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Hey, Designers! You know when you’re in a meeting with a client and they ask, “Why does sustainability matter?” and you’re put on the spot and suddenly can’t remember anything, even your own name? Yeah, I’ve been there! I’ve heard many times that it would be helpful to have talking points in your back pocket for precisely that situation.  When…

“We had a record-breaking year, registering more new projects than any previous year since our founding.” Data & Trends International Living Future Institute programs, including the Living Building Challenge, Core, Zero Carbon, and Zero Energy, are performance-based, whole building design and construction standards. They are the most ambitious green building certifications globally, setting a new paradigm of how buildings can…

In 2021, the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) published Integral Group’s fourth Just Label. Just is a voluntary platform that serves as a transparency tool for organizations to publicly disclose operational and HR performance. With over 650 staff globally and 21 locations in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States, Integral Group’s mission is to be the leading Deep Green…

Working together to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 and Agenda 2030.  With just 9 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development it is critical that we – individually and collectively – are being thoughtful and deliberate in our work together to ensure success. Here at the International Living Future Institute, we are committed to Agenda 2030 and…

As we enter fall 2021 amidst news of devastating global fires, Earth’s hottest month on record, and a bleak United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, we once again find ourselves asking – how can we act bigger, faster, sooner to address climate change? One might begin to find answers – along with hopefulness and inspiration – in…

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: what’s the return on investment for going green?  Don’t worry, you’re not alone! We hear it all the time. Fortunately, the business case for going green has never been clearer and “going green” now means doing something that is good for the environment and for your wallet. This didn’t use to be…

ILFI hosted our annual Affordable Housing Summit on June 17 with more than 200 attendees. The summit included lively panels and discussions on topics such as inclusive community engagement, healthy materials, and how to finance it all. Rachelle Macur spoke about the relationship between biophilia and trauma-informed design in affordable housing. Rachelle Macur is a Senior Sustainability at Group 14…

Actively Dismantling White Supremacy First: this is not a “trend”. We’re including it in this list as a reminder to recommit to this ongoing work. This work underlies all that we do as a green building community, and is imperative for the reclamation of our full humanity. As our Board Chair, Anthony Guerrero, said earlier this year: “Achieving equity and…

The International Living Future Institute is thrilled to celebrate the recent achievements from our Living Future Members in constructing buildings and communities, manufacturing products, and leading organizations that move us towards a future that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Here are the milestones that have been accomplished so far in 2021! Use the links below to jump…

The impact of Living Future Accreditation: Celebrating Bold Actions Having recently concluded our 15th annual Living Future Conference (LF21), there’s still plenty of renewed energy and motivation swirling around this community. Learning alongside the brilliant, inspiring speakers and so many curious, passionate, and supportive attendees is an inspiring call to take action! Speaking of which: at this year’s event, ILFI…

Editor’s Note: Join us for the Affordable Housing Summit on June 17th, 2021! This year we are focusing on the residents and will talk about working with communities to build housing that improves the quality of life for the residents and for the broader neighborhood. We will dig in on topics like inclusive community engagement, trauma-informed design, biophilic design, healthy…

Editor’s note: Don’t miss the 40% discount offer for this series at the bottom of this post! The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is excited to share the consolidation of seven Ecotone book titles under one umbrella – the new Living Building Challenge Book Series. Here’s a quick overview of the series and how we envision it as a solution…

Editor’s note: Enjoy this excerpt of an article written by ILFI founder and board member Jason F. McLennan. You can find a link to the entire article at the bottom of the page. Just because a machine can do a job better than a person, should we let it? People have been asking this question since the term “Artificial Intelligence”…

Triple Bottom Line Benefits for Residents Zero Energy homes are not only environmentally sustainable, they also cost less to operate, and are healthier to live in. Low-income families have a far higher cost burden for utilities, spending, on average, 17% of their income on utility bills, compared to 2-3% for other households.[1] Affordable housing units tend to be older and…

Between now and the Living Future Conference in April, we will introduce some of the incredible practitioners, change-makers, and innovators who are speaking at Living Future 2021. This week, we are featuring Dave Bennink, Director/Owner of Re-Use Consulting, one of our conference speakers.  Tierra Copeland: What does sustainability look like to you? Dave Bennink: I see sustainability as a state…

Join us April 20-23, 2021 for our online Living Future 2021 Conference! Check out our top 10 reasons to attend and then learn more on our conference website. 1. Three Incredible KeynotesAdrianna Quintero, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Energy Foundation, kicks off the educational program Tuesday, April 21. On Earth Day, Mark Chambers, Senior Director for…