International Living Future Institute: Incentivizing regenerative design through the Living Building Challenge

The Living Building Challenge is a sustainable design framework that is leading the world towards regenerative buildings.

The Problem

The impact that buildings have on the environment is well known, as is the importance each has in informing the health and mindset of the people that work, live and play inside. Urban construction is one of the leading contributors to climate change; In the United States alone, 40% of carbon emissions come from the commercial and residential building sector. If we are going to continue to build and grow our communities, we need to find an alternative that is truly sustainable and regenerative.

The Solution

The International Living Future Institute's mission is to lead the transformation to a future that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Our methods are predicated on the belief that incremental change is no longer a viable option and that we are running out of time to realign our ecological footprint to be within the planet's carrying capacity.

The Institute's flagship Living Building Challenge program transforms our thinking on how every single act of design and construction should be a major opportunity to positively impact our ecological community and the social fabric of our human communities. Living Buildings produce net-positive energy, capture and reuse rainwater, and connect us to and protect our natural habitats. As the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today, the Living Building Challenge is helping create a future that is healthy and resilient for everyone.