The Living Building Challenge is a certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to diminish the gap between current limits and ideal solutions. It is comprised of seven performance areas, or ‘Petals’, sub-divided into a total of twenty imperatives, each of which focuses on a specific sphere of influence.

• Site – limits to growth, urban agriculture, habitat exchange, car free living
• Water – net zero water, ecological water flow
• Energy – net zero energy
• Health – civilized environment, healthy air, biophilia
• Materials – red list, embodied carbon footprint, responsible industry, appropriate sourcing, conservation+reuse
• Equity – human scale+humane places, democracy+social justice, rights to nature
• Beauty – beauty+spirit, inspiration+education

The project cannot contain any of the following RED LIST materials:

• Asbestos
• Cadmium
• Chlorinated Polyethylene and Chlorosulfonated Polyethlene
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Chloroprene (Neoprene)
• Formaldehyde (added)
• Halogenated Flame Retardants
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
• Lead (added)
• Mercury
• Petrochemical Fertilizers and Pesticides
• Phthalates
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Wood treatments containing Creosote, Arsenic or Pentachloropheno