Amanda Sturgeon, FAIA

When I started at the International Living Future Institute almost 10 years ago, I could not have imagined the success that we have achieved today. With over 650 Living Building projects in 23 countries, two thriving international Institutes, 27 affordable housing projects, and hundreds of Declare labels, we are now positioned for scale. Our success is possible because of the…

Now that we are into the second decade of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), the world’s most rigorous green building program, it is an appropriate time to reflect. It’s now time to wonder both whether we have achieved the impact we sought to create and how we can continue to lead the building industry through the next decade in order…

Last week, a report was released from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Starkly depicting a grim prognosis of the difference in a half degree Celsius, the report quantified the remaining time we have for transformation–as little as 12 years. There are three points that I would…

All too often, our buildings do not give us the chance to connect with nature. Buildings with few or no windows, no fresh air, and views of something uninspiring, a wall or a parking lot, are all too common. Given that we spend 90 percent of our time inside, this means many of us are living the majority of our…

Biophilic Design takes the concept of biophilia, love of life, and applies it to the built environment while specifically looking at the relationship between people and nature in our buildings and cities. At ILFI, we decided to make biophilic design a core strategy for us. In order to create a world full of living buildings and living communities, we need to…

The withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement today is deeply disappointing as well as foolish, particularly given that renewable energy is now being realized on such a significant scale throughout the US. However, great leaps forward usually come from the innovators and risk takers – those that have the guts, foresight and empathy to think beyond themselves and visualize a…

When you walk through a forest, whether it’s a deciduous forest shedding its leaves on a colorful fall day, or in a eucalyptus forest in the midst of summer, where the smell of peeling bark is clearing your sinuses, it is not just your visual senses that are alive. Smell, sound, and the texture of what is underfoot are part…

For many of us it has been hard to cling to a sense of hope when we see basic human rights such as clean water, clean air, and freedom of religion under attack. Our work here at the Institute often requires courage as we seek to create a Living Future for all. Van Jones has been on the forefront of…

Biophilic design was the reason I became an architect. I developed a deep-rooted love of life when backpacking around Australia in my early twenties. The sheer beauty of the country, its unique flora and fauna, and the vast expanse of pristine land was life changing. The Australian landscape stood in stark contrast to the developed cityscapes of England where I…

Over the past few months, ILFI staff and board have finalized a new strategic plan that will guide the organization over the next five years. The opportunity to witness the collaboration between friends and colleagues throughout this process has filled me with energy and optimism for the future. We’re proud of where the organization is heading, and invite you to take…

In the last 20 years, the green building movement has gone mainstream. The pace of change is extraordinary: at the International Living Future Institute we are pushing boundaries we couldn’t have even imagined a decade ago. Setting a high bar, one that many thought unachievable, has proven to be a catalyst for transformative change. And it’s time to do it…