarctica, following the principles set forth by the Antarctic Treaty. The Princess Elisabeth Station is located upon the Utsteinen nunatak in the Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica). The exact coordinates are 71°57′ S – 23°20′ E. Scroll to bottom for brochure about the station.

The Princess Elisabeth station in Antarctica is powered by a combination of two renewable and carbon-neutral technologies for producing electricity: wind and solar power. While wind power will be used to supply the station with electricity all year long, solar power will provide both electricity (photovoltaic panels) and hot water (solar thermal panels) during the austral summer. 

Princess Elisabeth Base, located on Dronning Maud Land (71°34?S 23°12?E / 71.57°S 23.20°E / -71.57; 23.20) is a Belgian polar station, taken into use on February 15, 2009. The station is the first polar base that combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use, optimization of the station’s energy consumption and clever waste management techniques.

The station is built against a ridge (The Utsteinen ridge) that is exposed to gales of up to 300 km/h. The station can withstand such strong winds through its aerodynamical shape and its foundation anchoring of several meters deep into the permafrost.

The upper deck of the building is the actual station and looks over the ridge edge. The lower deck contains a garage for snowcat vehicles and other utilities.

The Princess Elisabeth base is the only zero emission base on the Antarctic. It runs entirely on solar and wind energy. It is connected to nine wind turbines that stretch out along the Utsteinen ridge. It houses up to 16 scientists at a time.

Water distribution at the Station is managed very carefully. It is distributed and managed frugally, and it is also reused after treatment. 100% of used water is recycled at the station, 75% of which is after each treatment reused for showers, toilets and washing machines.

The International Polar Foundation, IPF, led by the explorer Alain HUBERT, was commissioned in 2004 by the Belgian Federal Government to design, construct and operate a new Belgian Antarctic research station. Thanks to IPF, its technical partners and financial sponsors (out of which ArcelorMittal), this polar research center, the world’s first ever “zero emission” station, stands now on top of a granite ridge, north of the Utsteinen Nunatak in the Sör Rondane Mountains, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica.

Design of the station
Several factors influenced the final form of the station developed by the Foundation design team:
- The environmental conditions: extreme wind speeds, stable wind direction, very dry atmosphere, sub-zero temperatures, snow erosion and accumulation, and the potential “blasting” by grit and stone projectiles. The building has to stand at an average of 2m above the underlying ridge to prevent snow build up. The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics has been closely involved in elaborating the final shape, through the establishment of the wind force distribution and intensity on the building using a wind tunnel model based on actual in situ wind velocity surveys.
- A sustainable development approach: integration of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and optimisation of energy flows, optimisation of materials and total waste management systems integration into the design. Energy modeling by 3E helped making this station the first ever polar station designed to create zero emission carbon dioxide by running entirely on renewable wind and solar energies.
- The functional program: scientific and living spaces were provided in function of the research programs likely to be run from the station. Based on the aerodynamics and energy studies, Samyn and Partners architects have been entrusted with the task of designing the core building concepts. The extremely short time-frame for the execution of the project has led to a “design and build” approach, and Prefalux (of Luxemburg) was invited into the team to build on its expertise in wood-based structures and thus accelerate the process, under the control of SECO (Belgian Building Control Agency).

The multinational construction company, BESIX, acted as overall construction coordinator on-site in Brussels for the testing phase and also for the site in the Antarctic for the final construction of the building.

The Princess Elisabeth Building
The whole Princess Elisabeth complex consists of the research station itself, technical areas and garages, and of eight wind turbines next to the station. The sub-structure, built by the firm Iemants, is composed of four steel trestles, which may expand and contract independently of each other, and which support a large wooden superstructure. The trestles are anchored in the non-uniform, surface weathered, granite bedrock and are shored by 6m deep tie-rods such as to provide a reaction to the important wind uplift experienced by the building. The anchorages have been drilled with the Smet Boring Company.

Not only the drilling of the station’s anchoring points was the most important part of the first building stage, but it was the most difficulty to carry out because of the composition of the rocks and their unequal disposition. The envelope of the superstructure covers an orthogonal grid of trusses expanding from floor to ceiling in laminated wood elements assembled with Blumer type connectors. The 25 tons of stainless steel 304 B composing the final layer of the envelope of were supplied by ArcelorMittal.

From inside to outside, the wall and roof parts of the envelope are composed of: – a wall covering; – a heavy duty Kraft paper with a thick continuous aluminium vapour barrier; – a 74mm thick multiplex wooden panel; – 400mm lightweight expanded polystyrene blocs; – a 42mm thick multiplex wooden panel (linked to the lower board by means of 6cm diameter cylindrical beech wood posts, fitting precisely in cylindrical holes in the polystyrene); – a 2mm EPDM waterproofing membrane; – a 4mm closed-cell polyethylene foam mat between the stainless steel bands located under the joints of – the final cover consisting of bolted 1,5mm thick stainless steel plates. The floor (continuous with the upper envelope) is nearly composed in the same manner (from inside out): – a floor covering; – a vapour barrier; – a 42mm thick multiplex wooden panel; – 400mm expanded polystyrene – a 74mm thick multiplex wooden panel resting on the structural floor beams; – a gap at the height of the beam; – a 42mm thick multiplex wooden panel on which – the EPDM membrane, – the closed cell foam and – the stainless steel cladding is fixed. A steel plate lies between every column and connects with the continuous floor vapour barrier. The design, concept and developed prototype were approved at the end of April 2007. The final assembly and construction has taken place during January and February 2008 on site in Antarctica.

Design and Construction:
International Polar Foundation – Project Director / Chief engineer site construction: Alain Hubert – Project Manager: Johan Berte – Program Administrator: Nighat Amin Contractors – Coordination: BESIX – Wood Structure and Building Enclosure: Prefalux – Steel Structures: Iemants – Ground Anchorage: Smet-Boring – Interior Design: Cherbai – Water distribution: Aquasanit & Polet – Electrical Systems: Scnider Eletric

The station is named after Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, granddaughter of Albert II of Belgium and daughter of Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant.

Research station website:
http://www.antarcticstation.org/station/

Green building in all U.S. construction sectors will continue its rebound this year as the economy struggles to return to pre-recession levels. While the slowdown in commercial real estate projects and funding has definitely put a crimp in many green building projects, interest does remain high for green school construction.

Jerry Yudelson, principal at Yudelson Associates, a Tucson, Ariz.-based green building consulting company and the author of 12 books on green buildings, sustainable development and water conservation, says the latest green trend remains going through the process of becoming LEED certified.

“It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but K-12 has been lagging particularly in that area,” he says. “Higher education has pretty much been on board for quite some time. In the university arena, everyone wants to do LEED gold or platinum building going forward. And we’re finding that many universities are doing sustainability master plans that cover residential, foodservice, operations, transportation and more.”

For K-12 schools, green building has been slower, largely because it can take five or more years for a school to be built after the budget has been approved, he says. Many school districts are also in cost-cutting modes making it difficult for school architects to design good green projects without spending extra money.

“And, there’s always a retired contractor on the budget committee who is convinced the school is spending too much money,” Yudelson adds. “You should be building a school for a lifespan of 50 to 75 years that’s worth an extra investment.”

He also says that it wasn’t until a few years ago that the United States Green Building Council put together a green schools initiative that things started to move.

“The key has been leadership at the national level that has been pushed down to the local level. This was the extra boost that got people to realize that we are building these schools for the most vulnerable population — kids — in terms of asthma and air quality. So why can’t we put solar on the roof, measure our energy use and make it part of the energy instruction?”

The USGBC, a nonprofit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated, developed the LEED green building rating systems nearly 20 years ago. In 2009, changes were made that were primarily foundational, such as rating system content alignment and adjustments to the professional credentials and certification process. For this year, LEED 2012 builds on LEED 2009 by continuing to improve the clarity, usability, functionality and interconnectedness of the ratings systems through future version development.

And when it comes to school construction, the USGBC reports that green schools can save an average of $100,000 per year on operating costs — enough to hire two new teachers, buy 200 new computers or purchase 5,000 textbooks. Green schools — on average — use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than conventionally constructed schools. If all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green today, the USGBC says the total energy savings alone would be $20 billion over the next decade.

As LEED continues to grow in popularity, so has the whole area of high performance schools. According to CalRecycle, a leading authority on recycling, waste reduction and product reuse in California, high performance schools join together the best design and building strategies while providing a healthy indoor environment; conserving energy, resources and water; functioning as a teaching tool; serving as a community resource for neighborhood functions; ensuring easy maintenance and operations; and creating a safe and secure educational atmosphere.

Net Zero Energy

Net zero energy schools is another area of school construction that is gaining momentum. A term used to describe a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions on an annual basis, these buildings can be independent from the energy grid supply or energy can be harvested onsite, usually through technologies like solar and wind.

Yudelson says there are basically four kinds of net zero. “Type A is what most schools are doing. You make a really energy efficient building and then you top it off with, typically, solar panels on the rooftop. Because schools tend to be low rise — they have a lot of roof area relative to their floor area — you can do that. On an annual basis, as much energy is produced as is consumed.”

Type B, he says, is where you have a low energy building, but solar is placed elsewhere on the site — not on the building. Type C, meanwhile, is when energy from a green power source, perhaps a wind farm, is purchased for a low energy building.

“And Type D is more common in northern states and Europe,” Yudelson adds. “You might do all the heating with biomass boilers with wood pellets since wood is a zero carbon source. Which route a school chooses is really done on a case-by-case basis.”

Beyond LEED and Net Zero

For those interested in going beyond LEED and net zero-architects, engineers and building can challenge themselves with the Living Building Challenge, a philosophy, advocacy tool and certification program that promotes the most advanced measurement of sustainability. It can be applied to development at all scales, from buildings — both new construction and renovation — to infrastructure, landscapes and neighborhoods.

The Living Building Challenge (LBC) was endorsed by the USGBC and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) in 2006 and is not meant to compete with LEED, the Green Building Rating System, the USGBC or the CaGBC.

Initially launched by the Cascadia Building Council, a chapter of the USGBC and the CaGBC, the LBC comprises seven performance areas: site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty, which are further divided into 20 imperatives, each focusing on a specific sphere of influence. It is a rigorous performance standard that aims to certify top-performing green buildings. Unlike other rating systems that rely on the selection of green building traits from a menu of choices, the LBC requires the attainment of all performance criteria.

In order to achieve the Living Building Challenge, designers must do without using materials on the Materials Red List, which includes chemicals and materials considered harmful to both humans and the environment. The list, which can be found on the International Living Building Institute’s website was www.ilbi.org, is intended to identify and eliminate the worst in class chemicals and materials from a human and ecological standpoint from the built environment. Projects can be certified as “living” if they prove to meet all program requirements after 12 months of continued operation and full occupancy.

“Most projects that we know of decide to pursue the Living Building Challenge certification very early in the design process — some even before the entire team is known,” says Eden Brukman, vice president of the ILBI, a nongovernmental organization with a mission to offer a global vision for lasting sustainability.

“We recommend that the project is registered as early as possible, so that it can benefit from a truly comprehensive and integrated design. In addition, the Institute offers a number of support mechanisms for projects as they get started.”

Brukman adds materials are probably the most complicated aspect of the LBC. “They depend on manufacturing, and some of the things we just don’t have currently. Manufacturers don’t want to make something people don’t want to buy.”

Even though the LBC is still so new and primarily shared via word of mouth, she fully expects to see more schools in the United States certified under the program.

“There are already about a dozen registered education projects in the U.S. in design or construction and additional projects in other countries, too. The Hawaii Preparatory Academy Energy Lab in Kamuela, Hawaii, is the first school to be certified “Living,” and the Bertschi School Science Wing in Seattle, Wash. is in the middle of their mandatory 12-month minimum operation before they are eligible for an audit. Additionally, we had quite a few student teams enter our Living City Design Competition last year — some with great success.”

By Lisa Kopochinski