The Living Building

With the adaption of the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in 1998, there became the first scalar measurement for sustainable buildings. The concept of a living building has stemmed from another rating system, The Living Building Challenge, put forth by the International Living Building Institute. The Living Building Challenge is the most advanced metric of sustainability in the built environment, and is viewed in six areas of performance; site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty and inspiration. Living buildings can be comprised of a single building, park, college campus, or even a community. The Omega Center for Sustainable Living was the first building in America to gain both LEED Platinum status and Living Building Challenge Certification (link to article). The Living Building Challenge essentially takes the LEED certification to a new level, and it is no coincidence that the first building to achieve these lofty reccognitions was designed by Kansas City-based BNIM Architects, the firm led by Bob Berkebile.