Inspiring a Materials Revolution

The idea of a “Living Building” has been around for several years now, and as projects are built we’re able to experience these inspiring places first-hand. We’ve been able to be involved in a few of these transformational projects, such as the Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes or the Frick Environmental Center, and see how they are shifting the design and construction market and with a ripple-effect in many other sectors. We are excited to be involved in one of the cutting edge efforts to amplify the ripple effect through an upcoming gathering of product manufacturers, designers and sustainability experts with a goal to “ignite a revolution in the way materials are designed, manufactured and delivered.” On September 16th, 2015 the International Living Futures Institute (ILFI), which administers the Living Building Challenge, is convening a national gathering of forward thinking professionals in Pittsburgh for the first Living Products Expo.
Living Buildings conform to a rigorous set of standards in order to ensure that the entire project is executed with a net-zero or net-positive environmental impact. Taking into account every material or product that is included in a building, one can imagine that tracking and vetting the origins and the overall environmental impact of the materials for a single building, including all metal, wood, stone, glass, concrete, interior walls, fixtures, furniture, coatings, wiring, and plumbing, is an extremely difficult endeavor. Not only is it uncommon for manufacturers to publicize all of the information needed to determine a product’s environmental impact, that impact also changes depending on the location of every project because of the energy and emissions associated with the transporting of materials. This is why leaders and innovators across professions and sectors must collaborate to transform the market for building materials and products.
The Living Product Expo is taking place this month in Pittsburgh, and we are excited to be part of it! evolveEA Principals, Marc Mondor and Christine Mondor, will each be sharing some of our Living Building Challenge experiences in educational sessions and panels during the expo. Come share your story of how you are helping inspire a materials revolution!
Marc Mondor will moderate the Convening Summit on Accelerating Living Product Capabilities in the Pittsburgh Region, with Matt Mahelik of Sustainable Pittsburgh and Aurora Sharrard from the Green Building Alliance, Friday Sept. 18, 5:00 – 6:30 pm.
Christine Mondor will speak on a panel about social equity in the workplace and employee engagement related to ILFI’s JUST framework, Thursday Sept. 17, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm.
For a $200 registration discount, use this code: GBALOVE