Benson Gabler

Monmade Supports Product Pipelines In almost every sector and industry, especially as they are undergoing change, gaps in the flow are revealed. Monmade, a network of small manufacturers and makers in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, is an example of an organization that sprang to life to fill such a gap—to become the connective tissue in the material flows that…

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has had a very long relationship with the International Living Future Institute. This is not surprising, because the missions of both organizations are aligned. To understand how ILFI and the Living Building Challenge have impacted CBF, we spoke with Mary Tod Winchester, who worked with CBF, first as a volunteer, and then on staff for…

2023 Midyear Stats and Takeaways Now that we’ve hit the midyear milestone, the Institute is pleased to share high level stats and takeaways around the growth of our programs.   BUILDINGS CORE, LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE, ZERO CARBON, and ZERO ENERGY In the first half of 2023, 12 projects achieved certification (1 Living, 5 Petal, 1 Zero Carbon, and 5 Zero Energy),…

Certifications from Alabama to Spain include Cal Guerxo, 32nd certified Living Building and 1st in Europe, and Block 009, first affordable housing project “Buildings have the power to change minds and culture,” noted Lindsay Baker, CEO of the International Living Future Institute in her opening address at Living Future 2023. With that in mind, the Institute celebrated new beacons for…

Declare and the Living Product Challenge (LPC) were on full display at NeoCon 2019 last month in Chicago. For those who are not familiar, NeoCon is the commercial design industry’s launch pad for new products, such as fabrics, flooring, and furniture, from more than 500 exhibitors. We utilize this event as an opportunity to connect with our existing partners, build…

In the wide world of material reuse, sometimes a solution is born from a chance meeting between conference sessions. It’s not the most magical stumble-upon-a-soul-mate encounter, but the real world dictates a more practical timetable. And that is how a bowtie entrepreneur and an office furniture maker became sustainability partners in crime. The two manufacturers couldn’t occupy more different industries….