Living building challenge

Peter Pichler Architecture designs sustainable Tree Houses in Dawson Lake, West Virginia ARCHITECTURE The Tree Houses will be an addition to a hotel and should create a new experience to live in the woods with a maximum connection to nature. The geometry with its sharp steep roof is inspired by the surrounding maple, poplar, and oak trees and will be made of local wood. The size of the units ranges from 35-45 m² on 2 levels. The lower level is a small reading/lounge area, and the upper level the sleeping area with a small bathroom. The two levels are connected with a small internal stair. The project is conceived as a "slow down"- form of tourism where nature and the integration of architecture in it plays a primary role. "We belie... More

“One building off by itself has zero impact on the world’s climate, but a building that is influential and begins to change the way that architects, engineers, contractors, developers and financial institutions shape the built environment, that’s a building that was worth building.” - Denis Hayes, CEO, Bullitt FoundationBuildings account for an estimated 39% of carbon dioxide emissions, 65% of waste and 70% of electrical use in the United States. In the Pacific Northwest, a changing climate is already shifting our use of water, energy and other natural resources. To address this reality, the Bullitt Center in Seattle, WA is demonstrating what is possible today and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders to go even farther.As the first urban structure... More

SmithGroupJJR designs a net-zero structure for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation that reduces work footprints with the help of Teknion, and breaks new ground in sustainable design. It’s not every day that a building makes history. But, in many ways, the newly constructed Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, VA, has done just that. As the hub for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Hampton Road office, the Center supports the Foundation’s education, outreach, advocacy and restoration initiatives to protect the Chesapeake Bay—one of the nation’s most valuable and threatened natural resources. And because the sustainably designed, net-zero structure has broken new ground, not only has it caught the attention of its local community, but it... More

THE PROJECT While many manufacturers of furniture and building materials produce eco-conscious products, very few actually make products that meet the strict criteria defined by the International Living Future Institute to achieve its certification as red list-free. But Mohawk Group is one of them. And when the Georgia-based manufacturer opted to renovate one of its facilities in Dalton last year, it wanted the project to meet the institute’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) criteria, which defines a red list of toxic chemicals and materials that Mohawk Group avoids in the manufacture of almost 300 styles of commercial carpet. “We wanted to further express our commitment and walk the talk by doing our own LBC-certified project,” says Jackie... More

The R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College is about much more than making a good impression on prospective students. Designed to be entirely self-sustaining and meet the rigorous requirements of the Living Building Challenge, the Kern Center aims to make a lasting impression on all who enter by demonstrating Hampshire’s commitment to a sustainable future and inspiring the next generation of leaders in environmentally conscious practices. The building is prominently sited on Hampshire’s campus and serves as a welcome center for staff, students, and their families. The central floor-to-ceiling glass pavilion maintains a connection to the outdoors and serves as a hub of campus activity with a common area, community living room, and café... More

Prefab Technology Combines withTraditional Japanese Craft in This Relaxed Modern Austin Home Aamodt / Plumb was commissioned to design a home for a young family on a beautiful site on Lake Austin with only one catch: an incredibly compressed 12-month schedule. “12 months is extremely fast!” notes Aamodt. “Twelve months made us realize that we had to think very differently about how to do this project. What we did was to redesign the process of building a house.” The architects built a complete Building Information Model (BIM) of the home in Revit before any construction happened. Then, to meet the tight schedule the young architects employed fast-tracking techniques typically used on large-scale projects and adapted them to the resid... More

Inspired by organic forms and natural systems, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre seeks to create a harmonious balance between architecture and landscape, from a visual and an ecological perspective. The dynamic single-story structure includes an innovative prefabricated roof form that appears to float above the building’s curved rammed earth and concrete walls. Metaphorically representing undulating petals, the building form flows seamlessly into a central oculus and the surrounding landscape. Located on the Garden’s prominent southeast corner, the 1,810 sm Visitor Centre transforms the site’s entrance to heighten public awareness of the Garden, its conservation mandate, and the importance of nature. With solid walls that prot... More

The project for the Insectarium’s metamorphosis doubles the volume of the existing building in order to create new biophilic spaces that offer immersive, sensory experiences and original encounters between humans and insects. The expanded programme of the insectarium is reconfigured under a delicate, permeable enclosure that sits lightly on the ground. The structure weaves the existing landscaping into the museological experience of the new insectarium. The new skin modulates weather and light according to orientation and each space's needs. It shelters the existing insectarium building (now covered with a permeable system of plant growth), the main exhibitions ramp, and the naturalised environment of the central insect aviary. Respon... More

Summary The Sustainability Treehouse sits at the edge of the Appalachian forest within the 10,600 acres of the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The Summit is the new home for the Boy Scout Jamboree, a High Adventure Base, and a year-round destination for leadership training. In order to create a catalytic project that inspires the Scouts’ movement towards a sustainable future, The Treehouse not only targets the rigorous Living Building Challenge, but was also the first public facility developed at the Summit. This highly interactive facility serves as an engaging icon of scouting adventure, environmental stewardship and high performance building design. Visitors ascend indoor and outdoor platforms to experience the forest from multiple vantages... More

Proposal for new apartment complex on the north shore of the island of Aruba. This project will encompass 300 units integrated into the landscape. All possible sustainable design practices will be pursuit. Living Building Challenge and LEED for new construction will be pursuit for the project. More

The University of Florida Clinical Translational Research Building (CTRB) serves as the major catalyst for developing models and synergies in aging and geriatric medicine research and education, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, and health care across all Colleges and Departments at the University. Located within the Health Sciences District of the Gainesville, Florida campus, the CTRB is the home of the NIH funded Institute on Aging (IOA) and the Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). These two institutes are joined within a facility that is one of the first of its kind. The CTRB combines clinical space, dry labs, research and office space for various departments in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health and Health Prof... More

HOK has teamed with the President Obama Library and Museum Campus Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, on a planning and site selection proposal for hosting the Barack Obama Presidential Library in Chicago. In a design bid submitted with Hawthorne Strategy Group to The Barack Obama Foundation on June 16, the team proposed locating the library on a site in Bronzeville, a historic neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Developed by an integrated planning and design team in collaboration with more than 20 firms, organizations and community groups, the proposal for the library embodies the grassroots spirit of the Obama campaign to reflect the President’s agenda. “Our proposal challenges the historic trend of designing president... More

The Mosaic Centre for Conscious Community and Commerce is more than an office building. Located in the emerging Edmonton community of Summerside, the facility houses the Mosaic Family of Companies, a unique and progressive organization with a strong commitment to doing business better: “doing good while doing well,” as they put it. Their headquarters exemplifies their commitment to doing good. Staff are provided with important amenities including a child-care facility, wellness centre, lounges, game room and even a restaurant. The building raises the bar on the sustainability front, as well. In addition to targeting LEED® Platinum, we are aiming for this project to become the very first Living Building Challenge petal certified... More

In this new 6,100 square foot renewable-energy research laboratory, students will study, design, and evaluate renewable-energy technologies. The award-winning facility meets the Living Building Challenge, a threshold that exceeds the USGBC's Platinum LEED rating. It produces all of its own energy needs, harvests rainwater to meet its potable water needs, and provides natural ventilation and views to 100% of its occupied spaces. Sophisticated energy models were used to form the shape and fenestration of the building during the design. More