Living Building Challenge

Center for Sustainable Landscapes, Pittsburgh

The Center for Sustainable Landscapes is a 24,350-square-foot education, research and administration facility at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. The design team’s challenge was to meet an unprecedented palette of green standards while creating a facility that would serve a multitude of functions and integrate with the guest experience.

Brock Environmental Center: Virginia Beach, Va.

For buildings to withstand sea-level rise, coastline erosion, and hurricanes, they need to be built to work with nature, not against it. The Brock Environmental Center is a living example of how to minimize impact on the environment while being resilient to future challenges. The triple net zero building is the latest to receive Living Building Challenge certification and is the first in the U.S. to receive a permit for drinking rainwater treated to federal standards.

Stevens Library at Sacred Heart Schools: Atherton, Calif.

For schools in drought-stricken areas, net zero energy and water strategies help future-proof against utility rate hikes. But, the price tag for net zero can be too high for school budgets. Fortunately, a library project at Sacred Heart School in northern California illustrates that it is possible to deliver a net zero energy building within a conventional budget while teaching kids about the value of conserving resources.

Bullitt Center: Seattle, Wash.

Learn how the Bullitt Center is pushing the bounds of sustainable design—and how tenant buy-in is contributing to lower than expected energy use.

Lincoln Heritage Public Library Chrisney Branch: Chrisney, IN

The small town of Chrisney, Ind., turned to net zero to overcome financial hurdles and realize the residents’ dream of building a library. The town lost its high school in the 1970s and then its highway due to an expansion and rerouting, and hoped a library would stem the tide of decline. For five years, the small, simple library has served as a source of pride for this shrinking town, providing a resource for information and a community gathering place while producing more electricity than it consumes.